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Originally posted by Sprite

I dare you to shout out Super Lecker

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Originally posted by QuaBear

I was in Santa Cruz...don't know the exact set list. But they played Head Carrier, Masher, Baal's, Bel Esprit, Tenement, All I Think and All the Saints off H.C.

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Originally posted by pixie punk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHaZHE_wJvc Vamos.

PUERTO RICO PIXIE

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Originally posted by natenate101

I really enjoyed myself. The band did the usual "bang it out" set with no talking, except for before the encore in which Joey's roadie had a bunch of issues getting him all setup. BF was kinda forced to talk and said something about not having technical difficulties like this in a long time. He said some other stuff but his voice was shot so it was hard to make out. Someone yelled out "I love you!" And his reply was "Love is fleeting". Haha.

The set list was pretty awesome to me. The HC songs were a bit mixed. UCL went over the best, easily. It's speed and impact were appreciated and the song doesn't let up. Classic Masher was really solid too. People didn't know it but it was obvious that the song was catching their attention. Plaster of Paris was interesting because you could tell they were still ironing it out, but it bounced along with that bass and I was loving it. Extended intro to that one, maybe because they were getting everything organized in their heads. Talent was solid enough, Might As Well Be Gone and Bel Espirit were fine but didn't elevate at all. The songwriting simplicity shows on those and they could use more twists, but we already knew that. All I think About Now was fun to hear. People did indeed respond initially like it was Where Is My Mind, even though the band had already played that earlier in the set! Paz sounded ok, but the entire night the mics seemed a bit low so it likely wasn't easy to decipher the lyrics for those not familiar with the song. But she got a good reception after it was over.

Dave was the most jovial looking, BF in black glasses was all business, Joey honestly seemed to be struggling a bit and was concentrating really hard at times, Paz was doing her thing with minimal fuss. The best songs to me were any that the bass was prominent in. Her sound was fantastic. They played a little longer than I thought they would, which was cool. Odd that the encore consisted of Ana and Cactus, but they'd played so many songs already they may have exhausted the usual encore choices aside from Into The White.

I was second in line by the stage, which was really interesting. I've never been up that close for a Pixies show and it was nice to feel the power coming from the band throughout. I do think being that close hurt in terms of hearing the vocals clearly, but I was singing the words anyway so I guess that didn't ultimately matter. The band as we all know doesn't talk at all, so it's maybe not that easy to feel "connected" to them during the set, but that's ok. They made mistakes and you could hear gaps in some songs and notes being misplayed but the efficiency and speed at which the songs go by really drowns all that out.

The newer songs that are slower or more simple didn't impact as well as the punkier, more raw numbers. I honestly think this is where they should focus going forward. UCL blended in very nicely and Masher, while having pop elements, also fit right in. Magdalena, Bel Espirit and Might As Well Be Gone really need MORE to make the crowd go beyond polite appreciation into total engagement. But that's my personal opinion.

New merch I hadn't seen before. A shirt with the new Pixies design just above an image of a man being punched in the face by a huge fist. Another one with a picture of some Head Carrier artwork. Wasn't fond of that one. Women's shirt with Pixies logo with a cat on it. There was one other shirt that was new to me but i don't remember it well. $35/shirt. $30/hat. $55/zip up hoodie.

All in all I had a really good time. Drove up from the Bay and arrived in Sac at 5pm. Had a beer and a little food across from the venue. Went outside to check things out at 615, saw the line was getting longer and jumped in. Doors a little after 630. Opener went on at about 745, Pixies at 845. Show over about 1020. Lotta cool people that I chatted with, I was solo, and a pretty upbeat atmosphere. The place was jam packed. I looked back at the crowd a few times to see their reaction at specific songs and although people seemed hyped I didn't really see the whole crowd moving together or anything. A couple dudes tried to mosh, and I proceeded to give them the Heisman. Not happening boys. Let me enjoy the damn show.

Highlight for me was UCL (yes, seriously!), Cactus, Subba, Planet of Sound (great!) and Plaster of Paris. I was singing every word of it, and I am positive those around me were thinking," what is this song and why is this dude singing it word for word?" Haha. Very excited to hear that played. Happy I made the drive and cut out of work early. Long Live The Pixies!!

Have fun tonight yarbles.

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