Rock Me, Joe

"Vamos a jugar por la playa..." - the Pixies

I can no longer speak, so it's time to write. For the last week, I have been on a pilgrimage. A Pixies pilgrimage, to be exact. 5 shows in 5 days. I used to do it back in the day, and ten years later I had to test myself to see if I could still do it... And yes, I was still leaping in the air (partially buoyed by someone else's shoulder, of course) as the refrains of "Gigantic" closed out the last show Sunday afternoon.

I'm not one of those people who notes every setlist of every show, although, considering I've seen approximately 35 Pixies shows in my lifetime, those setlists would be very interesting to compare. I generally don't even remember what they do from show to show. I like to think that I just get so into it that I'm sort of in a Pixies induced fog.

I went to the two shows here in Los Angeles, the drove up to Berkeley to catch the three shows there. The two shows in Los Angeles were great, the crowd SUCKED. This is often the case with shows in LA, as a lot of the people who go seem to be there so they can say they were there as opposed to wanting to rock out. There was a row of men standing next to me the first night, arms crossed, cupping their chins. Pondering, no doubt, what "looking like an erotic vulture" entailed. On the other side of us were two teenagers thrashing about like there was no tomorrow. Go girls! The LA show was also an assigned seats affair, with a small area right in front of the stage for a select group to stand around. And stand around they did. To the Pixies, fer chrissakes!

The Berkeley shows were completely different animals. Smaller venue, general admission, and a big floor area for people to mosh around in. The crowd sang along loudly to every song, and just about everybody I looked at had a huge grin on his/ her face. Lots of jumping around. I only got clocked badly upside the head once. Some bruises, not many.

I can, this time, tell you pretty much what they played... since it's still fresh (somewhat) in my mind. Sometimes they would start slow, sometimes they'd start rowdy as hell. Over the course of 5 days, I heard "Debaser," "Gouge Away," "Caribou," "Cactus," "Broken Face," "Bone Machine," "U-Mass," "Subbacultcha," "Nimrod's Son" (slow and fast), "Wave of Mutilation" (regular and surf - and they played both each show), "Planet of Sound," "Is She Weird," "Winterlong," "Mr. Grieves," "Into the White," "Tame," "Dead," "Isla de Encanta," "Crackity Jones," "Hey," "No. 13 Baby," "Here Comes Your Man," "Holiday Song," "Bam Thwok,""Velouria," "Monkey Gone to Heaven," "Ed Is Dead," "Something Against You," "Blown Away," "In Heaven," and of course, "Where Is My Mind" and "Gigantic." This was basically the setlist in some order or another - give or take a song or two.

I went with my best friend in Los Angeles. He & I used to see the Pixies all the time - we were together at the riot caused by a shoe hitting Perry Farrel in the head (the Pixies had opened for Jane's Addiction) at the Palladium which resulted in my broken foot. I went to the shows in Berkeley with my little brother. His first concert (which I took him to) was when he was 14 years old... we saw the Pixies in 1989, touring for Doolittle, with Bob Mould opening.

They sounded incredible. Like not a day or year or decade or hard feelings had passed. All I can say is... thank you.

And hope I get my voice back soon.