Spoon performs at The Observatory OC in Santa Ana, Calif., on Feb 8, 2022. Photos: Chas Alm.

SANTA ANA, Calif. — Spoon is at the point in its career where Britt Daniel and co. have nothing to prove anymore, but they hit the stage at The Observatory Tuesday night fired up and played their hearts out, anyway.

Spoon performs at The Observatory OC in Santa Ana, Calif. on Feb 8, 2022.

The band started out with a bang with “The Beast and Dragon, Adored” from 2005’s Gimme Fiction, full of bristling energy and guitar feedback, and from there went straight into 2002’s Kill the Moonlight’s “Small Stakes.” The group followed up with “Don’t You Evah,” off Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007), which got a roar from the full house. Spoon kept things moving briskly all night, without wasting time on banter between songs.

With 10 albums and numerous EPs, Spoon has an embarrassment of riches to choose from when building a setlist. The band played all three singles from its forthcoming album, Lucifer on the Sofa, but perhaps surprisingly, there were no songs from its previous album, 2017’s Hot Thoughts. They dipped into their back catalog for “Do You,” from 2014’s They Want My Soul, and “Lines in the Suit,” off 2001’s Girls Can Tell. That led into new track “The Hardest Cut,” with an extended intro that leaned into its Texas rock swagger.

Spoon performs at The Observatory OC in Santa Ana, Calif., on Feb 8, 2022.

This flowed well into “Don’t Make Me a Target.” Hot on its heels was “My Mathematical Mind,” a real scorcher, full of guitar distortion and ominous bass. Fans raised their hands and sang along with the refrain, “I got to believe they come for rock and roll.”

“The Underdog,” one of Spoon’s biggest songs, was greeted rapturously. “My Babe” was also particularly well-received, despite having just been released that day. It started out quiet and ramped up into a crowd singalong. “I Summon You,” another sweet song of devotion, slotted in perfectly after it.

The current Spoon lineup, including Alex Fischel and Gerardo Larios, was a formidable live act. Fischel was full of manic intensity that rendered songs from earlier eras of the band fresh without altering them significantly. Larios and Fischel are both utility players, alternating on guitar and keyboards as the songs required. Fischel, especially, shined on “Fitted Shirt” and “Got Nuffin.”

Spoon performs at The Observatory OC in Santa Ana, Calif., on Feb 8, 2022.

“Inside Out,” one of Spoon’s most popular songs ever, was rendered faithfully (with the help of samples for the harp parts). Ben Trokan delivered many great bass lines, including on the classic “I Turn My Camera On,” for which the crowd went predictably crazy. Fans up front shouted for—and were rewarded with—“Jonathon Fisk.”

For the encore, Britt Daniel delivered a note-perfect version of John Lennon’s “Isolation,” which was especially poignant after years of lockdown restrictions. Spoon followed with a rousing version of new song “Wild,” “The Way We Get By” (a local favorite after being featured years ago on “The OC”) and “Black Like Me,” before concluding with a powerhouse version of “Rent I Pay.”

Daniel, surely one of rock’s greatest frontmen, smiled like he was having a great time all throughout the show. Drummer Jim Eno was (as usual) more reserved, even when Daniel pointed out to the crowd that it was Eno’s birthday. The band was tight and played marvelously together.

Joy Downer performs at The Observatory OC in Santa Ana, Calif. on Feb 8, 2022

Opener Joy Downer gave an assured, melodic performance. Effortlessly stylish in her baby blue suit and signature turquoise hair, Downer was well-received by the crowd. With her husband, Jeffrey Downer, backing her, she played a few songs from her 2020 debut album, Paper Moon, and new song “Chain Reaction.” The two were joined for their final song, “Over and Out,” by Lauren Brown (formerly of KOLARS), who is perhaps the world’s only tap-dancing drummer and was a delight to watch.

Follow Rachel Alm at Twitter.com/thouzenfold and Instagram.com/thousandfold.