(This wasn't an exclusive, single-album kind of night, though. After serving up the promised Doolittle ditties, they closed with favorites from other discs, including "Where Is My Mind" and "Gigantic.")
The houselights dimmed, and footage from Luis Bunuel's 1929 trippy surrealist short, "Un Chien Andalou," flashed on stage. Following the shots of slicing up eyeballs and awkward gropings, the Pixies took the stage, and launched into a set of well-loved B-sides. Frank Black filled the room with his distinct, iconic yowl.
Songs that didn't make the album -- like "Dance the Manta Ray" and "Bailey's Walk" -- kicked off the show, but the crowd came to life when it heard the opening strains of "Debaser," Doolittle's first cut.
"Some of the B sides are so obscure, we had to learn them before we could play them," bassist Kim Deal joked.
Black, Deal, guitarist Joey Santiago and drummer David Lovering -- the band's original cast -- plowed their way through the rest of the album in order, with bonafide classics like "Wave of Mutilation," "Here Comes Your Man" and "Monkey Gone to Heaven."
"We're at the end of side one," Deal said. "Now we gotta fight about who has to turn the record over. I did it last time. You do it."
Santiago begrudgingly mimed flipping a record and dropping the needle. He then stood mostly still while ripping through his guitar licks, and Black and Deal -- well known for not exactly getting along -- sang together like they never got under each other's skin, or missed a day of rehearsal. Lovering was as steady as ever, pounding out a beat and even taking the mic on "La La Love You."
There didn't seem to be a whole lot of la la love for Fuck Buttons, the opening noise-duo act. The English pair came out, stood around, turned some knobs and played one long, boring track full of blips, boops and bass. Let's put it this way: If the accompanying light show had triggered a seizure in an audience member, at least something interesting would have happened. As it was: two guys just stood there and turned knobs, while no one danced.
The Pixies turned everybody's knobs, though -- hey, get your mind out of the gutter -- by the time they capped off the set with "Silver" and "Gouge Away." They took a bow while their video likenesses did the same on a projector directly behind them. They slowly strode off stage, but weren't gone long.
The screams of appreciation erupted when they came back with "Slow Wave" and "Into the White," a slow, steady dirge played while a fog machine filled the room. After another brief jaunt off stage, the gang was back once more. "We actually know some songs that weren't on that record," Deal said.
Frank Black is a much more prolific songwriter than stage banterer. He had nary a word for the audience outside his singing and screeching; but, no one cared for conversation when the Pixies closed with four of their most beloved tracks, all from their first full-length, Surfer Rosa. "Broken Face," "Bone Machine" and the Deal-sung "Gigantic" wrapped the show up in a big wad of love. (Bonus: watching crowd members attempting to sing along to lines like, He bought me a soda and tried to molest me in the parking lot, from "Bone Machine.")
This night didn't include any new material, but who cared? If anyone has a back catalogue that wasn't properly appreciated in its time, it's the Pixies. Here's hoping for a Surfer Rosa tour -- that album is due for some love.
Setlist:
Dance the Manta Ray
Weird at My School
Bailey's Walk
Manta Ray
Debaser
Tame
Wave of Mutilation
I Bleed
Here Comes Your Man
Dead
Monkey Gone to Heaven
Mr. Grieves
Crackity Jones
La La Love You
No. 13 Baby
There Goes My Gun
Hey
Silver
Gouge Away
First Encore:
Slow Wave
Into the White
Second Encore?
Where Is My Mind
Bone Machine
Broken Face
Gigantic
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I like the way this Mike Krings writes & although I did not make it to this show, was able to get a feel for this Pixies performance thru this article. Gracias!
I enjoyed the Fuck Buttons...not the crowd for that type of music, and it can get repetitive. As for them just twisting nobs, the Pixies themselves didn't do much else than stand there. Kim said the exact same lines at the other shows. They're probably cashing in a little on this tour, but I really don't have a problem with that because they sounded great. I thought the Pavement show a week earlier was better, but to each their own.
Anon #1
Yes, You were the only one that enjoyed that seeming endless crap noise.
I couldn't drink enough, fast enough for 'Fuck Buttons' to be remotely enjoyable.
Fuck Bottons sounded OK but were boring as shit. Pixies........ AMAZING!
'The night didn't include any new material' They haven't written an new material.
'Frank Black is a much more prolific songwriter than stage banterer. He had nary a word for the audience outside his singing and screeching'.
That's just how they are doing this tour. Saw them in Chicago and they did all the same 'end of side one' etc. as they did here. Saw Frank Black solo last Summer and the guy banters with the crowd with the best of them.
The show was amazing. A Surfer Rosa tour would be great!
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