Tag: Retro

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Live music galleries

Live music galleries: Pixies [2025]

Pixies live at Ottawa Bluesfest July 12 2025

Artist: Pixies
When: July 12th, 2025
Where: Lebreton Flats Park, Ottawa Bluesfest, Ottawa
Context: I’ve now seen Pixies live three times, each time the circumstances and setlists were quite different and each time they had a different bassist in their ranks. The first time was with the original lineup after reforming, Kim Deal was still on good terms with the group and happy to be playing bass with them again, and the band was touring in support of the anniversary of their classic album “Doolittle”. The second time was only a handful of years later when they were headlining the final night of the sadly now defunct Toronto Urban Roots Festival, this time featuring Paz Lenchantin on bass, and though I don’t remember* all the songs they played, am pretty sure it was a mix of some of their classics with some of their newer tunes. The most recent experience was just a few days ago at Ottawa Bluesfest where they were introduced as the ‘legendary punk band’, Emma Richardson had replaced Lenchantin on bass, and it seemed the quartet were determined to play as many of the songs from the period pre-breakup as they could fit in their hour and fifteen minute time slot. Given the majority of those tunes were less than three minutes in length and that they wasted no time bantering between songs, launching directly into the next tune even before the feedback from the previous had faded, they managed to squeeze practically** everything a long time fan would have wanted to hear. As you might tell from the photos, I managed to get myself pretty close to the front of the stage and was surprised at how many of the young folks that had joined me at the front were actually singing/screaming along to most of the tunes, just as loudly as I was. Amazing performance? Oh yes. Did I enjoy it? Silly question.
Point of reference song: “Wave of mutilation”

Emma Richardson on the bass
Joey Santiago guitars so good
Frank Black aka Black Francis, the frontman
David Lovering, drummer and magician
David and Emma
Joey and Frank
David driving the beat
Joey showing how its done
Emma taking the mic
Frank screams so good
Taking a final bow

*I might have had a few too many Boneshakers.

**Including “Wave of mutilation”, “Here comes your man”, “Debaser”, “Where is my mind”, and their cover of the JAMC’s “Head on”. Missing, of course, was “Gigantic”, co-written and perfectly voiced by their original bassist.

Categories
Live music galleries

Live music galleries: The Tea Party [2024]

(It’s the eve of the first day of this year’s edition of Ottawa Bluesfest! Can you tell I’m excited? I bought a full pass when they went on sale back at the end of February and I had no idea if I’d be well enough to attend any of it. I’ve been looking forward to it ever since. I still don’t know how many of the shows I’ll get to but I’m looking at it all as a bonus. To celebrate, I’m taking a pause in our regular scheduled programming. Today, I’m sharing some pics from one of last year’s great sets and hopefully, I’ll have a few more words and pictures to share on the festival over the next 11 days.)

The Tea Party live at Bluesfest July 13 2024

Artist: The Tea Party
When: July 13th, 2024
Where: Lebreton Flats Park, Ottawa Bluesfest, Ottawa
Context: This set of pictures is more than just a record of a rock performance. It also shows and reminds me of one of the many reasons I love Ottawa Bluesfest so much. It has not only given me the opportunity to discover so many excellent acts over the years but it has also allowed me to witness the performance of acts that I would not have otherwise seen. The Tea Party is an example of the latter. The trio originally from Windsor, Ontario were a huge name in Canadian alternative rock throughout the 90s. I knew them by name and because I’d heard them played ad nauseam on the radio, benefactors of our country’s Canadian Content laws. I had nearly forgotten about them but gave them another look in advance of last year’s edition of the festival when I saw their name on the bill and I was pleasantly surprised at how many of their songs I knew and (more importantly) liked and how well they held up. These songs motivated me enough to head down to the festival grounds specifically to see them* and The Tea Party did not disappoint. In their energetic one hour set, they tore through pretty much all their hits (including “The bazaar”, “Temptation”, “Sister awake”, and the song below), impressed with their prowess on multiple instruments, and Jeff Martin did the same with his frontman showmanship.
Point of reference song: “Heaven coming down”

Jeff Martin surverying the crowd
Jeff Burrows at the kit
Stuart Chatwood on the bass
Jeff Burrows in the zone
Jeff Martin pulling out the big guns
Stuart Chatwood on the keys
The trio just jamming away

*And leave before the headlining set by Motley Crue.

Categories
Vinyl

Vinyl love: Pixies “Come on pilgrim… it’s surfer rosa”

(Vinyl Love is a series of posts that quite simply lists, describes, and displays the pieces in my growing vinyl collection. You can bet that each record was given a spin during the drafting of each corresponding post.)

Artist: Pixies
Album Title: Come on pilgrim… it’s surfer rosa
Year released: 2018
Details: 3 x LP, 180 gram, gold, 30th anniversary of “Come on pilgrim” and “Surfer rosa”

The skinny: We’re just a handful of days removed from the start of Ottawa Bluesfest, the local 9-day music extravaganza that I try to attend in some capacity every year and have been doing so in most cases for just over fifteen years. With my health issues this year, I’m certain I won’t be attending every night but I did purchase a full pass and there are a few bands performing that I am definitely going to try to see. Pixies is one of these acts and I’ve been spinning a bunch of their tunes in preparation. I purchased this special edition 3 LP box set collecting together “Come on pilgrim” and “Surfer Rosa”, two of the band’s first ever releases, a few years after it was released, when I found it while browsing Toronto’s Rotate This on a Boxing Day. Released in 2018 in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the former’s release, the three discs were pressed on gold vinyl. Included with the mini album and LP was the group’s first ever recording, a live performance from 1986. It was a great find all around and with the Boxing Day discount, a worthwhile purchase.

Standout track: “Gigantic”