SEPTEMBER 9th 2023
PIXIES
Review by Metallic Barbie
Photos by Peter Ruttan

Wound up and dancing shoes tied (or slipped on, or Velcro-ed, or buckled), fans stormed into UBC Thunderbird arena last night to pay homage to Black Francis (aka Charles Thompson, lead vocals, rhythm guitar), axe-man Joey Santiago, bassist Paz Lenchantin, and skinman David Lovering: aka the 1980s band Pixies.

Front-end loaded with sets from Atlanta soloist Cat Power and radio-rock regular Modest Mouse, Pixies hit the stage without a care, Lovering counting in opener “Gouge Away” with his beaters.  Favouring newly released Doggerel (released September 2022) and 1989’s Doolittle in their massive 24-song setlist, the quartet barely took a breath between tunes before Lovering was cracking the whip to get onto the next.  A communication breakdown with the mics between bandmates – how they decide on the fly which tunes to line up next – did little to slow the night down.

Characteristically short songs, bridging the gap between rock, punk, alt, and grunge (if not birthing it), Pixies shifted gears between old and new songs, hitting classics like “Planet of Sound”, “Nimrod’s Son”, and “Here Comes Your Man”.  Characteristically short and essentially zero audience interaction is key for the band to smash so many audio files into a very regulated timeframe.  Having said that, given the nature of the performance (members playing their instruments with no real flare) and the inability to intimate with the crowd, a show like this would have been much better suited for a smaller venue, like the Commodore Ballroom, playing two nights, as opposed to this arena-type space.  If you were new to Pixies, dragged along by a gaggle of die-hards, you may have left disappointed.  The sheer grandeur of Thunderbird removed much of the personal and intimate nature afforded by experiencing a band like Pixies somewhere with tighter walls.

Regardless, fans were treated to the signature whiskey growl of Francis’ vocals, the sweet harmonic of Lenchantin’s accompaniment, precise lead stringing from Santiago and energetic rhythm from Lovering.  Whether O.G. enthusiast or newbie learning the ropes, the crowd got the gambit of the catalogue that made artists as notable as David Bowie stand up and take notice of the juggernaut that is Pixies.