Doolittle Anniverary: The Pixies @ The Hollywood Palladium

The Pixies @ The Hollywood Palladium (photo credit: Wired.com)

The Pixies finished their up their third of three shows Saturday night at The Hollywood Palladium celebrating twenty years since the release of their 1989 classic album Doolittle. The Pixies Doolittle shuffle will take them through nine U.S. cities over the course of the next month where I doubt a single frothing fan will be left disapointed.

By the third encore they ran out of B-sides and songs from Doolittle so they threw in a few other favorites like “Bone Machine” and “Where is My Mind.” Joey Santiago’s lead guitar is like nothing in music and sounds more innovative than ever. Black Francis, looking perhaps a little more hefty usual, had so much power in his voice that I think the use of a microphone was optional. Kim Deal was, well, Kim Deal. Melodic background vocals along with her sardonic wit is always fun. Drummer David Lovering added to the group dynamic with his lead vocal on the cheeky “La La Love You.”

I had seen the tour for Doolittle back in the day but last night they amazing.  Better than in ‘89 when tensions between Francis and Deal were starting to cause some rifts in the band. (Way) better than the 2004 reunion show at Coachella and better than the two shows I saw at The Wiltern in 2005 and in 2006.

The Pixies, whose influence on Nirvana was unmistakable, are still the best band in alternative music. Here’s a list of tour dates and opening bands.

Here’s “Crackity Jones” from a show in Paris in September.

Links:
Pixes Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixies

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