| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Carl |
Posted - 08/17/2006 : 08:13:38
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2006/082006/08172006/214581
Frank meets the Foos
Frank Black and the Foo Fighters play to vast crowd in
Washington on Tuesday
Date published: 8/17/2006
By CLAY JONES
WASHINGTON--Opening for the Foo Figthters at DAR Constitution Hall on
Tuesday, Pixies frontman Frank Black took the stage in a very unassuming
manner.
Without saying a word to the audience--or acknowledging there even was
an audience--Black broke into "Los Angeles" to start the night. Wearing
glasses and dressed in black, he played solo without a band for 40
minutes, standing before the vast crowd.
As each song came to its conclusion, Black turned around and looked at
the floor as though he were viewing a set list, then with barely a pause or
a word he started the next song.
Black's strong vocals and the excellence of his songs captivated the
audience as he performed material from his previous solo album,
"Honeycomb," and his latest, "Fast Man Raider Man." He also included a
few Pixies songs.
Selections his fans knew, such as "Cactus" and "Where Is My Mind," were
broken down for the acoustic set, but they still held interest.
Black raised and lowered the volume of his playing and singing to
accentuate his songs, as though he were also producing the mix, even though there wasn't a mix because it
was just one guy and an old Martin acoustic guitar.
It seemed Black never looked at his audience, and he didn't say a word between songs. He didn't even
adjust his tuning or change guitars. And when the last song was done, Black waved goodnight.
Foo Fighters guitarist Dave Grohl more than made up for Black's lack of communication. He told the crowd to
sit down and make themselves comfortable because he liked to talk and this could take a while.
Opening by himself with "Razor" from the acoustic half of "In Your Honor," the band's 2005 album, Grohl
amazed with his guitar-playing, keeping up an extremely complex beat while singing.
The audience cheered near the end of the tune as the rest of the Foo Fighters took the stage, along with
tour guests violinist Petra Haden, pianist Rami Jaffee, percussionist Drew Hester and, to many old-school
fans' delight, original Foo Fighter and former Germs/Nirvana guitar player Pat Smear.
Though the entire band sat down throughout their performance, they still wanted to rock. The set was bass-
drum heavy and loud for an acoustic show, but very well orchestrated.
Instead of tapping his feet while playing, Grohl was stomping. This show was peculiar in that Grohl, known for
his tendency to scream vocals instead of actually singing them, actually sang softly and in key throughout the
night.
Near the end, the old rocker came to life as Grohl performed "Best Of You" without
the band and without stripping down the song.
He banged on his acoustic as though he were playing an electric Les Paul guitar with a 300-watt Marshall
stack behind him. Then the screamer came back as Grohl poured all he had into the song.
Before "Friend of a Friend," Grohl told the story of how he joined Nirvana and wrote the song. It was a gift to
the audience, as Grohl is usually quiet about his Nirvana past.
Other highlights of the show were Haden's vocal lead on "Floaty" from the Foo Fighters' debut album,
drummer Taylor Hawkins' lead vocals on "Cold Day in the Sun" and the flippant songwriter banter and joke-
trading between Hawkins and Grohl.
Bassist Nate Mendel and guitarist Chris Shiflett were solid as longtime Foo Fighters. Shiflett even led on the
guitar-playing during material from Smear's days in the band.
Smear seemed lost at times and it was tough to pinpoint where he was in the mix. For a lot of the night, he
was smoking and drinking while the rest of the band was playing.
Grohl finished the show with a version of "Everlong" that started out slow until the rest of the band came
back onstage near the end and turned it back into the rock song it is.
To reach CLAY JONES:540/374-5000, ext. 5684
Email: cjones@freelancestar.com
Date published: 8/17/2006
Dave Grohl sang softly and on key
throughout the Foo Fighters' concert
on Tuesday.
GETTY IMAGES |
| 14 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Carl |
Posted - 10/30/2006 : 11:50:09
http://www.spin.com/features/ithappenedlastnight/2006/10/061024_frankblack/
IT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT
Back in Black, Frank Black
October 24, 2006
NEW YORK, NY: Frank Black forgets to turn ringer off, gets
professional at Irving Plaza gig.
"But all I had was one
glass of wine," Frank
Black told the crowd last
night when his guitar cut
out and his cell phone
started ringing during his
Pixies' opener "Holiday¡±
to Black's headlining set
at New York's Irving
Plaza. In a failed attempt
to later shut off the
phone Black ended up
spilling the contents of
his jacket all over the
stage which he then
preceded to list off to the
audience as his passport,
wallet, and the now
infamous cell phone. "It doesn't get much more professional than this,"
Black joked after the mishap and moved into an acoustic version of
"Cactus."
Black joined up with a full band to play new songs "My Terrible Ways" and
"I'm Not Dead (I'm In Pittsburgh)," and treated fans with hits from 2005's
Honeycomb, like "I Burn Today" and "My Life In Storage." But it was the
Pixies' "Where Is My Mind" that was the night's sing-a-long showstopper,
proving that you can take Frank Black out of the Pixies, but you can't take
the Pixies out of Frank Black. With seventeen albums to date, SPIN.com
asked Black where he feels he's at in his career. "I remain occupying the
same cultish niche I always have," he said. STORY BY KATIE HEATH. PHOTOS
BY ERIC NOWELS
Frank Black
On stage: Frank Black. Front row: Doppleganger.
Black sings to the Irving Plaza crowd
Eric Eble, upright bassist for opening act, Reid Paley Trio
http://www.chartattack.com/DAMN/2006/10/3011.cfm
LIVE: Frank Black Proves He's Much
More Than A Pixie
Monday October 30, 2006 @ 03:30 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff
October 26, 2006
The Opera House
Toronto, ON
by Steve McLean
I arrived at The Opera House in time to hear the last few songs from
Brooklyn, New York's Reid Paley, and now wish I'd known more
about him so I could have caught his entire opening set. Playing an
amplified Gretsch acoustic guitar and accompanied only by a stand-
up bassist, he played somewhat retro, rockabilly-influenced music to
a relatively small but enthusiastic audience.
After more than half-an-hour, Frank Black took the stage alone with
his acoustic and opened with a cover of Tom Waits' "The Black
Rider." "We'll have a gay old time," he sang, hopefully
foreshadowing the rest of the concert. And, for the most part, it did.
Black's six-song acoustic set also included another Black Letter
Days song, "California Bound," as well as "My Life Is In Storage"
and three Pixies tunes ¡ª "Velouria," "Holiday Song" and "Cactus"
¡ª that sounded great in stripped-down format. Black mentioned
that he made $200 at his first show in Toronto at the Silver Dollar,
and then said in a mocking tone, "We party in a lot of towns, and
nobody parties like Toronto."
Black was joined by his band for the rest of the show, and the
volume was turned up as he went through songs from his extensive
catalogue. Among the best of the older tracks were "Show Me Your
Tears," "Ten Percenter" and the menacing-sounding "Nadine."
Songs from his two most recent albums, Honeycomb and
FastMan/RaiderMan, included "My Terrible Ways," "Raider Man," "I
Burn Today" and a song that Black co-wrote with opening act Paley,
the country-based "I'm Not Dead (I'm In Pittsburgh)." "All Around The
World," a song about an execution that was recorded during the
Honeycomb sessions but not included on the album, was also
featured.
Black threw two more covers into the mix: Larry Norman's "Six-Sixty-
Six" and Gary Green's "That Burnt Out Rock And Roll," which
sounded anything but.
About 100 minutes after taking the stage, Black walked off after
ending the set with "Sing For Joy." There was no encore, despite
many fans yelling for one even after the roadies had come on stage
to start dismantling the equipment, but most people still seemed
satisfied.
While heart rates quickened last week when Black said that The
Pixies would likely record a new album next year, it's comforting to
know that he's recorded enough great songs with both that seminal
band and on his own to solidify an impressive legacy. The prolific
songwriter shows no signs of slowing down, and there are sure to
be more great things to come, in one form or another.
http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/rss/s_477404.html
Scenes from the Arts-burgh
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
As a founding members of the Pixies, it can be argued that Frank Black is
the progenitor of modern alternative rock. His influence -- notably on Kurt
Cobain of Nirvana -- transcends the popularity of his own work.
Friday at Mr. Small's Funhouse Theatre in Millvale, Black brought a crack
four-piece band to the intimate venue, which should have been packed to
the rafters. That it was only two-thirds full did not at all take away from the
fervor of the audience, nor Black's performance.
Black began by playing four songs solo, notably "Los Angeles" and
"Velouria," Pixies songs that benefited from the space provided by the
acoustic performances.
With his band in tow -- notably featuring drummer Billy Block, bassist Eric
Drew Feldman and Duane Jarvis on guitar -- Black raised the volume.
Songs such as "All My Ghosts" and "Bullet" from his immense back
catalog went over well, and "Six Sixty Six" was a slice of hell-bent
rockabilly .
Selections from his
new album, the
rootsy "Fast Man,
Raider Man,"
seemed
particularly suited
to the band, and
Black may have
saved the best for
last: A haunting
version of "Sing for
Joy," which
sounded like he
was channeling the
Velvet
Underground.
-- Regis Behe
Former Pixies frontman Frank
Black
Andrew Russell/Tribune-
Review
Former Pixies frontman Frank Black opens his show Friday at Mr. Smalls in
Millvale with a solo acoustic performance.
Andrew Russell/Tribune-Review
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/11/01/092234.php
Concert Review: Featured Artist Frank
Black - Cleveland House of Blues
Written by Connie Phillips
Published November 01, 2006
Part of Featured Artist
Intimate probably wouldn't be the first
word to come to mind when describing
the music of Frank Black. It is, however
the perfect word to describe his
October 30 show at the House Of Blues
in Cleveland Ohio.
Born Charles Thompson IV, this month's
featured artist has had a long career in
music, spanning back to the days he
was known as Black Francis as a
member of the Pixies. The alternative
Rock band whose music was heavily
influenced by the punk and surfer
genres released five studio records and
12 singles in their nine year stint. When
the band dissolved, Black Francis
became Frank Black and his music took a new shape and form as well.
It was this incarnation that took the
stage Monday night and delivered a
short acoustic set that included
"California Bound," "The Shrimp Song,"
"Abstract Plain," "Two Reelers," and a
few others before bringing out his
band. Together they rocked the
house for another twenty-one songs
of his signature brand of music
propelled forward by his driving guitar
and accentuated with his delivery,
varying from soulful and melodic to
mournful howls calling out from
somewhere deep inside.
The band behind Black was
exceptionally tight and had just as
much energy as the crowd who
showed up to take in the evening of
entertainment. Members were Erie
Drew Feldman (Bass), Duane Jarvis
(Guitar), Billy Block (Drums), and Jack
Kidney (saxophone, harmonica).
Driving guitars, mournful howls, and high energy, but didn't I say the show was
intimate?
The Cleveland House Of Blues is much like the only other one I've ever been in
(Orlando), but I assume the individual units of the franchise all have the same small
feel. The surroundings added to the atmosphere, which gave the overall feeling these
guys just came over to jam in your living room, but it was more than that.
When introducing the band after the acoustic set, Black said they were there to keep
him mindful of the time, to keep his show moving. And move they did, from one rocking
song to the next only randomly and intermittently slowly it down. At another point in
the show, while communicating with a familiar face, he stopped himself saying "less
rock, more talk ¨C No, the other way around," before breaking into another song -
rocking the house yet again.
But the main reason I would describe
the show as intimate was because of
the connection made between Frank
Black and the fans through song.
Whether it was the fun "Rock A My
Soul," the intense "Bullet," or the
apocalyptic "Six-Sixty-Six" he held the
devoted crowd's attention for every
note of every song. From that
connection fans would warmly shout
out their admiration or requests and
he would pause and address the
person or subject, but it was only
briefly and then he would return to
the music. It is what everyone was
there for after all.
The list of songs Frank Black blazed
through was long and covered his
expansive career. Some of the
highlights were "I'm Not Dead (I'm in
Pittsburgh)", a song that features
that aforementioned passionate howl;
"The Black Ryder," the high-energy show opener; and "Bullet" and "Six-Sixty-Six,"
which kept the crowd moving and ventured into some of those darker lyrics Black is
know for. "Rock a My Soul" offered something for the fans of ol' school rock and the
band delivered an exceptionally beautiful, harmonious opening on "Horrible Day." (Full
set list below)
As Frank Black's show wound down, he gave fair warning, saying good-night and
thank-you to the crowd before the final three songs. The last of which, "Sing For Joy"
seemed as though it was meant to be an encore. He had turned and almost left the
stage when he made his way back to center to break into the final song.
Frank Black is Blogcritics Featured Artist for November. Stay tuned for an interview,
reviews of the music, and news and information. (All photos were taken by Connie
Phillips at the Cleveland House of Blues.)
Track Listing:
Acoustic Set
The Black Ryder
Re-Make/Re-Made
Rock A My Soul
Bullet
Six-Sixtey-Six
Horrible Day
All My Ghosts
Gyaneshwar
My Terrible Ways
Blue
Raider Man
Ten Percenter
I Burn Today
I'm Not Dead (I'm in Pittsburgh)
Johnny Barleycorn
Deadman's Curve
Suffering
Burned Out Rock and Roll
All Over the World
Nadine
Sing For Joy
http://marginallyclever.blogspot.com/2006/11/speaking-of.html
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
speaking of
Frank Black had a show in Cleveland on Monday. He kicked out a couple of acoustic
versions of Pixies' songs. I'm all for that. All in all, it was kind of a low-key show. It
skewed towards his more recent Nashville recordings and it was a Monday night. But I will
say Frank talked more during this show than all the other shows I've seen him combined.
I like to think it was because of my stunning blue eyes staring up at him delicately.
Earlier in the day, I had jury duty. I was pretty sure it would be a veritable goldmine of
blogging material. The morning got started off right with people asking annoyingly stupid
questions and testing the juror fuhrer's patience. But there was nothing too stupid or
entertaining. So, I continued to read whatever it was I brought along. After a few hours,
we were told we weren't needed and to go home.
Talk about a letdown. I think we all universally share in a 12 Angry Men scenario where
only WE (as played by Henry Fonda) can see the complex truth behind an ostensibly
simple case. Of course, the court I was summoned to was a misdemeanor court (or
whatever - point being, nothing serious in terms of criminal activity), so who cares if
somebody gets 10 hours of community service or not? Certainly not me, especially when I
can't give someone the chair.
posted by roger at 8:35 AM
http://www.muzzleofbees.com/2006/11/03/frank-black-high-noon-saloon-11206/
Friday, 3 Nov 2006
Frank Black - High Noon Saloon - 11.2.06
Never saw the Pixies, should have seen them when they got back together in 2004, now I'll
have to settle for DVD I guess. With that remorse in hand I quickly jumped at the
opportunity to see Frank Black at the High Noon Saloon last night. The minute Frank
appeared on stage I was already confused. I expected him to be angry and not talkative.
Instead he was smiling and conversing with fans in the front row. I also expected him to be
much larger in physical appearance than he actually was. I guess that's what happens
when your only connection is through magazine photos and the lawn section of Alpine
Valley two nights in a row when he and his band, The Catholics opened for Pearl Jam in
1998. So, while I definitely didn't peg Frank Black the person and appearance to be
correct, I was correct in my assumption that his live performance would be unforgettable.
Playing just five minutes shy of two hours and without an encore, Black provided a
blistering performance that will be forever remembered by those in attendance. The
three musicians backed him up nicely as he played tracks off his previous albums as well as
a handful of songs off his latest and fantastic double album Fast Man Raider Man. I also
really enjoyed the song selection from last years Honeycomb as well.
Two instances stand out for me during this performance. First, the rousing and energetic
version of "666" gets the award for best single moment of the show. Second, we were
treated to the song "I'm Not Dead (I'm In Pittsburgh)" twice during last night's
performance. The first time during opener Reid Paley’s impressive opening set, who co-
wrote the song with Black and appears on the aforementioned Fast Man Raider Man , and
again later when Frank Black and company gave it their own touch.
Frank has made it pretty clear that there won't be a Pixies reunion anytime soon, and I
guess I'm ok with that as long as he comes back to town and plays like he did last night.
Unfortunately, I must add that the crowd at the High Noon Saloon was once again
disrupted by two drunken individuals who single handedly disrupted the majority of
people's concert experience around them. As much as I hate to see security at places like
this, the amount of disruption and drunkenness certainly and sadly warrants its need to be
addressed.
Myspace: Reid Paley
Myspace: Frank Black
Related: Frank Black WOXY Lounge Acts Performance
http://www.winnipegsun.com/Entertainment/ConcertReviews/2006/11/07/2264685-sun.html
Tue, November 7, 2006
Pixies leader Black makes
solo magic
By DAVID SCHMEICHEL
Music fans can be a fickle bunch. Just ask
Frank Black.
When the former Pixies frontman made his
first trip to Winnipeg in 2003, the show had
to be moved from the West End Cultural
Centre to Le Rendezvous, after tickets sold
out in two days.
A year later, when Winnipeg was the first
(official) stop on the Pixies' reunion tour,
tickets sold out in a then-record two minutes.
Not quite the case with his most recent solo show, however, which had to be
moved to the Pyramid from Pantages Playhouse -- but this time, because tickets
were selling so poorly.
It's probably for the best, since the Pyramid provided a much more intimate (and
dare we say, appropriate) setting in which to enjoy Black's brand of ferocious alt-
rock. Black (aka Black Francis, aka Charles Thompson IV), even had a theory to
explain his apparent dip in popularity.
"We were supposed to
play our first show of our
(Pixies) reunion tour in
Winnipeg, but at the last
minute it was determined
it would be in
Minneapolis," Black said
early in his set. "The
people who couldn't
come ... I guess they
haven't forgiven and
forgotten yet."
The hypothesis clearly
didn't extend to the
capacity crowd packed
into the Pyramid, at least
not if the elation that
greeted the opening
chords of Calistan was any indication.
And those were power chords, by the way, since Black opted to skip the acoustic
set that's been a fixture of earlier shows (another noticeable difference was the
lack of any Pixies tunes).
Though Black has toned down the spooky shrieking that characterized much of the
Pixies' output back in their heyday, his voice is still a fully commanding presence,
whether tearing through tracks from his most recent solo discs (Raider Man, I Burn
Today, Johnny Barleycorn), his back catalogue (Ten Percenter, Nadine), or covers
of Larry Norman's 666, Tom Waits' The Black Rider, and Gary Green's That Burnt
Out Rock 'N' Roll.
He also tossed out a few chunky guitar solos, and made way for a few more from
the players in the three-piece who supported him.
And of course, Black -- who has friends in Thompson -- tipped his hat to the jewel
of the prairies, inserting the track Manitoba into his setlist, and murmuring "I know,
I know," when the crowd went crazy.
Think it's safe to say that all is forgiven, Frank. Now come back soon.
---
FRANK BLACK
Nov. 5 @ Pyramid Cabaret.
Sun Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5
THE BALD & THE BEAUTIFUL: Frank
Black brings the rock to the Pyramid.
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=32049185&blogID=192539607
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Frank Black
Category: Music
Last week Frank Black the lead singer of the Pixies, and successful solo singer came into Sonic. He
has a reputation of being a little touchy to deal with at times. He was a total pro, and even played
an acoustic Pixies track. He jokingly made fun of the fact that he invented Modern Rock. Since
Bono and Cobain both ranted and raved about how great he/pixies are/were.
The show was snazzy too, he started off the gig with ALL the big Pixies hits solo. Thanks Frank for
being such a nice guy.
http://jasonism-wow.livejournal.com/27254.html
Jason Rainey wrote,
@ 2006-11-15 01:05:00
sappiness abounds
I don't want to gush too much, but I went to see Frank Black in concert tonight, and it was nothing
short of amazing. Over the last few years he's become my favorite musician, and while I've seen him
perform at the Pixies reunion shows, I wasn't sure what to expect at a solo show. I figured it would be
a mellow affair, since his music has gone in a calmer direction over his past couple albums.
Instead he delivered an intense performance, which matched and even rivaled his earlier work. Granted
there were the mellow moments I anticipated, but it was great to see the man could still belt it out
and holler like he could back in the day.
I went with my roommate Jonathan and both danced ourselves into a sweat. Rock show workouts are
the best workouts of all.
I've been bummed out the past few weeks, but this has been a high point. Hopefully I can ride these
good vibes into the future. It's beautiful when you think you know an artist, then you find they still
have the capacity to surprise you.
 |
| Cult_Of_Frank |
Posted - 10/26/2006 : 07:19:30
Song of the Shrimp is bizarre??
Also, this... funny:
"There are those that say I can’t play the country rock. They are right. However, I will still play the country rock."
I'm sure Reid has better things to do than pretend to be Tom Waits - if he sounds that way, it's probably because that's his voice. Seriously, chat with the guy.
 "Now you're officially my woman. Kudos. I can't say I don't envy you." |
| mrgrieves1971 |
Posted - 10/26/2006 : 06:15:28
http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=164124&format=text
Frank Black white-hot in intimate gig
By Christopher Blagg
Thursday, October 26, 2006
For a bona fide rock icon such as Frank Black, getting bumped to a smaller venue at the last moment has got to feel like a slap in the face. For his fans it was an unexpected boon, a chance to see the head Pixie up close and personal.
Since Boston is Black’s hometown, the shift of Tuesday’s show from the much larger Avalon to Axis must have stung. But Black betrayed no bitterness to the devoted audience jammed into the venue, and the close quarters and resulting crowd interaction made for a memorably visceral performance.
Beginning with a miniset of solo acoustic tunes, the veteran rocker charged through a handful of songs from his catalog, including the dark, southwestern-tinged ‘‘Cactus” (a nugget from his Pixies days). Taking an extremely informal approach during his solo acoustic set, Black started and stopped tunes haphazardly, giving fans a chance to delve into his brilliant oddball lyrics. But nothing Black sang was more bizarre than his cover of ‘‘Song of the Shrimp,” an obscure Elvis Presley number from the movie ‘‘Girls! Girls! Girls!”
A three-piece band including veterans Duane Jarvis and Eric Drew Feldman joined Black for the remainder of the night and constantly teetered between precision and chaos. A garage-punk cover of Roxy Music’s ‘‘Re-Make/Re-Model” launched a string of relentless stompers including the demonic pub rocker ‘‘Six Sixty Six” and the chugging Americana of ‘‘Bullet.”
Ostensibly touring in support of his new double album, ‘‘Fast Man Raider Man,” Black didn’t mention the CD and didn’t play a cut from it until three-quarters through the set. The excellent slide-guitar-pealing ‘‘Raider Man,” which Black dedicated to his fourth-grade teacher, was the first of the new tunes, followed later by the artfully messy woe-is-me ballad ‘‘My Terrible Ways.”
Black took on his critics soon after, telling the crowd in a deadpan drawl, ‘‘There are those that say I can’t play the country rock. They are right. However, I will still play the country rock.”
Any doubts about his new rootsy direction were laid to rest as he and his band energetically stumbled through the fantastically drunken country rocker ‘‘Horrible Day.” A few tunes later, Black returned to his Nashville leanings with the gorgeous country folk song ‘‘I Burn Today.”
Perhaps his recent love affair with honky-tonk was responsible for the shift to a smaller venue, but Black deserves to do whatever tickles his musical fancy.
Reid Paley’s bitter and slightly hostile opening set offered some interesting songwriting, even if it sounded cribbed from Tom Waits. But there’s no escaping his irritating baritone.
Frank Black, With Reid Paley. At Axis, Tuesday night.
|
| mixedbizz |
Posted - 10/25/2006 : 22:26:47
why are you here?
quote:
Originally posted by ScottP
I can handle a mysterious artist. But I'd rather sit at home, listening to cds, than buy tickets, plan a big night out, drive all over the fucking place, for a night with a grouchy artist. That's just lame.
|
| mixedbizz |
Posted - 10/25/2006 : 22:25:19
dallas morning news is just neocon propaganda. (no offnce to neocons, or dallasites, just connecting the dots).
quote:
Originally posted by Superabounder
Courtesy of fb.net member Dallas' post in the Dallas show thread:
Gray area
POP REVIEW: Black shows talent, but band's attitude drops off
12:00 AM CDT on Wednesday, October 11, 2006
By MIKE DANIEL / The Dallas Morning News
This Frank Black guy is tough to figure out.
REX C. CURRY/Special Contributor
Pixies frontman Frank Black stuck to his own material at the Gypsy Tea Room. Yeah, he's best known for his stint as frontman for the Pixies, that ultra-important, cathartic and loud act that recently reunited to satiate the world's perpetually pouty noise-rock fans. His profile has been hoisted lately because of that, and one would think that the crowd at his solo concert Monday night at the Gypsy Tea Room's Ballroom would have been more substantial.
But it wasn't. About 150 folks took in Mr. Black and his crack backing band's deliberate and professional 22-song, 85-minute set. The onlookers were a mishmash of die-hard Black supporters, deferential music nerds, quizzical couples, cool underground scenesters and young, curious cellphone zombies. But almost no one left, even after Mr. Black went all folky on everyone during the set's second half; that's a testament to the quality of his songwriting and the performance talent present on the Ballroom stage.
It certainly wasn't the band's onstage attitude that kept them. Mr. Black was playful before the gig began, hanging out near the front door as hokey, comedic opener Kentucky Prophet played, then glibly overworking a shoo-go-away motion to the crowd as he went backstage to suit up. But a few songs in, the entire gang except for nutty, platinum-locked drummer Billy Block stiffened noticeably. Bassist Eric Drew Feldman ended up looking bored and angry; guitarist Duane Jarvis grew studious; and Mr. Black just closed his eyes, strummed and wailed, with little break, for the rest of the evening.
Evidently the crowd is what caused the funk. Some were properly enthusiastic but most just stood, listened and applauded politely, and a few poked at the band and heckled Mr. Black for Pixies songs.
Those he did not deliver, nor did he play a single cover tune. Instead, he went through an annotated history of his own material, from the standardized ("Six-sixty-six," "My Terrible Ways," "Nadine") to the obscure ("Remake/Remodel" and "All Around the World").
Still, there were many highlights. "Dead Man's Curve," another rarely heard tune, puckered with swampy pungence. "Raider Man" from Fast Man Raider Man and "Sing for Joy" from Honeycomb closed the evening with a gloomy, arresting Jim Morrison-meets-Johnny Cash vibe that far outshone Mr. Black's recordings of both songs. The band had begun to drag toward the set's conclusion; those two songs saved the evening for it.
The prolific Mr. Black is known for being particular in a live setting, and the Americana material he's throwing out now is as divergent from his Pixies days as anything he's ever done. It's still hellacious and poetic stuff that even a frustrated grungy kid can appreciate, even if presented with the warmth of a rusty, dusty shotgun.
E-mail mdaniel@dallasnews.com
I'd rather be anywhere or doing anything
|
| Carl |
Posted - 10/21/2006 : 10:46:04
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/magazine/daily/15812250.htm
Posted on Sat, Oct. 21, 2006
Frank Black's many moods on display at
World Cafe
By Patrick Berkery
For The Inquirer
Pixies fans are still savoring the primal buzz lingering from the alt-rock pioneers' 2004
reunion. Promoters and booking agents are still savoring their cut of the unexpected
windfall that tour provided.
Meanwhile, the straw that stirred the whole drink - and just might stir up a new Pixies
album, according to recent interviews - Frank Black (known, in Pixies parlance, as
Black Francis), has been slipping into Nashville and L.A. studios for marathon
sessions with musicians who have played on many of your favorite rock, soul and
country records.
Those sessions have yielded two strong, rootsy discs: 2005's Honeycomb and this
year's double CD, Fast Man Raider Man. Though if they had you thinking that Thursday's
show at World Cafe Live would be a shot-and-a-beer night with Frank Black's Good Ol'
Boys Band and Soul Revue, you were mistaken.
Instead, Black and his backing trio hit upon the many moods, characters and styles that
have informed his catalog, while managing to squeeze in obscure covers such as the
traditional "I've Been All Around This World" and a greasy bash through Christian-folkie
Larry Norman's "Six-Sixty-Six."
Black opened with a playful, full-throated acoustic segment. He twisted melodies and
pronunciations in some choice Pixies ("Cactus," "Wave of Mutilation") and solo ("Los
Angeles") songs, and his pasty bald head turned crimson when he hit the air-siren
high notes.
The band kicked in for the curvy grind of "Nadine," a good bridge from the unplugged
opening to poison pop songs such as "Ten Percenter" (dedicated to his ex-wife) and
the sweeter "I Burn Today" (dedicated to his current wife).
Black spun the story of a Polish coal miner, "Raider Man," with a straight face. Then he
chased that yarn in his own inimitable way: with the gallows humor of the country-
rocker "I'm Not Dead (I'm in Pittsburgh") and the boozy "Sing for Joy." |
| ATBNG |
Posted - 10/11/2006 : 21:00:53
I like how he allegedly didn't play a single cover tune, but then the reviewer lists the two covers as "obscure."
I cannot wait to see this show in 12 days. |
| ScottP |
Posted - 10/11/2006 : 14:27:58
I can handle a mysterious artist. But I'd rather sit at home, listening to cds, than buy tickets, plan a big night out, drive all over the fucking place, for a night with a grouchy artist. That's just lame. |
| Superabounder |
Posted - 10/11/2006 : 11:45:01
Courtesy of fb.net member Dallas' post in the Dallas show thread:
Gray area
POP REVIEW: Black shows talent, but band's attitude drops off
12:00 AM CDT on Wednesday, October 11, 2006
By MIKE DANIEL / The Dallas Morning News
This Frank Black guy is tough to figure out.
REX C. CURRY/Special Contributor
Pixies frontman Frank Black stuck to his own material at the Gypsy Tea Room. Yeah, he's best known for his stint as frontman for the Pixies, that ultra-important, cathartic and loud act that recently reunited to satiate the world's perpetually pouty noise-rock fans. His profile has been hoisted lately because of that, and one would think that the crowd at his solo concert Monday night at the Gypsy Tea Room's Ballroom would have been more substantial.
But it wasn't. About 150 folks took in Mr. Black and his crack backing band's deliberate and professional 22-song, 85-minute set. The onlookers were a mishmash of die-hard Black supporters, deferential music nerds, quizzical couples, cool underground scenesters and young, curious cellphone zombies. But almost no one left, even after Mr. Black went all folky on everyone during the set's second half; that's a testament to the quality of his songwriting and the performance talent present on the Ballroom stage.
It certainly wasn't the band's onstage attitude that kept them. Mr. Black was playful before the gig began, hanging out near the front door as hokey, comedic opener Kentucky Prophet played, then glibly overworking a shoo-go-away motion to the crowd as he went backstage to suit up. But a few songs in, the entire gang except for nutty, platinum-locked drummer Billy Block stiffened noticeably. Bassist Eric Drew Feldman ended up looking bored and angry; guitarist Duane Jarvis grew studious; and Mr. Black just closed his eyes, strummed and wailed, with little break, for the rest of the evening.
Evidently the crowd is what caused the funk. Some were properly enthusiastic but most just stood, listened and applauded politely, and a few poked at the band and heckled Mr. Black for Pixies songs.
Those he did not deliver, nor did he play a single cover tune. Instead, he went through an annotated history of his own material, from the standardized ("Six-sixty-six," "My Terrible Ways," "Nadine") to the obscure ("Remake/Remodel" and "All Around the World").
Still, there were many highlights. "Dead Man's Curve," another rarely heard tune, puckered with swampy pungence. "Raider Man" from Fast Man Raider Man and "Sing for Joy" from Honeycomb closed the evening with a gloomy, arresting Jim Morrison-meets-Johnny Cash vibe that far outshone Mr. Black's recordings of both songs. The band had begun to drag toward the set's conclusion; those two songs saved the evening for it.
The prolific Mr. Black is known for being particular in a live setting, and the Americana material he's throwing out now is as divergent from his Pixies days as anything he's ever done. It's still hellacious and poetic stuff that even a frustrated grungy kid can appreciate, even if presented with the warmth of a rusty, dusty shotgun.
E-mail mdaniel@dallasnews.com
I'd rather be anywhere or doing anything |
| Carl |
Posted - 10/10/2006 : 09:15:33
http://www.texasgigs.com/news/2006/oct/10/concert-review-frank-black/
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Concert Review: Frank Black
BY MIKE ORREN
DEEP ELLUM — Although
I've had some Pixies in my
record collection as long as I
can remember, I didn't really
get turned onto them until
one night at the Gypsy Tea
Room at an Old 97's show
when Rhett Miller pulled
out "Wave of Mutilation" for
an encore. That sent me into
the back catalog, and put
them more solidly on my
radar screen.
But I've never been a megafan of the Pixies -- I was glad to catch them on their
reunion tour last year, but that was as far as it went. And I never gave Black's other
band, The Catholics, more than a cursory listen. That said, I loved Frank Black's
2004 Honeycomb disc and his new double Fast Man / Raider Man is probably my
second-favorite disc this year, save for Springsteen's Seeger Sessions. It's a near-
perfect album, from my point of view: rootsy, real narrative songs with a fat wall of
sound featuring heavy horns, hammond, steel guitar and honky-tonk piano.
Featuring luminaries like Levon Helm (The Band) and Steve Cropper (Booker T &
the MG's), it's modern while being thorougly steeped in rock, blues and country
traditions. It's Seeger Sessions written for the aughties.
So, even though I knew that Frank wouldn't be bringing his All-Starr Band to the
Gypsy Tea Room tonight, I went in with high hopes for a show that would
duplicate, and perhaps expand on these excellent discs. My hopes were bolstered
by pre-show music from 1970's (ie: pre-Centerfold) J. Geils Band, which is a nice
match for Frank's latest material -- and I hoped, a tone-setter for the evening. From
the request shouts coming out of the sparse Tea Room crowd, I'm pretty sure
everyone else wanted something more akin to the Pixies. (It seemed like a contest
to see who could shout the most obscure request.)
Me against the crowd? We'll call it a draw. Frank hit the stage leading a four-piece
band: two guitars; bass; and drums. It was a strong, tight and mature band that
initially seemed bent on delivering the new tunes more in the style of the Pixies
than of the new discs.
That's not a bad thing, necessarily -- especially if
you're a Pixies fan. The songs themselves are
more conventional and tuneful than a lot of
Pixies material, and there was more room for a
little guitar jamming, so it wasn't too
disappointing.
Fortunately (for me at least), it seemed that once
the band had the crowd well in hand at the
midway point, they went rootsier. And much like
X's Americana alter-ego, The Knitters, it became
very clear why the Old 97's cover Frank Black.
On "I'm Not Dead (I'm in Pittsburgh)," the lead
guitarist literally seemed to be channeling Ken
Bethea. And from that point in the show onward,
it was less a Pixies revival and more a classic rock
retrospective, with the rest of the songs
displaying Chuck Berry riffs, sweet steel guitar
solos and songs that evoked The Doors or countrified Social Distortion as much as
Frank's earlier work. As the show went mellower, the crowd got a bit fidgety, but I
was happier and happier with the performances. Some of the less memorable tunes
came across like John Hiatt's harder stuff (Yes, I really said that). But the stronger
ones like "Johnny Barleycorn," "Horrible Day," and "Nadine," pulled rhythm
section, harmonies and guitar-driven melody together so well that I stopped
lamenting the missing horns and keys.
I realize that it's tough to take a seven-piece on the road, especially when you're
only drawing a couple hundred folks. But the full sound of the discs would have
taken this show from really good to transcendant. Hopefully Frank will be able to
pull together a few nights of that for a live disc before this tour winds down.
I'll confess I slipped out before the encore -- an early morning lay ahead. But I
could hear Frank gearing back into Pixies mode as I drove back down Elm Street.
And the roar of the crowd bleeding into the street told me that they were glad.
Photo by Mike Orren
A cruddy picture of Frank Black and band shot
from my cell phone. If anyone got a better one,
drop me a line. |
| Carl |
Posted - 08/18/2006 : 12:27:24
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/15283680.htm
Frank Black at The Dame: OK, so he's not going to win a prize for conversational skills.
For the better part of his solo acoustic set, Black was all business. With few exceptions,
the sold-out, 75-minute performance was streamlined, exact and devoid of
unnecessary chat. One crisply focused tune bled into another with the repertoire
running from vintage Pixies fare to nuggets from throughout Black's solo career. None
of the 27 songs from his new Fast Man Raider Man album made the cut, though. Black
instead focused on brittle acoustic revisions of the quirky guitar hooks that ignited such
Pixies faves as Cactus, Wave of Mutilation and The Holiday Song, as well as equally
agitated solo fare that included Horrible Day and the show-opening Czar. But this
wasn't some dim memoir of an alt-rock career. Black snarled with a mix of punk and
R&B fury on Los Angeles and settled into the more precise melodic command of
newer, almost country-flavored fare, such as I Burn Today and Song of the Shrimp. By
offering his audience no between-song explanation or detail to the songs' origins, the
past and present became one vibrant soundscape that made this performance more of
an acoustic rock show ripe with vitality than a folkish reworking of Black's prolific past. |
| fbc |
Posted - 08/17/2006 : 12:39:48
Haha! i love it when that happens.
i slagged off the honeycomb artwork and who goes and shows up on board, the artist herself (i think it's a she). thankfully she was american and the word "naff" seemed to be lost on shim (just in case it's a he).
Frank must have been so nervous. |
| Clay Jones |
Posted - 08/17/2006 : 12:28:30
I wrote that review. You can read more about it at the blog I write for the newspaper's website.
http://fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=7 |
| edbanky |
Posted - 08/17/2006 : 09:39:12
The reviewer is addicted to clay, apparently. But who is this Lance Star he's demanding to have set free?
Due to my present condition and predicaments of being a crippled as a result of the fatal accident that I had, I am not able to carry out this contract because I can only walk on a wheel chair. |
|
|
