This story is featured in CityBeat’s May 29 print edition.
Pixies, Modest Mouse and Cat Power teamed up for a successful package tour last summer, drawing old-head indie-rock fans eager to bask in sounds that have unexpectedly reverberated far beyond anyone anticipated at their creation. So why not do it again? The trio is heading out for an encore tour this June, hitting amphitheaters and pavilions across the U.S.
Pixies formed in 1986, back when Ronald Reagan was still in the White House and an anomalous event called “Hands Across America” had millions of people form a human chain from New York City to California. Nearly four decades later, the quartet is still at it, even if an integral member (Dayton’s own Kim Deal) is no longer in the mix. Frontman Black Francis’ cracked vision of the world remains the Pixies calling card, his screeching vocals pairing nicely with surreal lyrics about everything from mutilation to superheroes. The quartet (which still includes Francis’ longtime bandmates, drummer David Lovering and guitarist Joey Santiago, plus new bassist Paz Lenchantin) has released four full-length albums over the last decade, yet their legacy still lies within the early, Deal-informed efforts, starting with 1988’s iconic Surfer Rosa (recorded by the late, great Steve Albini).
Modest Mouse sprouted up out of the Northwest a half-decade later, informed not only by the Pixies’ lacerating racket but also by the grimier aspects of their particular environs (see “Trailer Trash” from 1997’s enduring creative apex The Lonesome Crowded West). Frontman and principal songwriter Isaac Brock is the only constant over the last 30 years and seven albums, his snotty, high-pitched vocals complemented by searching guitar lines that double as a call for help. “Float On,” from 2004’s Good News for People Who Love Bad News, broke through to mainstream rock radio, an unexpected turnabout that threw Brock for a loop.
Chan Marshall (AKA Cat Power) rose up alongside Modest Mouse on the opposite coast, making her mark in a thriving New York City scene through a voice at once haunting and rough-hewn. Blues and folk infected Marshall as much as the artier outfits that surrounded her at the time. Inspired by a nightmare, her creative breakthrough, 1998’s enduringly transfixing Moon Pix, suggests Billie Holiday backed by the moodier aspects of early Sonic Youth. It also cemented Marshall’s devotion to music despite her doubts about Cat Power’s long-term artistic viability. Despite hardships both mental and physical, Marshall has powered through, delivering 12 full-length albums (the most recent of which is a fascinating live effort, Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert) of heartache and wonder.
If last year’s tri-act tour is any indication, expect songs from across each artist’s vast discographies, which is sure to elicit a wave of nostalgic appreciation from an audience eager to tap into an era less tumultuous than the current one.
Pixies, Modest Mouse and Cat Power play the Andrew J Brady Music Center at 6:30 p.m. on June 5. More info: bradymusiccenter.com.
This article appears in May 29 – Jun 11, 2024.