Let’s face it, the Pixies and their fans are getting old. The fans clearly have enough money to drink too many expensive venue beers before the show and the band takes themselves less seriously. Too many snippets of aged drunken hilarity to express here, but it is sufficient to say that my fellow show goers made me feel young and sober by comparison. Their youth has waned but their taste in music has not and the band they waited so many years to see, perhaps again, perhaps for the first time, delivered the goods to a wanting audience. The music and the energy it creates has done anything but wane. It shocked my adult self into my teenage consciousnesses and the sweet marriage was one rarely achieved in a lifetime.

Now, I’m not one of the “10% of people who can say the actually saw this band before,” so I guess the fact that I’ve listened to them since Surfer Rosa was released wasn’t enough to make me cool in the eyes of that 10%. But that night, at that show, I wasn’t thinking about my concert resume and I’m relatively sure the band didn’t care that this was my first time. Frankly, it was nice to be a virgin again for the Pixies, open and somewhat apprehensive, knowing what it was supposed to sound like and ultimately pleasantly surprised at how good it turned out to actually be.

They made mistakes on a couple of songs and it was endearing. It had obviously been long enough since this group had repetitively banged out these tunes that it didn’t sound like the millionth time moneymaker tour even though it may have been. It sounded like they were trying to do what they once did with what they now had, maturity and a visible sense of humour that I can only speculate was lacking in previous decades. They rocked every song. Plain and simple. Rocked. It was incredible. I couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear long enough to even sing along. Yes, it was that good.

On a more visceral note, someone barfed directly in front of us before the show started leaving a nice area where no one would stand. It was the most fortunate vomit event in my personal history and allowed for the rare visual display of the band from far away. I could actually see the entire show and, yes, what was awesome got even better. Thanks be to puke.

After the show someone said to me, “try to describe that with your fancy words,” knowing it would have an entry in my fledgling and humble unread music blog. So, there ya go. Not much of a detailed review, but it’s the best I could do without losing the feeling in the details. Because isn’t music really about how it makes you feel?

Photo by Sean Solo

Thanks to downloadable singles and ringtones, the average human attention span can’t seem to handle sitting down and listening to twelve tracks by the same artist anymore. This is a shame, since many fantastic albums save some of their best songs for last. It’s that final song that ties together all of the other tracks you’ve just heard, and leaves you with a great lasting impression of the album. Here are ten songs that appear last on their respective album’s tracklisting, and make it worthwhile to sit and listen to the whole thing.

1. “Gouge Away” by the Pixies

From the 1989 album Doolittle

Doolittle is an album full of fantastic spiky, biting pop songs, and “Gouge Away” best exemplifies the Pixies’ oft-copied soft/loud dynamics.

2. “Here Comes a Regular” by The Replacements

From the 1985 album Tim

Paul Westerberg was a far better songwriter than songs like “Gary’s Got a Boner” would suggest, and this introverted, quietly heartbreaking ballad is the perfect ending to The Replacement’s most accessible work, Tim.

3. “All Apologies” by Nirvana

From the 1993 album In Utero

“All Apologies” perhaps suggests that, after the antithetical battle of style that was In Utero, Kurt Cobain’s songwriting was taking a turn for the melodic. We’ll never know what would have followed, but this beautiful song is a great note for Nirvana’s career to end on.

4. “Mr. November” by The National

From the 2005 Album Alligator

Though their breakthrough came in 2007, The National’s Alligator is a fantastic, moody collection of songs. I love “Mr. November” because it’s so visceral, and it rocks surprisingly hard. It’s definitely a highlight on an all-around fantastic album.

5. “Tomorrow Never Knows” by The Beatles

From the 1966 album Revolver

Many would call “A Day in the Life” (off 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band) the best album closer of all time, but I’ve never understood the fuss. This surreal track ties the middle-Eastern influence and experimentation of Revolver together perfectly.

6. “My Body is a Cage” by Arcade Fire

From the 2007 album Neon Bible

It’s eerie, depressing, and understated, but after all of the emotional purging that can be found the other tracks of Neon Bible, nothing else would seem right.

7. “Gold Dust Woman” by Fleetwood Mac

From the 1977 album Rumours

This Stevie Nicks-helmed song captures some of the obvious emotional turmoil that went along with the recording of Rumours, and it’s one of the best songs on this hit-packed album.

8. “Dinner at Eight” by Rufus Wainwright

From the 2003 album Want One

Rufus Wainwright is a great storyteller in his songs, and this piano-driven tale of domestic disconnect is a fitting way to end an all-around grand album.

9. “Dream Brother” by Jeff Buckley

From the 1994 album Grace

A lot of artists like to end their albums with slow songs, but this Jeff Buckley ballad feels like a very natural ending. The melancholic tone suits the rest of the album, and there is a certain finality to “Dream Brother” that is oddly satisfying.

10. “Rock Star” by Hole

From the 1994 album Live Through This

This is one of the few upbeat tracks on my list. Courtney Love may have become a sad joke, but her band’s 1994 sophomore album was pretty fantastic. This catchy, satirical look at her homogonous hometown of Olympia, Washington is unexpected, but very welcome.

I thought

at first

that there was

some sort of a problem

of course

if you think there’s a problem

there IS a problem

even if that’s the only problem

which it isn’t

this problem has to do with depth

too much here

too little there

perched

nearly naked

on a rotten timber

above a fathomless hole

in the dark

with flat-soled salesman’s shoes on

best just not to move

really I’m lightly

food poisoned

from the buffet

in the guest suite

of a molded plastic products distributor

near the convention hall

where for three days

plastic paid all the bills

wait wait wait

if I just lie down

right where I am

and stay absolutely still

they’ll eventually find me

and put me in a room

with a tv

with a remote

which I can tune

to a nature show

with little ferret-like animals

cute ferret-like animals

(hell, they could be ferrets)

running all over

and I can get out of the bed

and climb on a chair

and put my eye

right up to the tv

and feel the electricity in my cheek

and see the bright little pixies

that hid my clothes

]]> http://shiverwebzine.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/pixies-live-in-free-download/ Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:06:08 +0000 shiverwebzine http://shiverwebzine.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/pixies-live-in-free-download/

Non sto qui a spiegarvi chi sono i Pixies e quanto sono stati influenti nella musica. Vi dirò soltanto che per i 20 anni dell’album “Doolittle” hanno messo a disposizione per i fans un live da scaricare gratuitamente.

State ancora leggendo?? Su, su dai… cliccate sul link!!

www.pixiesmusic.com/splash.html

The last time I wrote a live review was when Dave Navarro’s band played the Paradise about four years ago, because my friend Karen has a huge crush on him [she probably still does. Karen and I are no longer friends because she gets mad at me very easily and never forgives me]. Needless to say, I mainly reviewed albums as a music critic and never picked up on the art of writing a solid, engaging live review [for a good one: see Sarah Rodman at The Boston Globe]. I did go to the show with a very cute, smart guy and he held my hand during the set! That was sweet. I’ve also never been a Pixies fan [How is that possible when I’m from Boston? I don’t particularly follow the Red Sox either but I adore The Patriots. Football is cooler.] I’m only familiar with the radio singles. I’ve seen the band once live before at Agannis Arena and it was a pretty good show. The yelling songs I can do without. There’s definitely a cult following. You know, the cool kids are in the crowd. Now they are the hipster parents who got babysitters to have a big night out at the rock show.

The Wang Center is a rather regal setting for a band like Pixies. It’s for ballet. At least it used to be but things have changed. So now the ornate building served as the homecoming venue for that band from UMass, not Dinosaur Jr., but Pixies. It’s just that the Pixies seem much less fancy and more rock and roll and gritty. The venue choice surprised me. It was a treat to see the Pixies there. The latest craze for older bands is to get back together and play a popular album in its entirety and for the Pixies that is Doolittle the band’s third album which includes classics such as “Debaser,” ‘Wave of Mutilation,” “Here Comes Your Man,” “Hey,” and “Gouge Away.”

Often I sensed that the crowd was way more into the show than the band and that’s never a good thing. I wanted the band to put in a hearty, complete effort to entertain me. [I completely enjoyed myself and got into it and all but I don't know most of the songs]. After playing Doolittle in its entirety the band played three [egocentric I’d say] encores of B-sides. On “Where is My Mind,” my date thought that it sounded worse live than on the CD. He felt the Pixies gratuitously played the song. Judging by the hopping and shaking and cheering and cell phone picture-taking and tweeting and texting going on around us, the crowd disagreed.

Bassist Kim Deal looked most at ease and energetic the entire time and particularly on the final song (and the band’s third encore) — incidentally my favorite Pixies’s song “Gigantic.” Of course my classy date wrote that the encore sucks. “It was so short it was like my 20-year-old date cumming in his pants before I even took my shirt off [quote obviously written from my point of view].” Frank Black rarely smiled but his voice sounded great and on other numbers he loosened up. All in all, the Pixies turned out a cool, grooving show. The band falls easily back into playing off each other and riffing and jamming on several songs.  

–review by Amy Steele

This is the main set list:

DANCE THE MANTA RAY         

WEIRD AT MY SCHOOL

BAILEYS WALK

MANTA RAY

DEBASER

TAME

WAVE

I BLEED

MAN

DEAD

MONKEY

MR GREIVES

CRACKITY

LA LA

# 13

GUN

HEY

SILVER

GOUGE

SLOW WAVE          WHITE

Puntaje del Disco: 9,5

1. Bone Machine: 9,5
2. Break My Body: 8
3. Something Against You: 8
4. Broken Face: 8,5
5. Gigantic: 8,5
6. River Euphrates: 9
7. Where Is My Mind?: 9,5
8. Cactus: 8,5
9. Tony’s Theme: 9
10. Oh My Golly: 8
11. Vamos: 9
12. I’m Amazed: 7
13. Brick Is Red: 9

Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson, mas conocido como Francis Black nació el 6 de Abril de 1955 en Boston, Estados Unidos, y se convirtió en uno de los artistas mas influyentes que marcaron una época a pesar de no ser tan reconocido a nivel popular.

En 1986 Black junto a su compañero de cuarto Joey Santiago (guitarra), en la Universidad de Amherst de Massachusetts, donde estudiaba antropología, Kim Deal (bajo y coros) y David Lovering (batería) formarían Pixies, banda madre del movimiento sónico-devenido en grunge de principios de los noventa.

Para Agosto de 1988 lograrían editar su primer disco de larga duración Surfer Rosa, Francis Black compuso todas sus canciones a excepcion de “Gigantic” coescrita y cantada por Deal.

A pesar de que en su momento no logro tener tanta difusión Surfer Rosa es a menudo citado como uno de los favoritos de la crítica, y es incluido frecuentemente en las listas de mejores álbumes de todos los tiempos. Muchos artistas reconocidos de rock alternativo, incluyendo a Billy Corgan, Thom Yorke y PJ Harvey, han citado al álbum como fuente de inspiración y hasta Kurt Cobain dijo en varias ocasiones que fue una gran influencia para la elaboración de Nevermind, llegando a afirmar que al componer “Smells Like Teen Spirit” “Estaba tratando de escribir la canción pop definitiva. Básicamente, le robé a los Pixies. Tengo que admitirlo”.

Con este trabajo Pixies para la crítica especializada se convirtió en la novedad del año de música Indie, pasado con el tiempo a ser una banda de culto. Temas como “Bone Machine”, “Broken Face”, “River Euphrates”, “Tony’s Theme” ,“Where Is My Mind?” y “Brick Is Red” son una muestra de las melodías pop explosiva que eran capaces de desarrollar.

F.V.

Hey, it’s No Age!

Well, in a rare instance, this post is mostly reserved for the opening band, Jay Reatard.

Hopes: Jay plays all of my favorites, plays for an hour, and his new crew sounds infinitely better than his last band, whom were entertaining and talented in their own right. And for the Pixies, I hope they put on the best show I’ve ever seen and play all my non-Doolittle, favorites.

Expectations: Jay and gang have better chops than his previous band mates, but aren’t as amazing as I suggest above. Seeing them live will be fun, but not the same experience as the previous show at Harpers Ferry, because we will be seated and what not. He will play a good amount of my favorites. The Pixies’ performance will be top notch and the show will enter my top 5 or at least top 10. They will play at least a few of my non-Doolittle favorites.

Chris

My review of the Pixies’ show on Monday, November 23rd at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City is now online on the main Powerline A.D. site. You can read the review here.

The Pixies are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the release of Doolittle, which is considered by many to be their finest album. The album was performed in full. The B-sides from the album’s singles were also performed. It was a great concert.

To watch the Pixies perform “Here Comes Your Man” from the November 23rd show in New York City, click below:

BEHOLD

Ahead of their Australian Doolittle Tour next year the Pixies stopped by Fallon to promote their current USA shows…

]]> http://jesuspinzon.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/gouge-away/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:06:00 +0000 jesuspinzon http://jesuspinzon.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/gouge-away/

Una de esas canciones que estan perdidas, no son muy populares pero son muy muy buenas, por los Pixies.

Pixies

Pixies – Gouge Away

Pixies – Wave of Mutilation (Best of) – Gouge Away – 2004

To which I replied, “not fucking likely,” and turned away to my shot glass. It’s filled with Absolut Citron, but I didn’t drink it, just held it, enjoying the chilled glass feel, the way I might enjoy holding an icicle until it numbed my fingers off, cold…and I switched hands, glancing in the mirror to catch reflections of what she was doing, and she wasn’t doing nothin,’ just trying to bore holes in my back with angry black eyes.

I smiled, but held the glass in front of my face so if she was watching same mirror too, she couldn’ t see nothing but cloudy liquid.

It is a mystery, here…

Downtown Kenosha, and I didn’t even know the girl well. Maybe spent a time or two in her living room, but I certainly didn’t want to know too much about her, or her bedroom, more comfortable staying on the surface, comfortable, because then I always have the freedom to push open the door for winter nights.

Back to the bar…old guy with long, grey beard, serving drinks, so institutionalized, his skin is made of hundred year old stone and he shuffles my way, eyeing my drink.

The shot glass is still full.

I wave him off with a smile.

In the mirror, she’s still glaring at me, but I pay less attention this time. I have no obligation to her. This is just the place I come after long hard day’s work to cash my checks before moving on to the next bar, but get the impression, the way the streets line her face that she thinks differently, as if she might be entitled to some attention…from me, but no. No reason. No way. No need. I’m free, and becoming more so each day that the calendar page gets flipped, torn and discarded into Lake Michigan.

I hear the Pixies on the jukebox.

I heard the Pixies on that same jukebox fifteen years ago, and it’s still a boring song; it’s not made any better with age.

All around my bar-stool, the chatter flits about, airy and light, and I walk inside, flicking the smoky air with my hands, waving them away until I’m approached by someone I hadn’t seen in twenty-one years.

He asks me my name.

I give it.

He tells me his, but I already know and I shrug silently as he speaks of a high school I don’t think about too often, about old classmates and throwing around insults I hadn’t heard in twenty-one years, like we just walked out that door yesterday except we hadn’t, and he’s been fucking that girl behind me for the better part of his life. The last time I saw him, actually, was when he and the bartender walked out her front door, slapping each other on the back and laughing, and in the mirror, I look quick but she ignores him, still focussing in on me. Mercifully, the guy leaves, almost as quick as he came and the whole bar is the better for it, til I notice he actually didn’t leave, he’s just in the back playing darts, and losing.

My mistake.

So, i take a quick look at the shot glass again, but I still don’t drink it. I think it might be poison, and not in the way that all alcohol is effectively poison, but actually, real poison and I set it down on the bar, but keep my hand around the glass, like icicles, cold, protecting it til it melts and I can’t take this any more.

I turn back around, “So why do you think I’m gonna die?”

She smiles triumphant, like she’s been waiting all this time for  that question and I just served it up, engraved on the inside of an engagement ring.

“Because you’re homeless.”

I shake my head no, but she insists, “You haven’t known a home since you were a kid, and this place, it really is as good as it’ll get for you.”

I think briefly of listing the places I’ve lived, but I can see in her resumed glare it wouldn’t make a difference, so I don’t.

“You know who Lao-Tse is, right?” I ask.

She shakes her head.

I nod, “Okay, he was a Chinese Philosopher and over his life, he was offered many kingdoms, many titles and many homes and whereas in his youth he might have accepted, as he got older, wiser…he learned through unlearning that he should accept none of these things. Want to know why?”

Her eyes roll, but she doesn’t turn away.

“Because the only thing he ever needed to master was himself, and the only home he ever needed was within…and I kind of like the way he looked at things.”

“You’re still drifting,” she smirks, “A nomad.”

I smiled, “Well of course, I already know what the inside of this place looks like. I just come here to cash my checks and look at filled shot glasses.”

“And me, you come here to look at me.”

“Sure, you can be nice to look at every once in a while.”

She grabs a can of Tecate off the scarred bar surface and smiles, “And that’s why you’re gonna die.”

I stop, for a moment…thinking.

The Pixies song continues to play on the Jukebox and when the Pixies song is over, I know that a song by the Steve Miller Band will come on. I know this because it always does, it always has and unless there is a major sea change of sorts, it always will.

Finally, I take one more look at the shot glass in my hand. In one quick movement I throw it back and cringe at the burn, burning all the way down my throat. I try to ignore that my eyes are watering.

“And that’s,” I say, quickly lighting a cigarette, “Is why I have to do this…”

I stand from the bar and turn towards the exit. Walking casually, I strive for the door, opening, and then I exit. I don’t look back. I don’t wanna see her anymore and as I skip down the steps, I quickly realize it’s time to find a new place to cash my checks, once and for all.

Complete B-Sides
1. “River Euphrates” – Let’s ride the tire down! – Great bass-line and great explosions from Black.
2. “Vamos (Live)” – Spanish – Clingy acoustic guitar; lots of regular guitar effects.
3. “In Heaven” – Screaming – Easy on the vocals, Black! Good God!
*4. “Manta Ray” – The Build-Up! – Rock me, Joey!
*5. “Weird At My School” – Cone of Light Intro! – The bass line is just like in “Bad Kids”! Yee kid.
*6. “Dancing the Manta Ray” – Day-ants the Man-ta Ray! – Funny and awesome how Black slows/lisps his vocals.
*7. “Wave of  Mutilation (UK Surf)” – Way-hey-hey-ave – Extremely chill version? I guess!
*8. “Into The White” – Kim sings!- Excellent bridge. The repetition may be excessive.
*9. “Bailey’s Walk” – It’s cra-hey-hey-zee!” – As some guy said…I see where Cobain got his vocals.
10. “Make Believe” – David Lovering sings! – DL does his best Morrissey, intentionally or not.
11. “I’ve Been Waiting For You” – Such a long time – A little forgettable, but it’s actually pretty good?!
12. “The Thing” – Narrative Great Salt Lake – I dig the  direction of this song.
13. “Velvety Instrumental Version” – Good rhythm; would have been interesting with vocals.
14. “Winterlong” – You seemed to be where I belong – Okay, but weak on the vocals.
15. “Santo” -  Hey ya boy, how ya doin? – Nice and heavy with quirky vocals.
16. “Theme From Narc” – Videogame theme – Just kind of there…
17. “Build High” – Megaphone chants – I like the continuous command; kind of country-rock
18. “Evil Hearted You” – Spanish – Espanol invasion!!!
19. “A Letter In Memphis” – The riffs are all there!

Come On Pilgrim
*3. Isla De Encanta – May-oit May-oit May-oit – Frenetic and crazy!
*6. Nimrod’s Son – You are the son of a mother fucker! – Decent flow.

Yes, yes, they’ve been playing a few other tracks like “Gigantic” and “Where Is My Mind?” but those are instantly memorable.

GREEN = GREAT, LIGHT GREEN = GOOD, YELLOW = AVERAGE

Esta ha sido una semana cargada de presentaciones divertidas en shows gringos, así que empecemos con la mejor de la semana. Los Pixies demuestran que aún pueden aplastar a cualquier bandita del momento y parten la liga tocando “Debaser” en el show de Jimmy Fallon.

Podrían amputarles los brazos e igual tocarían a la perfección. Puntos extra para Kim Deal que se nota 3 kilos menos gorda.

Lady GaGa y Weezer, después del salto.

Ahora le toca a Weezer, quienes en serio, no lo logran. El nuevo disco, sus canciones y sus videos están mediocres, blandengues y Rivers Cuomo está lejos de su mejor forma musical. De todas maneras, aquí pueden comprobarlo con una presentación bastante débil de “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To” en el show de Conan O´Brien.

Para terminar tenemos a la caraja mas over the top, teatrera, intensa y drogadicta de los últimos años, mi querida Lady GaGa. Debo decir que poco a poco le estoy agarrando cariño y me tripeo las quemadeces que hace cada vez que le prenden una cámara delante.

Véanla disfrazada del jorobado de Notre Dame gótico tocando “Bad Romance” en el show de Jay Leno. Me cagué de la risa con los bailarines gimp que tiene y la coreografía de tigres que hacen, la jeva canta bastante bien y suena duro en vivo.

En carnaval me voy a disfrazar de bailarín de Lady GaGa. Decidido.

I am going to see the Pixies in New York tonight, as part of their reunion tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of their Doolittle album. Why? Because Ellison is the best boy ever, and even though listening to the Pixies makes her eardrums bleed, she knows I love them. I’m taking my old friend Fletch, who I haven’t seen in a while, and then Ell and I are going to try to make it halfway across Pennsylvania. I have high hopes for family Thanksgiving, but I’m certain that I’m starting the weekend on the right foot!

Last night I was lucky enough to catch the Pixies first of four residing shows at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom. The shows are a part of the Doolitle Tour, a 20th year anniversary tour of the band’s 1989 breakthrough sophomore album Doolittle. The album is heralded by many music writers as the most influential album ever and a staple on all greatest albums lists.

Following Doolitte, Pixies went on to release Bossanova and Trompe le Monde before the inevitable 1993 split. The band reunited 11 years later in 2004 for a world tour which was documented in the fantastic 2006 film LoudQUIETLoud. After the reunion tour, Pixies bowed out without sharing any solid plans for the future.

Earlier this year the band resurfaced with the announcement of a string of festival gigs, followed by the Minotaur boxed set and then the Doolittle Tour in the UK. It wasn’t until late summer of 2009 that plans to tour the US were revealed, of which included four shows in New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom! Unsurprisingly, the shows sold out almost immediately.

Last night marked the first night of these shows, with special guest Black Gold stepping in for Bad Lieutenant who encountered visa problems. The show kicked off with an eerie 7-minute silent film before the band stepped onstage starting their set with 4 B-Sides before kicking into the Doolittle tracks! The setlist covered all songs from Doolittle and included 2 encores with fan favorites Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf), Gigantic and a rather interesting take on Where is My Mind.

Today I’ve successfully crossed Pixies off of my “bands I must see before I die list,” although hopefully I’ll be able to experience this visual and musical feast again soon! Be on the look out for more elusive hints for 2010 as Black Francis was quoted as telling NME that Pixies have planned to release a Hollywood-themed album in 2010. Remaining tour dates for Doolittle and festival dates can be seen on the band’s official website.

More pictures can be seen HERE.

MP3: Pixies – Dig for Fire or zShare
MP3: Pixies – Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf) or zShare

Continuing my interview with the second half of Cheyenne based The Smart Set. (Click here to see part One)
These are my questions as responded by the second half. Some answers may be similar as they both answered them individually.
If you would like to listen to The Smart Set please visit their Myspace page here. http://www.myspace.com/thesmartset

A few questions with Dillon Petrillo from The Smart Set

What are your names and what do you do?
My name is Dillon Petrillo – guitar/vocals
How did you guys meet?
We met in junior high and started hanging out in high school when we were both in an improv group at our high school. Near the latter of our high school time, we were both heavily involved in the local music scene. We’ve been close friends ever since.
How did you guys come about forming the band?
This summer both of us were forced to move back to cheyenne and live with our parents. We had been discussing starting a band for a long time, but Cade was living in Laramie and I was in Fort Collins. When we both moved back to Cheyenne, we thought “what the hell. let’s start something up so we both don’t go insane.” and so it became.

Style

What style of music do you play?
I would say that our style is post-punk, pop. We draw a lot of influence from older groups such as the Pixies and the Talking Heads, as well as newer indie acts.
What do you do that makes you …well you?
I think what makes us “us” is a combination of our individual inspirations as well as our joint inspirations. Cade brings a dancy, modern indie, aesthetic to the songs which I think compliments my grungy, formulaic, pop style.

Name origin

Where did the name The Smart Set come from?
The name the smart set came from an episode of This American Life, where a girl was talking about a club she had as child with her stuffed animal collection. The name of the club was “The Smart Set”
Why are guys only a two-piece band?
We are only a two person band because … I think that’s all you need. I don’t know. I really like both ends of the spectrum. I like stripped down, minimalist groups and solo acts, and large orchestral groups. I think it was after we saw Liam Finn perform at Monolith that we decided that we could do it and still sound good.

Working away

I noticed you guys have played Laramie County Community College a bit this semester, how did that come about?
We were invited to play the battle of the bands and I guess the people involved with the student activities committee liked us and asked us to come back.
Do you have any releases that are are available?
We have a five song E.P. called “Tito Loves E.P.” that is available. However, you can currently only get it from us personally.

Playing Soon

Do you have any upcoming shows?
On the 10th of December, we are playing a set with our good friends The Photo Atlas at Surfside 7 in Denver. We don’t have anything lined up before or after that, but hopefully we can get something soon.
What is in The Smart Set’s future?
Come January, we will be relocating to San Francisco, where we hope to expand the Smart Set word and hopefully go on a tour in the spring or summer.

I am an avid collector of what I call “musical shoes” and proudly spend my days walking around in my Metallica Chuck Taylors.

I’ve got some Bad Brains Vans, some Pink Floyds, and now, it looks like I’ll have some Death To The Pixies kicks to add to my ever growing collection thanks again to Vans.

Check out where you can get your pair here.

When a band says that they’re going to do a tour for an album and play the whole thing, it’s something that can go either way. When the Pixies decided to do this for Doolittle, I was skeptical. Jimmy Eat World did an alright job with Clarity while Alkaline Trio played entirely too long after finishing up with Goddamnit. However, the Pixies did it right. Oh so very right.

The Pixies didn’t walk right out on stage and throw Debaser at us, they started off with an abridged version of the French film Un Chien Andalou–which Frank Black credits as being very influential to him–played on an LED backdrop netting-like screen that was also used all set long to play various videos behind them. They walked out at the end of the video and started with a couple of b-sides before getting into Doolittle, which was accompanied by a couple jokes from Kim between songs. When they were done with Doolittle, they followed up with two encores. The first was a couple more b-sides including a second version of “Wave Of Mutilation” (making for a double dose), but the second treated us to a few non-Doolittle tracks including “Where Is My Mind?” and “Gigantic.” It was everything I could have asked for.

Even though the band took an obnoxiously long time to come out for the second encore, they kept the set to a very reasonable length. The point of the tour was Doolittle and they kept it that way. That is something I can respect. They also chose to give us a much heavier dose of Joey’s guitar to strip some of the polish away from the songs. The end result was loud, raw, and awesome.

The setlist and a few pictures that I snapped from my phone are below and you can also check out reviews from BrooklynVegan and Deaf Left Ear.

Main set
Dancing The Manta Ray
Weird At My School
Bailey’s Walk
Manta Ray
Debaser
Tame
Wave of Mutilation
I Bleed
Here Comes Your Man
Dead
Monkey Gone to Heaven
Mr. Grieves
Crackity Jones
La La Love You
No. 13 Baby
There Goes My Gun
Hey
Silver
Gouge Away

Encore 1
Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf)
Into the White

Encore 2
Isla De Encanta
some of Vamos
Nimrod’s Son
Where is My Mind?
Gigantic