Sep 19

Sep 19 Review: Pixies + Spoon at Asheville Yards

September 10 was an unusually tense day in the U.S. — the kind of day when any chance to escape the social media doomscroll feels like a gift. Luckily, two legendary indie rock bands were in town that evening, sharing a bill at Asheville Yards. As far as distractions go, it was ideal for an elder millennial like myself.

The night began under a glowing downtown sunset with Fazerdaze, the project of New Zealander Amelia Rahayu Murray. Playfully assuring the crowd that “Kiwi” was an acceptable term for those from her homeland, she performed as a duo alongside keyboardist/guitarist Dave Rowlands. Together, they delivered a dreamy, understated set that let her soothing brand of pop wash over the audience as fans steadily poured into the spacious outdoor venue in anticipation of the night’s headliners.

Few bands have maintained the level of consistency that Spoon has. Since releasing their debut in 1996, the Austin-based group led by Britt Daniel has built one of indie rock’s most reliable catalogs, hitting its stride in the early 2000s with Girls Can Tell and Kill the Moonlight. And the band’s 2022 release, Lucifer on the Sofa, proved that Daniel and his mates still have it.

That enduring quality carried through to their well-paced, career-spanning set, which kicked off with Kill the Moonlight’s “Small Stakes.” With Gimme Fiction marking its 20th anniversary this year, the band treated fans to favorites like “I Turn My Camera On,” “I Summon You,” “My Mathematical Mind,” and “The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine.” Based on the band’s impeccable sonic quality on record, it’s easy to think of Spoon as a studio band, but in the live setting the quintet is equally capable of crafting a really nuanced atmospheric element around Daniel’s catchy power pop songs.

However, long before Spoon carved their place, Pixies were shaping the very foundation of alternative rock. The Boston quartet’s initial seven-year run (1986-93) produced a body of work so impactful that their influence was championed by everyone from Nirvana to Radiohead. By the late ’90s, calls for a reunion felt like a lost cause — until it actually happened in 2004, with the band filling larger venues than ever. Though bassist Kim Deal departed in 2013, Pixies have continued to tour and release new albums. Some fans remain loyal only to their original era and much-beloved Deal, but anyone who has seen Frank Black and company in recent years knows their live show still burns with the brilliance of those early records.

The Asheville set opened with “In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)” from David Lynch’s Eraserhead — a cover they’ve been performing since 1986. It also served as a proper introduction to new bassist Emma Richardson, the third successor to Deal. Taking lead vocals, she proved herself a worthy addition before handing the spotlight over to Black.

From there, the band unleashed a torrent of classics that underscored just how stacked those first five albums are. Joey Santiago delivered a searing solo on “Vamos,” wringing noise and feedback from his guitar in a moment that reminded everyone of the band’s early chaotic edge, before pivoting to the infectious pop of “Here Comes Your Man.” Staples like “Wave of Mutilation” and “Debaser” sounded as excellent as usual, but it was especially nice to hear Bossanova deep cut “The Happening,” which has long been absent from sets.

When the band launched into the familiar acoustic strums and buzzing electric guitar of “Where Is My Mind?” it appeared to be the conclusion of the set. Unexpectedly though, the quartet unexpectedly saved the rarity “Into The White” to cap off the cathartic evening.

(Photos by Jonny Leather)