Pixies 'Doolittle' @ The Palladium 11/4/09

If there’s a complaint, it’s only that the band takes too long between songs. Unlike the rapidfire delivery of the original record, tonight each song is presented as it’s own entity, with accompanying unique video. Some are more effective than others. Footage of slicin’ up eyeballs from Bunuel and Dali’s “Un Chien Andalou” sets the tone wonderfully. The bleak desertscapes that color “Silver” and the assorted lyrics floating throughout “Hey” resonate, but, elsewhere, the images detract, or at the very least, distract. New footage of the individual band members bopping their heads during “Here Comes Your Man” is cute, but has me second-guessing the presentation. For a band that was so unassuming during their original existence, tonight’s performance is surely one of the more contrived moments of their career. Not to over-think it. The point is - the songs speak for themselves.

Frank Black Francis Thompson IV is in fine form; barking, howling and screaming effortlessly. Dave Lovering has a way of banging out a straight driving 4/4 beat that feel innovative in its simplicity. Joey Santiago’s dissonant anti-wank guitar heroics are the true secret to the Pixies sound. His showcase moment comes during the second encore - an extended take on “Vamos” that pokes fun at guitar heroics while also being a great example of them. Kim Deal is the only band member who talks to the audience. Frequently reminding that audience that they are still on Side One*, or making self-deprecating comments about the songs - introducing “There Goes My Gun” as a “deep cut”, and adding “you can’t skip ‘em.” I want to tell her that there’s no need to apologize for the songs. They are the reason we are here.

There’s a discernable difference in the bands playing between the “hits” that have remained in the bands post-reunion repertoire, and the other tracks that they clearly had to relearn for this tour. In some cases (I Bleed, Dead), the band feels a little rushed, on others however, the rehearsal produces surprise results. “Sliver” is one of the evening’s unexpected highlights; Black and Deal’s beautiful harmonizing on the song’s refrain of “sorrows” is beautiful and haunting.

When the Pixies end their set, they stand on the edge of the stage, arms around each other, waving at the audience and smiling. A giant video of the band members smiling and waving plays behind them. It’s a moment that’s more adorable than menacing. For a band who built a career on the bizarre and unexpected, these days, the weirdest thing about them is how normal they seem - and that is truly the weirdest thing of all.

*I actually still think of “Doolittle” in terms of Side One and Side Two. When I first got the record, I misread “There Goes My Gun” as “There Goes My Guy”, and, as the fifth song on side two, thought they intended it to be an answer to the fifth song on side one, “Here Comes Your Man”.