Pixies Excite a Sold-Out Crowd at The Theatre at Ace Hotel

Joseph Baura

After a short hiatus and hiccups through the departure of band members, the Pixies have gained their footing once again with the release of two albums in a two-year span. After a 23-year drought, “Indie Cindy” was released for die-hards and new fans alike to feast their ears upon and get a glimpse into what the band had been indulging in for nearly two and a half decades. While the release was met with mixed reviews, their follow-up album “Head Carrier” returned to a sound that felt as if it had come straight out of the band’s early catalogue. While the music has kept a consistent sound through the decades, one of the biggest changes with the band was the departure of longtime bassist, Kim Deal. The band found their footing once again however through connecting with Paz Lenchantin, who began as their touring bassist and then became their mainstay bassist for the latest album. Currently in full swing for their tour in support of “Head Carrier,” the Pixies took to The Theatre at Ace Hotel for the first of two sold-out shows at the Downtown L.A. theater.

Setting up the sold-out crowd for a night filled with the band’s major hits and fan favorites, Black Francis and the band stepped onto the legendary Ace Hotel stage without saying a word. The band opened up the show with a song from their breakout album, “Doolittle,” with the song “Gouge Away.” Early in the show, the band indulged in performing one of the two cover songs during the night by giving their rendition of The Jesus and Mary Chain’s “Head On.”

As the Pixies performed through their set, you would expect that Black Francis or any other member of the band would have some kind words to say to the crowd; however, when you have a busy set list scheduled, the music was going to show their appreciation for their fans on its own. By the end of the night, the band performed a total of 31 songs in their nearly two-hour performance, spanning their entire discography.

Throughout the night, the Pixies touched on favorites like “Here Comes Your Man,” and “Monkey Gone to Heaven,” while also performing some of their most recent tracks like “Might as Well Be Gone,” and “Um Chagga Lagga.” Embedded within their performance was another cover – this time from the legendary Neil Young, with his song “Winterlong.”

After closing the night with “Hey,” the band exited the stage, only to be encouraged by the fans to perform an encore. Of course, Black Francis and the Pixies obliged and came out to perform one of their lesser-known die-hard fan favorites in “Into the White.”

Back into the swing of things, the Pixies are clearly all business with their latest tour. Their boastful yet easily welcomed exploration into their discography brought day one and newly eager fans an experience that was unlike any other and surely warrants the need for back-to-back shows.

The Pixies stunned a sold-out crowd at The Theatre at Ace Hotel on April 25.