ICONIC ALT BAND PLAYED ONE OF THREE SOLD OUT US SHOWS IN ANAHEIM, CA

Pixies play what they want when they want how they want. No two shows are alike, the press release read, but I was well-aware of this. This show was my third outing with the band, my first being at The Hollywood Bowl during high school and the second at The Cure’s Daydream Festival a few years back. I love when bands play the tracks THEY feel like playing as opposed to what they are forced to perform to satisfy the crowd. To adapt and change up songs over time demonstrates just how a band like Pixies can remain intricate, abrasive, and great to see live!

With the band’s 2022 tour mostly taking place in Europe, having the first three shows begin in the US was a treat to fans. They performed a 34 song set in Arizona two days before their stop in Anaheim, California, so a two hour set was definitely happening. Now to be frank, I am not a fan of House of Blues in Anaheim. I’ve attended shows like Wu Tang Clan and Lana Del Rey at the venue and both times, the staff was not helpful and the environment was unsafe with huge crowding of people with no safe passages for ins and outs. I arrived an hour before Pixies came on, so opener The Clockworks were generating a hard rock atmosphere for those inside. Once their set ended, I began my trek to the front where I ended up on the right of the barrier to access the photo pit. I flashed my credentials to the security guard, which then gestured to me that I needed to make my way to the left side of the barrier to get to the pit. This was a headache, as fans didn’t want to budge or lose their places so I had to maneuver my way. Finally, I made it to the barrier and awaited Pixies to take the stage.

The lights went off and without any flash, the band walked on stage. Black Francis and Co. tuned up with the audience already letting out screams of joy. With a bright green stream of lights overlapping the dark stage, the band broke out into “Gouge Away” with a long intro letting the band build up the track. With very little pause between tracks, Trompe le Monde cut “U-Mass” followed in an aggressive manner. To see Black Francis sweat it out, veins bearing and voice sounding as great as ever, any Pixies fan had to realize the night was on to a special start.

Around eight songs in, Paz Lenchantin opened fan favorite “Debaser” with her bass riffs, while Francis mellowed his voice then yelled during the chorus. He sounded better than the studio cut, but had to begin “Cactus” again after he had some trouble with his voice. This happened again when he came back to the track, and a third time during “Caribou” although the latter was due to a broken guitar string. None of this irritated the crowd, however, as many were just happy to witness alt rock royalty.

A great sight came from the back of the venue, where a family watched Pixies play with much excitement. The father of the group held his son (about seven years old) up on his shoulders during tracks like “Gigantic” and “Mr. Grieves.” “Hope everything is allllllriiiiiight” ripped Francis as the little boy mimicked back. “Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf)” grazed the fans as many swayed and bobbed their heads along. Even the merch was fantastic, with a limited edition poster celebrating the band’s only three US shows and a shirt showcasing a beautiful butterfly design with tour dates on the backside. Pixies cut their set short after Francis experienced vocal issues, but honestly no one could be disappointed with the show they witnessed. Of course, we all wanted more, but that goes for any and every Pixies show. Check out the set list here!

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!