Alt-rock Avant Garde: Pixies Prove Their Relevance in 2023

Before The Smashing Pumpkins, The Killers, Death Cab for Cutie or even the Arctic Monkeys, there were the Pixies. 

Formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1986, the Pixies have long been associated with the great alternative rock movement of the 1990s and are widely regarded as one of the most influential forefathers of modern alternative and indie rock music.

In August 2023, the band hit the road to tour with Modest Mouse and Cat Power. On September 15, the musical legends played Oxbow Riverstage in Napa, California and The Berkeley B-Side was in attendance. 

Nearly four decades after the band first formed, they still managed to deliver one of the most memorable performances of a lifetime, securing a lasting legacy in musical history. 

After dynamic sets from both Cat Power and Modest Mouse, Pixies took the stage and opened with ‘Gouge Away’ followed by ‘Wave of Mutilation’ off of the 1989 critically acclaimed album, Doolittle. 

Black Francis, the band’s lead singer and frontman, is just as cool as he was in the 80s and 90s — his voice still powerful and grungy. 

Francis is quiet and a rather unassuming looking man. He never has much to say on stage. However, his presence is almost enigmatic. He takes the stage with grace and ease and quietly casts a spell upon the entire audience, who are left entranced for the remainder of the show.

The rest of the band consisting of Joey Santiago (lead guitar), Paz Lenchantin (bass and backing vocals) and David Lovering (drums), gave just as memorable of a performance. Lenchantin, who joined the band in 2016 after the departure of Kim Deal, complements the band perfectly and is the badass woman bassist the music scene so desperately needs.

The band performed with the same energy and enthusiasm as a band brand new to the scene — not one that has been performing for decades. The energy was felt by the entire crowd who danced and threw their arms in the air.

Lenchantin’s bass lines united Lovering’s drumming and Santiago’s guitar parts. Her vocals blended seamlessly with Francis’. It is safe to call her the band’s glue. They would be incomplete without her. 

Another standout of the night was fan-favorite, ‘Hey,’ also off Doolittle. The iconic song opens with the line, “Hey! Been trying to meet you.” Francis’ delivery of the line was perfect and precise. If you were to close your eyes, you’d believe the recorded track was being played from the loud speakers. 

The entire night was unforgettable. It was easy to feel like an angsty twenty-something in the 1990s right as the band rose to popularity. 

Pixies fans are just as cool as the band members themselves. The audience, made up almost entirely of middle aged people and their children, had an infectious energy.

Pixies fans are trailblazers in their own right. From the way they dressed to their taste in music, Pixies fans were among the first to challenge the status quo of modern rock music. Their countercultural style paved the way for the ensuing alternative music movement. Evidence of their legacy still prevails in the style of the clothes and music of today’s youth.

One thing became clear that night… the Pixies will not escape our collective musical memory any time soon.

     Article and photos by Anna Armstrong