Pixies and Modest Mouse @ Artpark, Lewiston, NY 8-28-23

As summer starts to wind down, there is still some great music to be had as Labor Day is lurking right around the corner. A double dose of alternative music highlighted last Monday nights Artpark’s schedule. The bands who were featured were the Pixies and Modest Mouse. They both played before a sold-out crowd.

First up was Modest Mouse. Even though the band played at Artpark the year prior, I believe they drew a good portion of the audience for their performance. The band showed plenty of musical diversity within its set. For the tune “The Ground Walks, With a Time Box,” both bassist Russell Higbee and guitarist Simon O’Connor switched instruments. Throughout the performance, Tom Peloso played a multitude of instruments. Higbee also played a Tuba and Isaac Brock and vocalist/guitarist played banjo. I haven’t seen this much diversity in a staging in a very long time. The band said very little and let the music do the talking through the 1 hour and 10-minute presentation. It was well received and a got a lot of people moving and dancing throughout their performance.

Headlining were the legendary outfit in the Pixies. I believe this is their first appearance in WNY in decades. I didn’t know much about the band except they were all over 120 minutes. That was the alternative show that MTV played once a week on Sunday nights back in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. The band consists of Black Francis on guitars and vocals, Joey Santiago on lead guitar, David Lovering on drums and Paz Lechantin on bass. The band is still on tour of their 8^th studio record titled ‘Doggerel,’ that was released last year. Four tunes were played off the new record including the title track. The band played songs from all their catalog including their first record ‘Surfer Rosa’ that was released back in 1988. So, for die had fans of the band, and there were plenty of them in attendance, they went away happy with the assortment of songs the band ended up doing. Like their predecessor Modest Mouse, they also stuck to the music and said very little in between songs. The lights to me set the mood as the band were mostly in dark blue, reds or yellow as very clear light were shined on them at all throughout their set. This accentuated their dark and mysterious look.

I thought each artist delivered the goods. I bet to most of the audience in attendance they would say it was their show of the year. Who am I to argue their point?

Setlist:

Gouge Away

Bone Machine

Wave of Mountain

Planet of Sound

There’s a Moon On

You’re Such a Sadducee

Who’s More Sorry Now?

Haunted House

Death Horizon

Here Comes Your Man

Break my Body