Pixies Wow the Palace Theatre

Singer-songwriter, Mitski, opened the night juxtaposing her airy vocals with rough guitar riffs. Performing a handful of songs from her 2016 release, Puberty 2, Mitski warmed up the crowd with her beautifully eerie sound. She’ll be rolling back through St. Paul with Lorde next year- find tickets for her show at the Xcel Energy Center here.

The Pixies tapped in to their extensive discography with a thirty-three song setlist on Tuesday and twenty-one song setlist on Wednesday. Classic hits like “Wave of Mutilation,” “Debaser,” and “Where Is My Mind?” as well as “Um Chagga Lagga,” off of their latest LP, Head Carrier, made an appearance in both sets, but they played a total of forty-four unique songs over the course of two shows. They never go in to any show having a setlist; they’re impressively able to perform nearly ninety songs at given time and essentially read the room and decide to play whatever song they deem fit.

Black Francis (lead vocals), David Lovering (drums), Joey Santiago (guitar), and Paz Lenchantin (bass) wowed the mature crowd from the get-go. Lenchantin joined the band in 2014 replacing original member, Kim Deal. Despite having big shoes to fill, her bright voice paired seamlessly with their existing sound. The grungy veterans opened their set with late 80’s tracks “Hey,” “Isla De Encanta,” “Cactus,” “Caribou,” and “Gouge Away.” Their live show is heavy and a little messy, but in the best way possible. Playful backlights shined on the crowd casting shadows and setting the radiant vibe for the night.

The Boston-natives covered the Jesus And Mary Chain single, “Head On,” mid-set both nights. The 1989 single had similar rugged undertones which were highlighted by Francis’ vocals.

The Pixies closed out their shorter set with the peculiarly dismal tune, “Wave of Mutilation.” Lovering’s beats drove the song home and left the audience feeling like they were back in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.

The Pixies will continue touring through mid-December across the midwest and west coast. Find tickets for their remaining tour dates here and check out their latest release, Head Carrier, here.