Great Songs Remain, But Magic is Gone From Pixies 2014

The Pixies have now been on their reunion tour for longer than they were initially together in the late 80s and early 90s.

And while I wasn’t around to witness the first iteration of the band (I did see some great mid-90s Frank Black solo shows however), I’ve been front-and-center for the new Pixies, seeing them at New York’s Bowery Ballroom in 2004 and D.C.’s Constitution Hall in 2009.

The first show was kind of a mess, but the 2009 one was a 5-star classic. Sunday night’s show at Strathmore – a beautiful, wood-paneled classical-music hall in North Bethesda that Rachel and I attended with friends Lori and Ahron – was back to being a mixed bag.

It would take a hardened cynic or a non-fan of the dark indie act to deny how tight and enjoyable the Pixies’ greatest-hits set has become. Two of my favorites were played right near the beginning of the 33-song set: Trompe Le Monde’s “U-Mass” (“it’s educational”) and “Wave of Mutilation.”

Other highlights included drummer David Loverling’s “La La Love You,” “Here Comes Your Man,” “Monkey Gone to Heaven,” “Where is My Mind?,” “Crackity Jones,” and “Debaser.”

And while the songs were tight, there was almost no discernible hop in the three long-time members’ steps.

Kim Deal, perhaps mine (and everyone’s) favorite Pixie, has recently left the band. Nobody knows exactly under what circumstances, but I’ll assume they weren’t amicable. Arguably the band’s best song, the Deal-penned “Gigantic,” was not played. New bassist Paz Lenchantin, formerly of Billy Corgan’s post-Pumpkins band Zwan, offered backing vocals that serviceably filled in for the gigantic shoes of Deal, and she showed more enthusiasm than all the band members together.

But the subtraction of Kim Deal (combined with the endless chug of reunion cash-grab through over-priced merchandise and concert tickets) just made it feel like Pixies ’14 has lost much of that old magic.

***1/2 out of ***** stars

• 1. Bone Machine 
  2. Wave of Mutilation 
  3. U-Mass 
  4. Head On 
     (The Jesus and Mary Chain cover)
  5. Magdalena 
  6. Cactus 
  7. Gouge Away 
  8. Bagboy 
  9. What Goes Boom 
  10. Monkey Gone to Heaven 
  11. Crackity Jones 
  12. Isla de Encanta 
  13. Havalina 
  14. Velouria 
  15. Silver Snail 
  16. Mr. Grieves 
  17. Nimrod's Son 
  18. Vamos 
  19. Indie Cindy 
  20. Here Comes Your Man 
  21. La La Love You 
  22. Brick Is Red 
  23. Ed Is Dead 
  24. Motorway to Roswell 
  25. In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song) 
  26. Andro Queen 
  27. Greens and Blues 
  28. Where Is My Mind? 
  29. Encore:
  29. Caribou 
  30. Debaser 
  31. Hey 
  32. Ana 
  33. Planet of Sound