Another one crossed off.
I keep a list of active bands I want to see live. The Pixies have long resided near the top. Since they reformed several years ago, the legendary group has danced around Indy – Chicago, Louisville, etc — without stopping here. On Saturday, they finally appeared. It was worth the wait.
From the opening notes of Gouge Away, all was right with the world (or at least within the ONC theatre). Frank Black is still one of the best screamers in the biz, the guitars were sharp and aggressive, and the rhythm section of Joey Santiago and Paz Lenchantin kept it all grooving smoothly.
The audience was patient during the handful of the newer songs from Indie Cindy sprinkled throughout, but the crowd came alive every time a classic got rolled out, of which there were many — Here Comes Your Man, Mr. Grieves, Ed is Dead, Nimrod’s Son, Isla de Encanta, and so on. And when they came in succession, it was a near riot. Wave of Mutilation into UMass early on was feverish; Where Is My Mind? into the surf version of Wave, followed by Vamos to close the set had a similar reaction.
And, oh man, that encore. Trompe Le Monde’s The Sad Punk gave way to Doolittle’s cathartic one-two punch of Tame and Debaser. Such as rush!
One of the best shows all year.