| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
beatnik
- FB Fan -
USA
37 Posts |
 Posted - 04/14/2004 : 07:44:05
|
| Where are all the reviews from last nights show? Everyone still hung over? I've come across one or two in other posts but not the substanial show reviews I'd hoped for. Perhaps I'm looking in the wrong place? Could some of you lucky folks who were at the show last night please post about the experience? Hopefully there will be a "Review" post after each show on the tour from the folks that were there. Throw some water on your faces, take an aspirin, and start writing! |
|
|
Chislic
- FB Fan -
USA
51 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2004 : 10:51:54
|
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/entertainment/8426005.htm?1c
The Pixies
Pixies' 'warm-up' tour lukewarm
BY REGGIE ROYSTON
Pioneer Press
CONCERT REVIEW
The Fine Line Music Cafe in downtown Minneapolis was the scene of one of the most talked about rock music reunions Tuesday night. Instead of resurrecting the youthful arena-rock ghosts of the 1970s, it was an icon of the graying of Generation X that was in the spotlight — the Pixies, an indie rock band of the late '80s whose artistic daring and pop sensibility paved the way for '90s mainstream alternative rock acts like Nirvana (who heralded the band as one of their major influences).
For music fans in the Twin Cities, it was a moment of rare national fanfare. This would be the band's first public performance since 1992’s U2 “Zoo TV” tour and would be preceded by three days of private rehearsals at the downtown Minneapolis club.
The tickets sold out online within minutes, meaning a capacity crowd filled with savvy local music fans, music industry insiders and elite superfans who bought tickets on eBay and flew in from locales such as New York and Los Angeles.
The official word from the band’s camp was that this “warm-up” tour, hitting small cities such as Spokane, Wash., Boise, Idaho, and Winnipeg, Manitoba, is the lead up to the band’s official reunion gig — a co-headlining spot at the exclusive Coachella Music Festival with Radiohead and Kraftwerk in May.
As far as warm-up shows go, the performance was just that — warm.
Part of the mythos of the Pixies rested largely on the personality of their enigmatic lead singer and songwriter Frank Black, whose personality was famously acrimonious, cryptic, satirical and egomanicial — traits which only served to make the band’s choppy mixture of surf-guitar, quirky pop and cantankerous punk believable and hard to categorize.
Dressed in a well-worn flannel and taking with a slightly amused smile, the bald and pudgy guitarist ripped through an opening set of twangy sing-scream classics “Bone Machine” and “Wave of Mutilation" mostly with eyes closed, remaining pensive, verging on bored throughout the set.
One wondered what indeed was going through Black’s head the entire performance. Lead guitarist, equally bald and diminutive Joey Santiago looked very pleased with the dancing crowd’s fanaticism while supplying the band’s signature surf tone. The much-loved Kim Deal (who sang lead for The Breeders after the band’s demise) smiled adorably from behind her bass, losing time often as she is famously known to do, but clearly lost in the moment, often exchanging gleeful nods with David Lovering, the drummer.
Through two sets and one encore, the band’s music lived up its laborious and ecstatic reputation, quiet, brooding and danceable for the slow parts of the “Tame” epic and thunderous for “Velouria.”
Black looked as if he were somewhere else.
As far as reunions go, Black’s curious disinterest and rougher elements the band’s performance left cause for pause. During Deal’s signature tune “Gigantic,” the bass player’s singing and time was clearly off, leaving Black clearly annoyed and leading to a catty exchange between the two afterward.
Those exchanges beg the question of whether the chemistry of the group, which broke up when differences between the two could not be ironed out, can be sustained with vigor to complete a year’s worth of touring.
That can only be answered when the band returns to the Twin Cities for a concert at Roy Wilkins this fall, for a show more accessible to the grassroots indie-rock audience that helped launch the band’s career. Tickets for the Nov. 11 concert at Roy Wilkins go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m.
|
 |
|
|
holidaysong
- FB Fan -
Ireland
164 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2004 : 11:19:37
|
hmm that guy had fun at it..."the bass player’s singing and time was clearly off, leaving Black clearly annoyed and leading to a catty exchange between the two afterward"...
I'm kinda worried about all of this now..maybe they wern't as good as people are making out..
Éireann go Brách |
|
|
|
anazgnos
= Cult of Ray =
USA
381 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2004 : 11:21:04
|
I think there'll be a lot of reviews like this throughout the tour. Pixies are so much more "talked about" than "listened to" in rock-crit land. Because they never have, and still don't, trade in standard rock poses or showmanship, I think people who know them only by reputation are going to be doing a lot of head scratching, and we're going to be hearing a lot of "what was all the fuss about?" Here it is, folks: Pixies Backlash '04 Ground Zero!
 "Smile Away Horribly Now" |
|
|
|
Daisy Girl
~ Abstract Brain ~
Belize
5305 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2004 : 11:30:26
|
Wow...this guy is certainly a critic... obviously focusing and blowing up minor negative aspects of the preformance out of preportion. If the reviewer called the show warm...This review was cold. I feel that we wern't even at the same show. Maybe this reviewer fell asleep or was too drunk while he was sitting down at one of the press tables and had to start making stuff up.
Basically, what a former rock and roll critic taught me at a paper with much bigger circulation than this is the review should be written from the perspective of a fan. The reviewer should have asks fans questions like did you enjoy the show, did you hear the songs you wanted. It didn't sould like he talked to any fans at all...that's lazy. If the fans were happy...give a good review.
Yes I did see some glances like he was talking about. But I saw way more smiles and body langauge that suggested, "I am digging this."
I could tell from the communications that the band did care about preforming the songs correctly....they keept making eye contact to make sure that they were on the same page...but I just took it as we care about the fans...we want to make a great live recording.
I thought the show was a great show...it could have been better if the fans were more into it but the show blew my mind and the others that i talked to.
Honestly, I wouldn't listen to this guy...the show was great and if you have a chance to go you WON'T be disappointed. |
Edited by - Daisy Girl on 04/14/2004 11:32:15 |
|
|
|
KimStanleyRobinson
* Dog in the Sand *
1972 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2004 : 13:22:28
|
They will never understand and will never be able to write about the Pixies - they are the mainstream and I would venture to guess that The Pixies do not care about what the mainstream has to say.
"...Black clearly annoyed and leading to a catty exchange between the two afterward. "
This (and the worn out Nirvana reference) are proof that this guy is some aging Jimmy Buffet fan that doesn't know "Surfer Rosa" from "Surf City".
Personally, I think reviewing a Pixies show is stupid. Tell me what they said between the songs and what songs they played. I already know the rest was golden - even if the screw up EVERY song.
Everybody fucks up. This is a REAL band...and an old band...with better music than than anything that has been done in the past 25 years...and a garageband aesthetic. They are NOT Aerosmith!!!!
Read the MTV story. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1486354/20040414/story.jhtml
Its not too bad.
Ignore mainstream reviews.
They know not what they speak of and have no business opening their mouths.
It reminds me of a review a kid at my high school paper once wrote about an REM concert. His closing line: "I'd rather have been at a Motley Crue Concert rocking out..."
Right.
That asshole didn't belong at an REM show and the mainstream media do not belong at Pixies gigs. They are simply incapable of understanding it.
I don't care if I wasn't there...or if I don't get to go to any of these shows...THE PIXIES ARE ALL THERE IS!!!!!! EVERY SHOW WILL BE AMAZING!!!!! |
|
|
|
klikger
= Cult of Ray =
693 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2004 : 13:50:55
|
| Bad review. |
|
|
|
sar2143
- FB Fan -
18 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2004 : 14:02:53
|
I am all for agreeing this guy might not have a clue, but I wasn't at the show.
I do have a question for the members of this forum who were at the show...is his review accurate in his portrayal of Kim and Frank's 'problems' after Gigantic?
Was Kim off? and was Frank annoyed?
I respect the right for someone to have an opinion. But he shouldn't be allowed to 'make stuff up'.
|
|
|
|
vegan
- FB Fan -
USA
64 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2004 : 14:03:58
|
The showed rocked! I saw the Pixies back in the day and have seen FB solo at least a half-dozen times. The reviewer obviously hasn't as FB was his usual self on stage.
One of the many highlights for me was the rendition of "In Heaven" they did. It featured Kim singing (the original was sung by a woman - the lady in the radiator in Eraserhead), Kim playing bass, and Joey eerily plucking some jazzy notes.
The rest of the highlights would be every other song they played! |
|
|
|
vegan
- FB Fan -
USA
64 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2004 : 14:07:51
|
| Kim may have been a little off but there were screw ups by all. The chemistry seemed good to me. Frank cracked a joke or two and Kim seemed happy and having fun. At the end of the encore, they all stood together at the front of the stage and highfived/shook hands with the crowd. |
|
|
|
KimStanleyRobinson
* Dog in the Sand *
1972 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2004 : 14:37:49
|
NME review...kinda like MTV but shorter:
http://www.nme.com/news/108161.htm
PIXIES RETURN!
PIXIES made a triumphant return to the stage - their first official live performance in over a decade, last night in MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.
NME.COM joined hundreds of fans from all across the US and beyond who queued up along First Avenue, in downtown Minneapolis, hours before the group hit the Fine Line Café stage.
Dozens of fans held up homemade signs pleading for tickets, which after an original price of about $35 dollars, had inflated to several hundred dollars a piece.
About 1,000 fans packed the heaving, two-story venue, as Pixies hit the stage a few minutes before 10pm (3 AM UK time).
Bassist Kim Deal walked out first, followed by frontman Frank Black and guitarist Joey Santiago. Drummer Dave Lovering was so overwhelmed by the rapturous cheer, he took a photo of the crowd before the band even played a note.
The group opened with ‘Bone Machine’, followed by ’Wave of Mutilation’, and ’U-Mass’.
The band kept their words to a minimum, instead blasting through a near-perfect 90-minute set that featured a first segment of 20 songs and an encore of five. Following their final tune of the night – ‘Into the White’, the band paused to shake hands and wave at fans who gave a hearty and lengthy cheer.
Adam Bowen, 21, who paid $200 for his ticket on eBay and travelled up from Wisconsin for the show, raved to NME.COM about the performance.
"Seeing a band like this, this close was a once in a lifetime experience," he said. "I didn't have to wait very long for their return (because I'm 21), but to see a band this important, get back to (playing live) is always good."
Johnny Lang, 24, who told NME.COM he took a two-hour flight from Wisconsin for the show, was also impressed.
"They played a few B-sides which sounded really good and 'Monkey Gone To Heaven' sounded really good," he said. "They sounded a lot tighter than I thought they would. They're amazing."
Shortly after the show, fans who paid $25 earlier in the evening for a live recording of the gig, received a two-CD set.
The full set list was:
'Bone Machine'
'Wave Of Mutilation'
'U-Mass'
'Levitate Me'
'Broken Face'
'Monkey Gone To Heaven'
'The Holiday Song'
'Winterlong'
'Nimrod's Son'
'La La Love You'
'Ed Is Dead'
'Here Comes Your Man'
'Vamos'
'Debaser'
'Dead'
'#13 Baby'
'Tame'
'Gigantic'
'Gouge Away'
'Caribou'
'Isla de Encanta'
'Velouria'
'Wave Of Mutilation (Surf)'
'Where Is My Mind?'
'Into The White'
Published: 14-04-2004-09-29
|
|
|
|
vegan
- FB Fan -
USA
64 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2004 : 14:39:16
|
That first review is from the St. Paul paper. Here is one from the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Seems to me that this reviewer was a true fan.
Concert review: Pixies' first reunion concert is special
Chris Riemenschneider, Star Tribune
April 14, 2004
No nostalgic speeches were made. No $250 golden-circle tickets were sold. Nothing the Pixies said or did Tuesday night at the Fine Line Music Cafe suggested they were playing their first-ever reunion concert _ and that, of course, made the show all the more special.
The T-shirts on sale called it the “Pixies Sellout” tour, but the truth is the Boston band that helped give birth to the early-’90s alternative rock boom could have done a lot more to milk its first public gig in 11 years.
Tickets originally sold for $30 were going for as much as $400 on EBay. Judging from the 500 or so fans who were lucky (or rich) enough to get in, the quartet could have charged twice that amount and gotten away with only playing half of the 27 songs in Tuesday’s setlist.
Actually, there were a lot of noticeable omissions in the fast-paced, 90-minute performance. Like many groups who split up less than amicably, the Pixies stuck mainly to early recordings _ from when things were still fun and innocent in the band.
Only one song from each of its two final albums were played, while three-quarters of its first two LPs and even a big chunk of its little-heard 1986 debut EP were offered. It didn’t matter, though. The crowd howled along to obscure oldies such as “Broken Face’’ and “Levitate Me” as readily as it did to latter staples such as “Here Comes Your Man” and “U Mass.” The only song that wasn’t widely recognized Tuesday was a cover of Neil Young’s “Winterlong,” which tells you a little something about the primary age and record collection of the Pixies’ cult fan base.
This truly was a reunion concert Gen-X style, something the kids of boomers have really only experienced with one other band, Jane’s Addiction (which has unfortunately milked its reunions). The Pixies pre-dated the post-Nirvana days when cool alternative bands got played on FM radio, so there really weren’t “hits” to play. That left them to terrific, deep-album cuts such such as “No. 13 Baby’’ and “La La Love You,’’ the latter of which was introduced by bassist Kim Deal as “one we never, ever played live.”
The few other comments made by the bandmembers fit the self-deprecating tone of the T-shirts. When frontman Frank Black/Black Francis (real name: Charles Thompson) struggled to tune his guitar before “Vamos,’’ he remarked, “This is starting to seem like our first gig.’’
There were some assorted missteps, too: a botched bass part in “Tame,” an out-of-tune “Velouria,’’ and the poorly paced encore lagged except for a singalong version of “Where Is My Mind?’’ On the other hand, Francis’ scream of a voice was in great shape, and he and Deal _ who were at odds with each other all these years _ could still harmonize like best buddies. Thankfully, though, that’s as close as they got to appearing sentimental.
Pixies set list:
“Bone Machine”
“Wave of Mutilation’’
“U Mass’’
“Levitate Me”
“Broken Face”
“Monkey Gone to Heaven”
“The Holiday Song”
“Winterlong”
“Nimrod’s Son”
“La La Love You”
“Ed Is Dead”
“Here Comes Your Man”
“Vamos”
“Debaser”
“Dead”
“No. 13 Baby”
“Tame”
“Gigantic”
“Gouge Away”
“Caribou”
Encore:
“Isla de Encanta”
“Something Against You”
“Velouria”
“In Heaven”
"Wave of Mutilation" (slow version)
“Where Is My Mind?”
“Into the White”
Chris Riemenschneider is at chrisr@startribune.com. |
|
|
|
KimStanleyRobinson
* Dog in the Sand *
1972 Posts |
|
|
woodworm
- FB Fan -
USA
94 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2004 : 14:46:55
|
quote:
Originally posted by Daisy Girl
If the reviewer called the show warm...This review was cold.
 hehe |
|
|
|
CaptainMaximus
- FB Fan -
126 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2004 : 17:06:04
|
| Having heard the recording of the show, I have to wonder if some of these critics weren't bombed out of their minded during the show---or at least during their review of it. Obviously, these judgements are subjectively based. What I heard was a suprisingly tight, shockingly energetic and at times surprising show. I wasn't disappointed at all. In fact, many of my concerns were alleviated. Can't wait to see them for myself. I hope they end up playing some new stuff somewhere down the line... |
|
|
|
Helmut
= Cult of Ray =
315 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2004 : 19:26:36
|
| Hmmm....I downloaded the concert last night and they sounded in fine form musically....but I guess I wasn't there.... |
|
|
|
roomloo
= Cult of Ray =
USA
710 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2004 : 17:06:06
|
| I wonder if the Realist hated the Minneapolis show as much as he hated Winnipeg. |
|
|
|
kromkamp
= Cult of Ray =
291 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2004 : 21:23:13
|
Listen, heres the thing - Yes, they are not very tight yet, you can tell right from the very first screwed up chords of Bone Machine on the live recording. But these are 'warm-up' shows for *exactly* that reason. What part of 'warm-up' did the reviewer not understand?
If your looking for polish, wait until they polish up. If you want raw, now's the time to see it.
|
|
|
|
roomloo
= Cult of Ray =
USA
710 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2004 : 21:29:47
|
| Anyone who harps on technical mistakes and decides that the shows therefore "sucked" is just showing everyone else how much they just don't get it. It's not even a matter of it being a warmup show -- if you couldn't enjoy yourself at the Fine Line you gots yourself some issues. |
|
|
|
mattb
= Cult of Ray =
Canada
474 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2004 : 22:08:18
|
quote:
Originally posted by roomloo
Anyone who harps on technical mistakes and decides that the shows therefore "sucked" is just showing everyone else how much they just don't get it. It's not even a matter of it being a warmup show -- if you couldn't enjoy yourself at the Fine Line you gots yourself some issues.
Agreed, who the fuck goes to shows and pays attention to the screw ups? I've been to hundreds of shows and in probably every single one of them some part of a song was done wrong but I can't even remember now. I totally forgot about the Minneaplois mistakes even and that was two days ago. Focusing on stupid shit like this is the equivalent of going to see a band that you hate just so you can boo them. As was discussed yesterday it seems that a few people were only there for that reason.
-----------------------
http://www.geocities.com/kittridge1/ |
|
|
|
IceCream
= Quote Accumulator =
USA
1850 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2004 : 22:27:02
|
Before playing "In Heaven", did the following dialougue occur?
Several fans: "We love you, Kim!!!!!!!!!!!"
Kim: "Everyone does."
I apologize if this were already mentioned; I rarely check out the Pixies live forum.
 Join the Cult of Pi - It's just 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097.... |
|
|
|
mattb
= Cult of Ray =
Canada
474 Posts |
|
|
jamestaylorman
- FB Fan -
Canada
6 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2004 : 10:54:00
|
http://tinymixtapes.com/concertreviews/04.04.13-pixies.htm
The Pixies / The Capitol Years
(Fine Line Music Cafe; Minneapolis, MN)
04.13.04
by mr p
Fuck. Seriously. It's only been an hour since the show and I'm still trying to collect my thoughts. For tonight, I got to see the Pixies at the Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis, MN. And boy do I feel lucky. First off, this was the Pixies' first show in 12 years. Why Minneapolis? Your guess is as good as mine. Second, the venue holds only 700 people. So not only is it the smallest venue of the tour, but it'll most likely be one of the last times they ever play to such a small crowd. Third, while some people paid well over $300 for just one ticket to the show, I luckily spent only $25. Combine these three with the music and you got yourself a good ol' fashioned orgasm.
And orgasm I did. Not because my 'bone machine' was accidentally rubbing against the person in front of me, but because I was blown away by their performance. It was all pretty surreal. Even when they first stumbled on stage, I couldn't believe I was seeing the Pixies. Like a lot of their current fans, I was young when the Pixies released their last full-length, Trompe le Monde. Instead of worrying about getting the album on its release date, I was more concerned with what people thought of my new eyeglasses. Consequently, I never really got to experience the Pixies while they were still an active band. Until tonight, of course.
The million dollar question before the show was: "What song do you think they'll open with?" Pretty much everyone I talked to thought "Debaser." You should've seen the look on our ugly faces when they busted right into "Bone Machine," probably the most appropriate song they could've started the show with, in retrospect. Needless to say, the crowd went absolutely nuts. Never have I seen such smiling faces at a show before. Aside from a jerk or two, the whole crowd was respectful of one another, showing their enthusiasm without ruining it for everyone else, screaming the lyrics to just about every song.
Although I've seen live photos of the band, I've never seen video of them playing before. So it was a nice treat to see their special blend of rock music actually performed live. Surprisingly, Frank Black was more animated than I was led to believe; Kim Deal had a huge smile on her face for nearly the entire time; Joey Santiago played his dissonant riffs with conviction and precision; and David Lovering pounded on the drums as if to make up for the past 12 years. And the sound was amazing. The Fine Line did a fantastic job at balancing the guitars and vocals with the bass and drums, which only enhanced the experience.
Without giving away too much of the setlist, the band played such classics as "Wave of Mutilation," "Broken Face," "Gouge Away," "Where Is My Mind," "I'm Amazed," "Monkey Gone to Heaven," and some special treats here and there. The standout song, however, was definitely "Debaser." At the beginning of the show, the Pixies seemed pretty shocked at the overwhelming reception they received, but this all faded away once Kim started playing the opening bassline to "Debaser." Played about halfway into the set, "Debaser" somehow managed to get the crowd even wilder than before. They played "Tame" afterward and went on to do some more tracks from each release, maintaining the intensity for the remainder of their set. They also had an extended encore, where they played songs such as "Velouria" and the slow version of "Wave of Mutilation."
A lot has happened to music in the past 12 years: grunge, alternative, techno, boy-bands, jock rock, Napster, RIAA, TRL -- to name just a handful. But tonight, it was as if the past 12 years never even happened. We were all transported back in time, experiencing one of the most influential bands in rock history, performing the songs we've been air-drumming to since we first fell in love with Surfer Rosa. Although it would've been great to hear songs like "I Bleed" and "Mr. Grieves," I couldn't have asked for a more perfect setlist. Because, in all fairness, it would've been nice to hear just about any song they've ever made. So I have no complaints whatsoever. Admittedly, I was a bit apprehensive about this whole reunion; although I was certainly excited for it, I couldn't help but think they had more to lose than to gain. But after this concert, it seems silly to even try to ponder the reason for the reunion. The Pixies just played a near-flawless set of music to a crowd that showed just how much their music has meant to them over the years. I couldn't think of a better reason for a reunion.
|
|
|
|
lafemmeaffole
- FB Fan -
30 Posts |
|
|
KimStanleyRobinson
* Dog in the Sand *
1972 Posts |
Posted - 04/27/2004 : 13:06:02
|
this is the best Minny review I've read. Its was written by PjBogart and posted here:
http://b8.ezboard.com/fgoldenvoicefrm9.showNextMessage?topicID=1427.topic
This Pixies Fan Has No Regrets, Though My Wallet Does...
by PjBogart
When I first heard the rumor that the Pixies were considering a reunion I scoffed and said, "yeah, and they'll be playing with The Smiths, I suppose." Little did I know. By February, the reunion seemed quite official and equally surreal. I was more than a little determined to get my Pixie-lovin' foot in the door of one of the obscure venues they had decided to book.
Even after all these years, Black Francis has never really managed to rub his greasy fingerprints off my musical psyche. The Pixies were to Alternapunk/Grunge what The Cure was to Fashionably Pessimistic Goth Rock. They may not have invented it, but they put a stamp on it that was so solid you simply couldn't talk about the genre without crediting them for it's rise in popularity. I openly questioned whether a reunion was such a good idea. They couldn't possibly make themselves MORE legendary... they could only chip away at their current God-like status.
Along with thousands of other fans, I was shut out in my first attempt to procure precious tickets to see my past and present musical idols. Have cash, will travel. By the time the news broke that tickets were being sold for a "secret" show at the Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis, the tickets were gone. I blew $400 on Ebay securing two of these tickets and sat around chewing on my fingernails until they arrived.
They arrived... oh boy, did they ever.
A friend and co-worker of mine, Adam Bowen, hopped into my Mitsubishi on the morning of the 13th of April in the year of Our Lord 2004. Tickets in hand, hotel room waiting, full tank of gas and 250 miles from musical bliss, we drove without stopping for so much as a bathroom and munchie break. We arrived in Minneapolis at around 4:00pm and the final four hours before the show seemed somehow longer than the twelve years since the Pixies last recorded an album.
We checked into the Hyatt and walked the Nicolett Mall looking for something interesting to eat. Minneapolis probably has some fine restaurants, but the downtown area is totally devoid of anything remotely resembling ethnic food. The closest we came was a chinese guy selling hot dogs from a stand or an "Italian" restaurant called "The Olive Garden." We had a burger at the Lone Tree Something or Other about a block and a half from the Fine Line... the burger was great... the backside on the bartender was even better. Somehow we blew $28 on two burgers, two beers and a soda. I tipped the barkeep $7... she was well worth it.
Doors open at 8pm. Expect a line. Guard your ticket with your life. Pixies, Pixies, Pixies. The line looked about how you'd expect it to look. Aging hipsters who weren't fooled by Nirvana and currently had jobs as lawyers or dentists (which is how they could afford the ticket). People had travelled from across the country to witness the spectacle and quite frankly, Mr. Black could have stood up on stage and burped into the mic and the show would have been a success just because he burped NEXT to Kim Deal, Joey Santiago and David Lovering. People were pacing up and down the line offering a couple of hundred dollars for anyone's spare tickets. No one was selling.
We stood for an hour before being herded into the Fine Line. 21 year old Adam got the once over before they reluctantly gave him his "I can drink Beer" wristband. The last moment of nerves ended as the little scanner zipped over the barcode on my ticket and approved me as Pixies qualified. I was in... and suddenly another $40 was sucked from my wallet in the form of two t-shirts (one "death to the Pixies" and one saying "Pixies Sellout" followed by the tour dates). $50 more was lost at the DiscLive stand and then the bartender raped me for $8.50 for two twelve ounce Leinenkugel's taps. I gave him the left over $1.50... he didn't deserve it.
The Fine Line Music Cafe is a small venue... I wouldn't think it holds more than 300 people on the main floor, but apparently there were 700 tickets sold, so men with brooms crammed bodies into the door until we were all there. One big happy Pixies family reunion. Welcome back, brother... can you get your armpit out of my face? A set of stairs leads up to a narrow second floor walkway which skirts along the wall and widens in the rear of the venue. It probably holds about 75 people, 200 of which were pressed up against the railing anxiously awaiting the music.
By all standards used to judge bands, the opening act "The Capitol Years" was a fine band. That said, no one was there to see them and they knew that full well. The crowd was very polite and recieved them warmly. I think if people had chased them off the stage, they would have understood. They had a cute schtick... the bass player pretended to be horribly bored and at one point they all talked into the mic at the same time... they had that sloppy alternablues thing going on... kind of like a sober and showered "The Strokes."
Man, if you made it this far, you must really love the Pixies.
The Pixies sound crew played a little game with the crowd where they'd set everything up and then disappear... then one of the guys would walk back on stage and everyone would stand on tippy toes to see who it was. He'd futz with something and walk off. Then someone else would come up... repeat, repeat, repeat. After about twenty minutes Kim Deal appeared... AND THEN IT WAS OFFICIAL.
When the Pixies wandered onto the stage, I couldn't help but smile and think to myself "this is the most unlikely bunch of rock stars you will ever see." They weren't young, they weren't attractive, they didn't wear bizarre outfits or have metallic objects hanging from random body parts. They had no makeup, no frilly stage props and no particular strut of "rockstardom." If they had walked onto the stage at your local band hangout, you'd probably do your best to avoid making eye contact with them. Your first impression would be "I bet this is going to suck" and if you'd never heard their music (which has kind of a learning curve to it) you'd probably get up and leave after they began screaching into the microphones.
Kim Deal muttered something into the mic along the lines of "aroigahai." It was either "alright" or "hurray," I can't even tell from the CD. The crowd was sufficiently lathered and the band seemed genuinely pleased. There was no push to the stage, there was no "just add music" mosh pit. The crowd was 500 thirty year olds and they behaved as you would have expected. To an outsider reviewing this show, this crowd may have seemed a bit disconnected, but they were anything but. Everyone knew every word and every song. It was pure magic when the music began. Kim Deal was right on the money with her first note, but the second one came out all wrong. No one cared a whit.
Everyone's been to a concert where everyone cheers for the hits, and then you hear fewer cheers for the lesser known songs. No one paid $300 to see the Pixies because they once heard "that one song" that they liked. It was fans, wall to wall... and real fans, not curious onlookers. The crowd responded with almost perfectly equal fervor to each and every song.
The Pixies played all of their old classics and I, for one, was delighted. I don't think I've listened to "Bossanova" in six months and in the same time I've listened to "Surfer Rosa" about a thousand times. I think they probably should have skipped "Velouria" and completely canned "Bossanova" in the process. I wish they would have played a few more songs off "Trompe le Monde" but people should remember than this was their swansong and presumably things weren't going very well for them when they wrote those songs. They didn't reunite to scratch at scabs and if playing "Planet of Sound" brings back bad memories, I don't blame them for skipping it.
Performances: Kim Deal seemed shaky... other reviews have jumped on her performance in "Gigantic" but I thought it sounded fine. She missed notes off and on throughout the night and it was a tad distracting, but overall, I wouldn't trade the experience for any concert I've ever seen. It was bar none the greatest show I've ever seen... not because of stellar performances, but because of the sheer novelty of what I was witnessing. Twelve Years. One of the greatest bands that ever was in now back in our midst. An acrimonious split now remedied. Of the group, Kim Deal seemed to be having the best time... she was truly flattered by our response and the thousands who have responded by selling out their shows as fast as the tickets go on sale. Good for her... I don't care if she misses a few notes (though Mr. Black might).
Black Francis/Frank Black seemed a bit detached, but he always seems that way... it was nothing new nor notable and I didn't even really think about it until I saw reviewers jumping to conclusions. It's ridiculous to suggest that he seemed like he didn't want to be there. He was clearly flattered by the crowd and he seemed very happy at times and a bit less so at others. The mix from the sound man was not what it should have been, in my humble opinion (the CD sounds WAY better than the performance did). Maybe he WAS angry with Kim... I think it's just as likely that he was just generally frustrated with the overall sound. Frank wasn't very energetic, but the third chin he's grown is bound to make energetic performance a thing of the past. You can have Frank jumping around for seven songs or performing twenty seven at a relatively calm clip. I'll take the latter. I know this sounds aweful, but I assure you that I worship this man's musical ability in kind of an "alternative John Lennon" kind of way... he's a genius and he can weigh 2000lbs and I'll still admire him.
Joey Santiago looked like a deer caught in headlights. If one of the band members seemed detached, it would be Joey. He DOES have perhaps the most difficult job up there and he hasn't been as active as the others, I think part of it was generally concentration and part of it was simply awe at how much people seemed to miss a band they hardly payed any attention to back when they were active in the 80's and 90's. I think more than any other member, Joey would have been an interesting conversation after the show to hear what was going through his mind. His performance was impeccable... well, maybe a few minor slips, but overall superb.
David Lovering was there to have a good time and if Frank got grumpy or Kim miffed a few notes, there was no way he was going to let it spoil his party. I think if you polled the band you'd find that he's the happiest of the bunch that the reunion happened. He stood up to check out the audience on occasion... he had a grin the size of Massachussetts on his face for most of the night. He came out into the crowd after the show and mingled a bit (probably looking for some action).
Overall, my impression is that some of the people who have reviewed this show didn't put much thought into their review. They read things into Frank Black's mood that may or may not have been the case. Frank Black seemed exceedingly happy that the Pixies are back and more importantly, very happy that WE were happy that the Pixies are back.
And it's refreshing to see bands go back to their roots through the set list. If I went to a U2 show and all they played were songs off "War" and "Boy" I'd consider myself exceedingly lucky.
I saw the Pixies at the Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis on April 13th, 2004. I'm one of only a few hundred people who can say so, and I'll never forget that show as long as I live. It was the first show in over 12 years for one of the greatest bands that ever was. I have no regrets.
A ticket to see the Pixies at the Fine Line... $200. Hotel room at the Hyatt... $102. T-shirts, stickers and buttons... $50. CD's of the show... $50. Beer and snacks for the evening... $70. Gasoline to get there... $40. Grand total $512. I would have paid twice that.
Edited by: PjBogart at: 4/14/04 9:01 pm
"So many words, so many ideas. You can sing about anything."
-Frank Black, 1993 |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
Minneapolis reviews, where are you?
