LUCIUS, THE STATE ROOM, Friday, Feb. 14, 9 p.m., Sold out
If you’re a fan of classic pop and female vocalists harmonizing in clever ways, find yourself a way to get some tickets to this sold-out Lucius show Friday night. I’m late to the party on this band, and am SO happy to finally be clued in. Co-founders and vocalists Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig sing in unison, creating a remarkable–hell, unforgettable–sound in the process. Backed by multi-instrumentalists Andrew Burri, Peter Lalish and Dan Molad, Lucius collectively makes evocative music that both transports the listener to a golden era of pop, and showcases a modern twist on the form at that same time, via percussion-heavy nuggets just perfect for Valentine’s Day lovers out there. The band’s debut album, Wildewoman, arrived in October, and is well worth checking out for inspiration, as is the band’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert and KEXP performance. You Won’t opens the show.
THE PIXIES/BEST COAST, THE SALTAIR, Saturday, Feb. 15, 7:30 p.m., $33 advance/$38 day of show
(left to right) Frank Black, David Lovering, Joey Santiago of The Pixies
Here’s something to make you feel like you’re getting on in years—the Pixies have been together longer as a “reunion” than they were originally around as a band back in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s.
When the Boston quartet first got back together in 2004 after an 11-year breakup, they found themselves playing to rabid audiences hankering to hear the spacey, spazzy, utterly singular sound created by the collective talents of singer/guitarist Black Francis, guitarist Joey Santiago, drummer David Lovering and bassist Kim Deal.
That first reunion tour, including a mesmerizing show at Kingsbury Hall, was lucrative enough to inspire a number of old “alternative” bands to get back together for their own reunions. And it was musically satisfying enough for the member s of the Pixies to keep them trucking along through giant festival tours in the summer, theater jaunts in the winters, tours where they played entire albums like 1989 classic Doolittle, and any residual personality issues lurking from the old days.
That changed when the band decided they wanted to start making new music again and headed to England in the fall of 2012 to record with producer Gil Norton, the man they worked with on The Pixies’ Doolittle, Bossanova and Trompe Le Monde albums. Shortly after arriving, Deal told the other Pixies she was quitting and going home, leaving the remaining trio in the lurch.
To the chagrin of some long-time fans, the remaining Pixies decided to continue without Deal’s participation. And while it was hard to imagine The Pixies without her breath-y harmonies and grinning stage presence, the results of those recording sessions with Norton that have been released so far as EP1 and EP2—each including four songs—showcase a band with plenty of life remaining.
“We’ll always have that sonic signature,” said Santiago in an interview, describing the results of the band’s first batch of new songs—save a one-off release, “Bam Thwok” a few years back—in more than 20 years. “Nothing really changes.”
As much as Deal might be missed, listening to Black Francis’ howl, Santiago’s slithering guitar parts and Lovering’s intricate percussion helps one remember that the Pixies sound remains as distinct as ever. Despite inspiring countless bands with their so-called “loud-soft-loud” dynamic, no one else sounds like the Pixies. That’s as true on new songs like “Andro Queen,” “Blue Eyed Hexe” and “Magdalena” as it was on old ones like “Wave of Mutilation,” “Where Is My Mind?” and “UMass.”
One significant difference between Pixies Mach 2014 and the old days is that the band is putting out its new music on its own, rather than through a label. And releasing the music in small-batch EPs is a realization by the band that people just don’t consume music the same way they used to, even though, as Santiago notes, “the EP concept is an old concept. People used to just release singles.”
“It’s great because we can drop [the new music] out of the sky and not tell people when it’s going to get released,” Santiago said of the first two EPs, launched just a few months apart. There are still enough songs for at least one more EP to come from those 2012 sessions.
Still, Santiago admits that, as a fan, he prefers album-length releases—and having them come on actual vinyl.
“I’m a vinyl enthusiast,” Santiago said. “I’m pretty snobby. I want everything to be designed for a totally analog system. In that respect, I’m into the album as a piece of art. I like to hold it. I like the physical aspect of it.”
That’s part of the reason the vinyl versions of the new EPs, complete with killer cover art, are the best way to experience the new sounds. But The Pixies are covering their bases—you can find them for cheap digitally, and they’ve even made some videos for new songs.
Along with a massive North American tour to support the new music, this year The Pixies are touring in places they’ve never gone, including a number of spots in South America where, Santiago said, the fans online seem particularly “ravenous.”
Filling the bass spot for the tour is Paz Lenchatin, a remarkable multi-instrumentalist who has played bass in some stellar alt-rock bands with strong frontmen—A Perfect Circle with Maynard James Keenan and Zwan with Billy Corgan. She joins after Deal’s initial tour replacement for 2013, Kim Shattuck, was suddenly dismissed from band last fall. Santiago said Lenchatin slipped easily into the role when the band started rehearsals for this winter’s tour.
“The first practice we ever had with her, she knew every song,” Santiago said. “She learned 55 Pixies songs before we ever played with her.”
Those songs should come in handy as reviews of The Pixies shows so far this winter indicate gigs with up to 30 songs, including plenty of the new ones alongside the older favorites.
With Best Coast opening, and more than two hours on tap of some of the best modern rock ever created by Santiago and Co., expect a memorable Saturday night at The Saltair.
(left to right) Ryon Sharette, Marshall Bell, Morgan Lund
When a play’s title includes the names of two towering figures of American history, you might imagine the two would be on equal footing. When it comes to Salt Lake Acting Company’s world premiere of Grant & Twain, though, one of them clearly dominates the production, and it’s probably not the one you’d expect.
Penned by Elizabeth Diggs and a recipient of the Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award, Grant & Twain delves into the unlikely friendship between former president and Civil War hero Ulysses S. Grant and brash author Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain). And while the plot revolves around Grant’s efforts to pen his memoirs before dying, and is full of flashbacks to the war, Morgan Lund’s portrayal of Clemens rules this show.
That’s for good reason, as Lund is better in Grant & Twain than I’ve ever seen him in myriad productions in Salt Lake City through the years. His bluster, his accent, and his physical appearance combine into a vivid portrayal that makes Grant & Twain worth seeing all on its own. And truth be told, Marshall Bell’s Grant is downright meek in comparison. Part of that is intentional–Grant was notoriously averse to publicity or self-aggrandizement, while Clemens loved both. But the difference in the energy of scenes when Lund is on stage, versus when he isn’t, is so striking as to be a detriment at times.
Other strong performances do buoy the proceedings. David Spencer is winning as Adam Badeau, Grant’s personal secretary and an author jealous of Clemens’ skills and relationship with Grant. Brien K. Jones’ portrayal of Grant’s butler and confidante Harrison Terrell helps lend texture to Grant through their caring relationship. Ryon Sharette plays a young Union soldier in the flashback scenes, and showcases a nice evolution of his character in limited time on stage. And while Kathryn Atwood is fine as Grant’s doting wife Julia, her character often seemed superfluous to the story–unfortunate since she’s the only female character.
The first act moves along nicely, riding waves of Clemens’ outbursts about Wall Street charlatans ruining the country and the boring prose of Badeau. Act II lags a bit, going heavy on the battle flashbacks as Grant races his cancer to finish his memoirs. A little more Clemens as Grant & Twain moves towards it conclusion would have helped.
Still, Digg’s script is full of enough wit, and Lund’s performance is so winning, that it’s relatively easy to get past any of Grant & Twain‘s weaknesses. And any fans of American history will find a lot to enjoy in the relationship between the two 19th century icons.
Grant & Twain runs at Salt Lake Acting Company through March 2. Visit SLAC’s website for showtimes and tickets.
KELLER WILLIAMS, PARK CITY LIVE, Friday, Feb. 7, 9 p.m., $20
The first time I saw Keller Williams, he put on one of his patented one-man extravaganzas full of live loops and fast fingers on a variety of instruments. That was a long time ago, and Williams’ musical prowess has since led him into a wide array of projects, from bluegrass with some of Del McCoury’s crew, to jam-band excursions with The String Cheese Incident to piano covers of Dead songs. His latest muse is recording and touring with a six-piece funk band called More Than a Little. In late fall, Williams and the band put out the succinctly titled Funk, a set of a few new originals and some well-chosen covers all recorded live, and they’re on the road throughout the West this winter, including one night in Park City.
REGGIE AND THE FULL EFFECT, KILBY COURT, Thursday, Feb. 6, 7 p.m., $16
Sixteen years–that’s how long it’s been since James Dewees put out his first album under the Reggie and the Full Effect name. Yup, that’ll make you feel old. And those intervening years have been full of band fits and starts and lineup changes, as well as Dewees ongoing membership in off-and-on roots-rockers Get Up Kids, so we don’t get nearly as many Reggie and the Full Effect shows in Utah as we used once did, particularly since Dewees put the Full Effect on ice about five years ago. So, consider Deewees’ return to his often-hilarious Full Effect persona (actually, multiple personas) a treat worth checking out. He put out a new album in the fall, No Country for Old Musicians, and he’s on the road for a full-blown Reggie and the Full Effect tour this winter for the first time since 2008. Kilby Court should be rocking for this one. Dads and Pentimento open the show.
NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS, THE STATE ROOM, Tuesday, Feb. 4 & Wednesday, Feb. 5, 8 p.m., $35
The North Mississippi Allstars are what you would call a “can’t-miss” band from the get-go. Well before officially creating the band in 1996, brothers Luther and Cody Dickenson had a lifetime of incredible music education courtesy of their pop, Jim, a Memphis musician, producer and industry legend. The blues-infused rock sound of the Allstars is no shock, given the brothers’ Southern roots, but their instrumental acuity is something not easily passed generation to generation–they earned that all themselves. Their most recent album, World Boogie, arrived in the fall, and now they’re hitting SLC for a two-night stand sure to be among the hottest shows this winter. Lightnin’ Malcom opens.
Daniel Nailen 