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Cult_Of_Frank
= Black Noise Maker =
Canada
11687 Posts |
 Posted - 04/30/2011 : 06:34:23
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Still working on mine, but posted this (I have much better photos)
From The Saskatoon Star Phoenix:
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/REVIEW+Pixies+demonstrate+staying+power/4703464/story.html
The Pixies believe enough in the power of one album to tour on its strength, despite a 22-year gap since its release. The near sell-out crowd Friday at TCU Place wholeheartedly agreed with that decision.
The Boston foursome -lead singer/ rhythm guitarist Black Francis, lead guitarist Joey Santiago, singer/bassist Kim Deal and drummer David Lovering -is all about 1989's Doolittle on its current tour, the first since the band's reunion in 2004.
The concert opened with a projection of the creepiest silent film ever, where an eye was slit with a straight razor. It wasn't clear what mood the band was trying to set with such a film. But it was weirdly awesome, an apt description for the band itself.
After breaking in the audience with a selection of songs from Doolittle's Complete 'B' Sides — Dance the Manta Ray, Weird At My School, Bailey's Walk and Manta Ray — Pixies whirled through Doolittle from start to finish. "Time to turn the record over to Side Two," Deal said halfway through the show.
But how does a band inject spontaneity into a set dominated by one album played in its original order? Admittedly, the night didn't feel totally off the cuff with its expected set list. But spontaneity didn't seem all that important with songs that good.
The band flew through the album in an hour, with the members keeping their performances mostly introverted. The stage banter was mostly limited to Deal issuing a quick and cute "thanks" between songs. It was a bit disappointing, though, that the band was often relegated to the onstage shadows created by the lighting plan.
Doolittle lends itself really well to a full live play through because the album covers such diverse territory. Songs are funny, grungy, odd, upbeat, dark and nostalgic. The audience happily acknowledged its love for the band by getting on its feet, transforming the theatre into a close semblance of the club atmosphere.
The highlights of the Doolittle set were the hit Here Comes Your Man, Monkey Gone To Heaven and Hey. Some non-Doolittle material was included in the band's second encore, including the incredible Where is My Mind.
The band still sounds really tight and, pushing nearly 50 years a person, is far from dated. Deal's voice hasn't aged at all, either.
If selling out gigs around North America wasn't proof enough that the Pixies' staying power is otherworldly, the band's show on Friday night sealed the deal.
Winnipeg duo Imaginary Cities opened the show. Rusty Matyas (of Waking Eyes fame) and Marti Sarbit showcased songs from their debut album Temporary Resident with the help of a three-piece backing band. The show stopper of the night was opener Say You, where Sarbit's girlish, but rich voice was used to its best ability. The band also threw in a pretty cover of the Cake song Mexico. You had to feel sorry for the many latecomers who missed even one song from this awesome young band.
 "Now you're officially my woman. Kudos. I can't say I don't envy you." |
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Saskatoon Show (April 29, 2011)
