Even though the Pixies themselves coined the phrase “Death to the Pixes” all of there fans thought that 12 years ago it had finally come to pass, but there I was sitting in the Greek Theatre on the UC Berkeley campus watching them kick out every favorite hit that I hold dear.
While they were not in top form like the last time I saw them in 1990, on the Bossanova tour, you just could not help but be in awe of one of your favorite bands of all time. Playing songs from “Come On Pilgrim” “Surfer Rosa” “Doolittle” and “Trompe le Monde” it was easy to see which ticketholders were the fans and which were the tourists. If you were bopping along to “subbaculcha” and “Ed is Dead” or maybe learned the spanish to “Vamos” you were with the former. If you were looking bored and confused until they played “Here comes your man” (which almost felt like the only odd song in the set) or “Velouria” you are with the latter.
While the whole set could have been louder. The only weakness would have been David Loverings drums. It just lacked the snap and some of the fills from the record. They all seemed a little rusty, but I don’t think that took away from the feeling that, FUCK I am watching the PIXIES.
So now they have spawned a whole new lot of teenage fans sporting black Pixies encrusted hoodies, and shouting “Death to the Pixies”, “Long live the Pixies”.