The Spoon Benders by The Spoon Benders

Filtering rock and roll with blues, funk, folk, and soul music, these three obsessive and somewhat loony characters strive to hit you in the gut, the heart, the head, and the feet all at once so that you don't know whether to dance, sing, laugh, cry, or just listen. At their increasingly wild and unpredictable shows, you can usually find somebody out in the crowd doing all five at once.

They've shared the stage with Steve Miller, Sum 41, Pat Benatar, Foreigner, Chris Isaak, Dr. John, Michael McDonald, Lucky Peterson, Sean Costello, John Lee Hooker, Jr., Brett Dennen, Calton Coffie (Inner Circle), Robert Johnson (Ox), and Edie Brickell & the Bohemians and have held their own with all of these first-rate performers. They've been marketing their self-titled debut CD since March 2005 and are currently working on a follow-up live record to better capture their spontaneity, their humor, and their predilection to get into some absolutely searing instrumental jams. They've won over the hearts of the generally disinterested and anti-culture crowd of south Floridians, and are beginning to move north to conquer every venue into which they can roll a hand truck full of gear.

“Stylistically, I guess we're a hodge-podge of classic rock and American roots music—try to imagine Albert Collins, the Funky Meters, Paul Simon, Jeff Buckley, Jimi Hendrix, the Police, U2 and the Black Crowes all peeing into the same bucket. Our pee would smell something like that,” says frontman Matt Winfree.

Sporting a collectively bizarre sense of humor, Winfree, Bennett, and Giraud refuse to take themselves too seriously. “But we take music very seriously,” reminds Winfree. “It is such a spiritual thing, and it's like the Force—it can be manipulated for good or for evil. We've gotten a real taste of the dark side down here in south Florida—bands who play for the sake of image, or just to get laid, or just to be like whoever’s on the good old Clear Channel playlist. Not that we don't want to get laid! But music deserves to be treated with integrity, respect, and absolutely unflinching and devoted passion. We play for the rare and exceptional person who understands what that means.”

With a solid lineup, supportive management, the best, most loyal following in South Florida, and having honed their live act by performing 3 to 6 times a week since late 2004, the band is ready for the next level. They crave the chance to shine in front of audiences unfamiliar with their unique show. The Spoon Benders will play wherever and whenever they can. They will play acoustic or electric sets. They will play a 20 minute original showcase or a six-hour cover gig marathon, adding their own signature stamp to every song. Spoil yourself and give them a listen.

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