They’ve had the funny moments, like the time they almost froze to death together before a Macon, Ga., gig because the exhaust pipe in their “Tropic Traveler” tour bus pumped mouthfuls of carbon monoxide every time they tried to turn on the heat.

Then there were the emotional times, like when bass player and Dothan native Quinn Borland was told he might never be able to play music again after a wrist surgery.

But not too many occasions beat Spoonful James’ excitement of performing at the Dothan Civic Center on Thursday night before college buddy turned American Idol, Taylor Hicks.

Seven years had passed since Hicks and the blues/rock group last shared a stage in Dothan at Moon Times on Foster Street.

“This is exciting — so exciting I flew here from Germany to be here,” said band member Eric Baath of Huntsville. Band drum player Patrick Lunceford of Birmingham and lead singer Wynn Christian of Dothan agreed.

One of the last times Spoonful James had performed with Hicks before Thursday’s concert was at Smith’s Olde Bar after the Atlanta American Idol show, Christian said. It was then that Hicks mentioned performing at some other shows together for an upcoming tour.

“And, of course, we agreed ...

We looked forward to playing in Dothan and also playing with our friend Taylor,” Christian said.

Christian said Spoonful James started as a blues/rock trio at Auburn University in 1996 by doing small shows at clubs around Auburn. The group ran into Hicks about a year later, and each played with Hick’s solo band at one time or another before Hicks became the nation’s Idol, Christian said.

Spoonful James’ name was created to reflect more of a person’s name than a group, he said.
Although the group split for a while between 2003 and 2005, it reunited recently and has performed several shows.

A couple fans were there Thursday night solely for Spoonful James. Clint Akers said he’d known the group, as well as Hicks, since his college days at Auburn University.

“It’s always great to see your friends be successful,” he said.

“And it makes the music that much more enjoyable to know how much these guys put into it.”