Pixies
Carnegie Music Hall of Oakland
Pittsburgh, PA
January 25, 2014
Photos and Review by Randy Jarosz
The Pixies, one of the most influential bands in music and quite possibly as equally underrated, made their way to Pittsburgh, Saturday night at Carnegie Music Hall of Oakland. Radiohead’s Thom Yorke has stated that the Pixies changed his life. Kurt Cobain admits to ripping off the Pixies sound. They are a band that paved the way for what was to come in the 90’s that in turn influenced the following generation.
Pixies took the stage with Black Francis (aka Frank Black, aka Charles Thompson IV) wearing a trademark black t-shirt. Francis stayed center stage while guitarist Joey Santiago worked the left side of the stage with his gnarly finger work. David Lovering commanded the drums from a small platform while Paz Lenchantin of “A Perfect Circle,” took over bass duties after Kim Shattuck of “The Muffs,” was relieved of the spot. Original bassist Kim Deal left the band before the band’s first new material in over 20 years when EP1 was released. Though Deal’s stage presence and crowd interaction was sorely missed, Lenchantin complimented the band very well. She looked as if she had been with the band for ages .
Kicking off the show with classics Bone Machine and Debaser the band worked in 6 of their new songs amidst a 31 song set. Long time fan Dustin Bones, 36, of Greenfield says, “the new songs sounded spectacular, they blend well with the new stuff,” calling it seamless.
Pixies ripped through the 90 minute set never acknowledging the sold out crowd other than waving and high fiveing those in the front row, before coming out for an encore. As security began to lighten some fans worked their way to the stage. One excited fan belly flopped on stage while “Monkey Gone to Heaven,” was being played. The intruder was pulled off immediately while kicking and screaming. Pixies closed out the memorable night with “Where is My Mind.”
