The Pixies kicked off their North American tour with a “surprise” show at The Calvin Theater in Northampton, MA just down the road from where the Pixies first formed. Retooled and evidently reenergized by the addition of Paz Lenchantin (A Perfect Circle, Zwan) on bass who replaced Kim Shattuck of The Muffs; a short-term replacement for Kim Deal who left the band in June of 2013.
Personnel changes aside, the Pixies certainly sounded like the Pixies even with Paz singing Kim’s parts on old and new tracks alike such as the recently released “Bagboy” and classic “Bone Machine”. Black Francis was in rare form with his voice alternating between sweet falsettos and guttural grunts while his guitars were in constant rotation between electric and acoustic. The setlist was sure to please all in attendance featuring new and old Pixies cuts while the volume and acoustics at The Calvin left the discerning listener a bit disappointed. Of course no one space can accommodate all types of music, but the mix that night just felt too loud and too muddy on the low end, then again perhaps it’s just me showing my age. All in all it was an excellent show and for those waiting in anticipation for their stop in your town, you won’t be disappointed.
The Pixies head north of the border for shows in Toronto and Montreal before returning to the states and making their way down the east coast from Boston to Atlanta and then on to the rest of the country.
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SETLIST: Pixies @ Calvin Theatre, 1/13/2014
Wave of Mutilation
Head On
U-Mass
Ana
Cactus
Indie Cindy
Nimrod’s Son
Another Toe in the Ocean
Ed is Dead
Bone Machine
What Goes Boom
Broken Face
Isla De Encanta
Hey
Monkey Gone to Heaven
Magdalena
Crackity Jones
Debaser
Gouge Away
Bagboy
Blue Eyed Hexe
I’ve Been Tired
Brick is Red
Subbacultcha
Here Comes Your Man
La La Love You
Greens and Blues
In Heaven/Andro Queen
Where Is My Mind?
Vamos
Encore:
Wave of Mutilation UK Surf
Planet of Sound
