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Concert Review in Saskatoon Star Phoenix

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[quote][i]Originally posted by Cult_Of_Frank[/i]
[br]Good little review. The rock gods [i]were[/i] smiling down on Saskatoon, all four of 'em.

[size=3][b]Pixies once in a lifetime concert[/b][/size=3]
[i]Shannon Boklaschuk[/i]

On Saturday night, I experienced something amazing that I never thought possible; I heard the Pixies play live, right here in Saskatoon.

Why's that so amazing? For one, the Boston supergroup broke up in 1992, leaving scores of fans mourning the loss of one of the world's most influential alt-rock bands.

The Pixies were so influential, in fact, that Rolling Stone magazine recently declared a couple of their albums (1988's Surfer Rosa and 1989's Doolittle) as two of the greatest 500 albums of all time. I'd always believed their seven-year, five-album career was much too short.

So when I heard the Pixies were reuniting, I was stunned. And when I learned they were hitting Saskatoon and Regina on their brief North American tour, I was absolutely floored. The rock gods were truly smiling down on our great city.

From the beginning, I knew Saturday's concert at Prairieland Park would be like no other. After all, the buzz of excitement had surrounded the event for weeks. When I showed up at the venue shortly after 8p.m., a massive lineup of people had already congregated at the building's entrance, eager to realize their rock 'n' roll dreams. It seemed some couldn't even contain their enthusiasm. One boisterous guy walked around screaming "Pixies!" and "Surfer Rosa!" to anyone who would listen.

When the Pixies (Frank Black on vocals and guitar, Kim Deal on vocals and bass, David Lovering on drums and Joey Santiago on guitar) opened with Bone Machine, I was spellbound. Despite their decade-long hiatus, the foursome was back in full force, giving it their all and sounding fantastic. It was as if we were transported back to the late '80s, when the Pixies were in their prime, virtually creating the alt-rock genre.

Throughout the show, the Pixies projected a laid-back persona on the plain, smoky stage, speaking little to fans and simply concentrating on the music. But that didn't seem to matter to the frenzied crowd, who continually clapped, cheered, and moshed the night away - especially to hits such as Where Is My Mind, Here Comes Your Man, Wave of Mutilation, and Gigantic.

From their first note to the second encore (when the room's bright lights were prematurely turned on, unfortunately) the Pixies impressed hundreds of fans in attendance with their musical wizardry and undescribable coolness. I couldn't have asked for a better show.

Another great part of the night was purchasing a $30 double-disc recording of the concert entitled Live In Saskatoon, SK. Withonly 1,000 albums offered up for sale, it's a limited edition keepsake that I'll always cherish.

To really grasp the Pixies' following, I only had to scan the license plates of the vehicles in Praireland's parking lot. People had come from Montana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Manitoba, and Alberta for Saskatoon's show. A 24-year-old bartender from Fargo, N.D. told me he drove 10 hours to catch the concert. Why?

"Cause it's the Pixies. Period."

[hr][image]icon_cof.gif[/image][i]"Join the Cult of Frank / And you'll be enlightened"[/i]
[/quote]

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T O P I C R E V I E W
Cult_Of_Frank	Posted - 04/19/2004 : 09:21:03 Good little review. The rock gods were smiling down on Saskatoon, all four of 'em. Pixies once in a lifetime concert Shannon Boklaschuk On Saturday night, I experienced something amazing that I never thought possible; I heard the Pixies play live, right here in Saskatoon. Why's that so amazing? For one, the Boston supergroup broke up in 1992, leaving scores of fans mourning the loss of one of the world's most influential alt-rock bands. The Pixies were so influential, in fact, that Rolling Stone magazine recently declared a couple of their albums (1988's Surfer Rosa and 1989's Doolittle) as two of the greatest 500 albums of all time. I'd always believed their seven-year, five-album career was much too short. So when I heard the Pixies were reuniting, I was stunned. And when I learned they were hitting Saskatoon and Regina on their brief North American tour, I was absolutely floored. The rock gods were truly smiling down on our great city. From the beginning, I knew Saturday's concert at Prairieland Park would be like no other. After all, the buzz of excitement had surrounded the event for weeks. When I showed up at the venue shortly after 8p.m., a massive lineup of people had already congregated at the building's entrance, eager to realize their rock 'n' roll dreams. It seemed some couldn't even contain their enthusiasm. One boisterous guy walked around screaming "Pixies!" and "Surfer Rosa!" to anyone who would listen. When the Pixies (Frank Black on vocals and guitar, Kim Deal on vocals and bass, David Lovering on drums and Joey Santiago on guitar) opened with Bone Machine, I was spellbound. Despite their decade-long hiatus, the foursome was back in full force, giving it their all and sounding fantastic. It was as if we were transported back to the late '80s, when the Pixies were in their prime, virtually creating the alt-rock genre. Throughout the show, the Pixies projected a laid-back persona on the plain, smoky stage, speaking little to fans and simply concentrating on the music. But that didn't seem to matter to the frenzied crowd, who continually clapped, cheered, and moshed the night away - especially to hits such as Where Is My Mind, Here Comes Your Man, Wave of Mutilation, and Gigantic. From their first note to the second encore (when the room's bright lights were prematurely turned on, unfortunately) the Pixies impressed hundreds of fans in attendance with their musical wizardry and undescribable coolness. I couldn't have asked for a better show. Another great part of the night was purchasing a $30 double-disc recording of the concert entitled Live In Saskatoon, SK. Withonly 1,000 albums offered up for sale, it's a limited edition keepsake that I'll always cherish. To really grasp the Pixies' following, I only had to scan the license plates of the vehicles in Praireland's parking lot. People had come from Montana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Manitoba, and Alberta for Saskatoon's show. A 24-year-old bartender from Fargo, N.D. told me he drove 10 hours to catch the concert. Why? "Cause it's the Pixies. Period." "Join the Cult of Frank / And you'll be enlightened"
5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
abegrand	Posted - 04/20/2004 : 10:57:32 The review is obviously sincere, but shameless in its fangirl worship. Writing in the third person might have given it a little bit more dignity.
Cult_Of_Frank	Posted - 04/19/2004 : 23:47:30 For the record, I didn't write it, I just thought I'd post it for completeness' sake. I'm not really a big fan of hers anyway, though I have a friend who has an inexplicable crush on her. :) She always struck me as a little on the fake side. "Join the Cult of Frank / And you'll be enlightened"
abegrand	Posted - 04/19/2004 : 22:58:55 That review looks like it was written for a gradeschool newspaper.
Cult_Of_Frank	Posted - 04/19/2004 : 18:31:07 Yeah, I know, I talked to people from much farther than that, but... "Join the Cult of Frank / And you'll be enlightened"
Spartacus	Posted - 04/19/2004 : 17:53:47 quote: A 24-year-old bartender from Fargo, N.D. told me he drove 10 hours to catch the concert. Why? "Cause it's the Pixies. Period." Only 10 hours....that's soft.

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