04 May The Perfect Pixies

On Sunday, Pixies played Sunfest. It was the noise rock band’s second stop on their spring tour, and one of the biggest draws for our sea-side festival.

I had been happily running between stages all week, but as soon as the gates opened on our final day, I found (and defended) the perfect spot in front of the Ford stage. I waited patiently with thousands of others in the blazing sun for one of the most curious bands in our lifetime to arrive.

At 2:15 p.m., they did.

Black Francis, David Lovering, Joey Santiago, and new bassist Paz Lenchantin took the Ford stage, greeted by thousands of screaming and cheering voices. Pixies did not say a word. Francis barely even smiled. They had work to do, and so they pulled the crowd into “U-Mass” and then “Bagboy.”

It was my first time seeing the iconic band. We had previously interviewed drummer Lovering and I stood before them feeling a different connection to the group. Interviews, great interviews, are intimate and revealing. When complete, it’s important to re-examine a band’s catalog and picture the people behind it. I was ecstatic to know the thoughtfulness and joy within the band members. And I appreciated their on-stage presence. The band’s lack of interaction with the crowd could be conceived as cold, but I assure you, it’s not. The love of their lives is playing music for their fans, and that requires no small talk at all.

After “Wave of Mutilation,” Pixies transitioned into one of their most cult-like hits, “Where is My Mind?” Cameras and cell phones rose up from their followers. Touch screens captured each longing second as fans internally fought between singing out loud and keeping still for the shot.

The band makes the most delicious noise. Pixies are the royalty of noise rock. Each furious guitar strum, each blood-curdling scream, created a beautiful hurricane of sonic confusion in my brain. It was deafeningly loud. It was perfection.

Between “Subbacultcha” and “Rock Music,” Pixies played a new unreleased song, as promised. The band announced they were writing and rehearsing brand new songs on tour, but nothing will be recorded until after the tour is complete. The title-less track left me breathless.

I also have to acknowledge how impressed I was with Lenchantin’s skill and stage presence. Prior to their SunFest show, I had read an eye-catching quote by Lovering in Brooklyn Vegan:

“We definitely want someone who can just be a personality, I think, and especially on the feminine side. Just the same formula that we’ve used. I think if we had a guy up there, it wouldn’t be the same. We couldn’t pull off the Pixies thing. It’d be a little too masculine. The feminine side gives it that Yin and Yang. Like I said, no one will be able to replace Kim Deal. It’s impossible, but we’re doing the best we can with it.”

I had only listened to Pixies repeatedly through headphones, but seeing them on stage, I understood what the magical drummer meant. Lenchantin is graceful, secure, and soft. Her pretty tights and flower-adorned bass do add a femininity that the Pixies need on that platform. She is just as cool and distant as the others, and completely holds her own, but her look is necessary for the Pixies to be complete.

They played “Magdalena 318,” “Dead,” I’ve Been Tired,” and “Debaser.”

The foursome closed with “Hey.” Afterward they approached the edge of the stage. From Black: a wave, a smile, a bow, a hand over his heart.

I looked down to see my hand was over my own.