At Malkin Bowl on Sunday, May 24

It was a weekend of blockbusters, but we’re not talking movies here. On Sunday alone, Vancouver was treated to a trio of top-shelf concert options, including appearances by War on Drugs and Father John Misty. By the time the clouds cleared out in the late afternoon, heading out to Stanley Park’s open-air Malkin Bowl to see Texas indie greats Spoon was the most idyllic setting of the three. As the show was sold out, it was clear more than a couple thousand Vancouverites agreed.

People were still snaked along the fence outside when Texas nonet Sweet Spirit launched into its opening set. Even after passing through security, most seemed content to stand in a giant beer garden lineup instead of focusing on the safe but sweet retro-pop of “Rebel Rebel”. Eyes were up front, however, when Spoon singer Britt Daniel joined the act for a blazing garage-rock redo of his band’s Kill the Moonlight number “Paper Tiger”.

Baltimore’s Future Islands soon had fans filling the field, while one enraptured audience member reached great heights to catch the sight of swivel-hipped force of nature Samuel T. Herring. “There’s a bald eagle just chillin’ up there,” the frontman remarked, his eyes affixed on a redwood. “It’s beautiful.” Down below, the band dialled into a series of pillowy synth-pop jams.

Though the melodies were mellow, Herring was a compelling beast, punctuating his tenor on “Balance” and “The Chase” with gorilla-like grunts. Meanwhile, his famously captivating arsenal of theatrical moves included a serpentine full-body wriggle, hammering at his heart with an open hand, and one chin-grabbing move that looked like he was trying to rip the skin off his face, Poltergeist-style.

Never a flashy act, Spoon spent the night serving up perfectly lean highlights from its astonishing songbook. “Rent I Pay” was bold, Stones-style blues that locked the group into a pounding, percussive groove, while “Don’t You Evah” loosened things up with Rob Pope’s elastic bass line and Jim Eno’s shimmy-shake maraca beat.

Daniel stood up front strumming his Telecaster and delivering fabulously scratchy vocals.

The banter was light, though Daniel sincerely thanked the crowd for sticking around. He also hammed it up with his tourmates, bringing shirtless members of Sweet Spirit on-stage for a chat while insinuating the openers “lost a bet”. Though he asked them to sing backups on “My Mathematical Mind”, Sweet Spirit’s bra-sporting Sabrina Ellis replied with “Get back to work” before sauntering away.

A version of “The Ghost of You Lingers” didn’t materialize as planned. Though its soul-penetrating piano line was front and centre, piercing feedback had Daniel unplugging his mike. “Everything sounds weird up here,” he noted afterward.

Also out of the band’s control was the weather. A light drizzle came down during “Do You”, right about the time Daniel delivered the line “Do you run when it’s just getting good?” While a handful of concertgoers idled off toward the trees, most stayed the course. After all, it wasn’t like the downpour the band encountered last year at Deer Lake Park. “This isn’t so bad,” Daniel said consolingly. “You guys can take this.”

Bathed in violet light, Spoon spent the back half of the set juxtaposing the ethereal bounce of “Inside Out” with their biggest hit, “The Underdog”, and a bone-rattling cover of the Cramps’ creepy “TV Set”.

Noting the 10 o’clock curfew, Daniel exclaimed in an encore, “I don’t like it, I want to stay.” There was no need to fret: after feeding the fans hits all night, Spoon left Vancouver more than satisfied.