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Gonzo Report: Frank Black goes solo again at The Magnolia
Teenager of the Year, 30 years later
Frank Black: no Pixies, no screaming, little banter, but still bringing the rock.
Video:
GONZO REPORT: Frank Black goes solo again at The Magnolia
On a chilly Sunday night in January, I took my maiden voyage to The Magnolia to catch Frank Black play a solo gig with a full band. Black was a staple on the ‘90s touring circuit after his main act The Pixies called it a day in 1993. But solo shows have since become a rarity for him. The culprit here is The Pixies’ transformation into a touring juggernaut following their reunion in 2004. There aren’t nearly as many fans who have been clamoring for Black solo gigs, so when it was announced that he would be touring in support of the 30th anniversary of his Teenager of the Year album, those of us who had been eagerly awaiting some non-Pixiellated Frank Black goodness were delighted.
The Magnolia’s entryway has the same modern vibe as Del Mar’s new-ish The Sound. The swank lobbies in both facilities feature fashionable bars that help class up the joint. But the main concert halls differ pretty profoundly. The Sound’s massive, standing-room-only main floor would likely have been a better option for this concert than The Magnolia’s entirely seated facility. That being said, kudos to The Magnolia for installing some of the comfiest seats I have ever sat in at a show. But at the same time, I have to curse these wonderful seats for comforting the attendees far too much, which (arguably) resulted in shamefully low levels of standing, dancing and singing along. Those pristine seats were just TOO DAMN COZY!
Our too damn cozy seats were in the middle of row Q, which placed us in about the center of the room. (Note: this also meant squeezing past about 25 people in either direction for bathroom breaks. Seats closer to an aisle are a great call here for those with flimsy bladders). The first thing that really stood out to me was how unusually massive the stage looked. Functionally, this stage likely works great for large ensemble musical performances and theater productions with expansive sets, but it made Black’s five-piece band feel a bit shrunken amidst all the barren stage territory. The core of his backing band (Nick Vincent-drums/Lyle Workman-guitar/Eric Drew Feldman-bass) had all played with him on not only his Teenager of the Year album but also his solo debut. A big difference between this band and The Pixies is that both Vincent and Feldman are about ten years older than Black, so there were two players pushing 70 backing him on this night.
Thankfully, both still brought the rock for the performance of an eccentric album that has its fair share of wild, freakout moments. Vincent was especially fun to watch; his flowing locks and balding scalp made him a dead ringer for Larry from the Three Stooges — if Larry was killing it on the drums. The songs, for the most part, were all pulled off with dignity, and only slightly less energy than the recordings. Noticeably absent were many of Black’s trademark screams, the sort that could rip the paint off walls.
The stage banter was kept to a minimum, but Black did sneak in a great bit near the end of the show: he alluded to the room feeling like a good space for a TED talk. That elicited a fair share of chuckles. Besides the Teenager album, the band played a handful of other songs (primarily from Black’s solo debut) to bookend the show. The highlight here was “Los Angeles,” a minor hit for Black and one of the many showcases for Lyle Workman’s incredible lead guitar playing that night.
The venue was about three-quarters full, primarily peopled by what appeared to be Gen X fans from back in the day. The MVP of the gig was the guy near the center of the stage who was dancing and enthusiastically singing along to every song for the duration of the show. While leaving the venue, I even heard two guys mention him: “That guy in the front row was having the time of his life!”
I didn’t pick up a T-shirt on the way out. I will proudly advertise the name of any band I adore via a cotton screenprint on my chest, but I have always felt weird sporting a solo artist’s full name (Bruce Springsteen, Warren Zevon) in the same fashion. Regardless, I’ll pick up a Pixies shirt in a heartbeat… and maybe even Frank Black and The Catholics could get a pass.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Gonzo Report: Frank Black goes solo again at The Magnolia
Teenager of the Year, 30 years later
Gonzo Report: Frank Black goes solo again at The Magnolia
Teenager of the Year, 30 years later
Frank Black: no Pixies, no screaming, little banter, but still bringing the rock.
Video:
GONZO REPORT: Frank Black goes solo again at The Magnolia
On a chilly Sunday night in January, I took my maiden voyage to The Magnolia to catch Frank Black play a solo gig with a full band. Black was a staple on the ‘90s touring circuit after his main act The Pixies called it a day in 1993. But solo shows have since become a rarity for him. The culprit here is The Pixies’ transformation into a touring juggernaut following their reunion in 2004. There aren’t nearly as many fans who have been clamoring for Black solo gigs, so when it was announced that he would be touring in support of the 30th anniversary of his Teenager of the Year album, those of us who had been eagerly awaiting some non-Pixiellated Frank Black goodness were delighted.
The Magnolia’s entryway has the same modern vibe as Del Mar’s new-ish The Sound. The swank lobbies in both facilities feature fashionable bars that help class up the joint. But the main concert halls differ pretty profoundly. The Sound’s massive, standing-room-only main floor would likely have been a better option for this concert than The Magnolia’s entirely seated facility. That being said, kudos to The Magnolia for installing some of the comfiest seats I have ever sat in at a show. But at the same time, I have to curse these wonderful seats for comforting the attendees far too much, which (arguably) resulted in shamefully low levels of standing, dancing and singing along. Those pristine seats were just TOO DAMN COZY!
Our too damn cozy seats were in the middle of row Q, which placed us in about the center of the room. (Note: this also meant squeezing past about 25 people in either direction for bathroom breaks. Seats closer to an aisle are a great call here for those with flimsy bladders). The first thing that really stood out to me was how unusually massive the stage looked. Functionally, this stage likely works great for large ensemble musical performances and theater productions with expansive sets, but it made Black’s five-piece band feel a bit shrunken amidst all the barren stage territory. The core of his backing band (Nick Vincent-drums/Lyle Workman-guitar/Eric Drew Feldman-bass) had all played with him on not only his Teenager of the Year album but also his solo debut. A big difference between this band and The Pixies is that both Vincent and Feldman are about ten years older than Black, so there were two players pushing 70 backing him on this night.
Thankfully, both still brought the rock for the performance of an eccentric album that has its fair share of wild, freakout moments. Vincent was especially fun to watch; his flowing locks and balding scalp made him a dead ringer for Larry from the Three Stooges — if Larry was killing it on the drums. The songs, for the most part, were all pulled off with dignity, and only slightly less energy than the recordings. Noticeably absent were many of Black’s trademark screams, the sort that could rip the paint off walls.
The stage banter was kept to a minimum, but Black did sneak in a great bit near the end of the show: he alluded to the room feeling like a good space for a TED talk. That elicited a fair share of chuckles. Besides the Teenager album, the band played a handful of other songs (primarily from Black’s solo debut) to bookend the show. The highlight here was “Los Angeles,” a minor hit for Black and one of the many showcases for Lyle Workman’s incredible lead guitar playing that night.
The venue was about three-quarters full, primarily peopled by what appeared to be Gen X fans from back in the day. The MVP of the gig was the guy near the center of the stage who was dancing and enthusiastically singing along to every song for the duration of the show. While leaving the venue, I even heard two guys mention him: “That guy in the front row was having the time of his life!”
I didn’t pick up a T-shirt on the way out. I will proudly advertise the name of any band I adore via a cotton screenprint on my chest, but I have always felt weird sporting a solo artist’s full name (Bruce Springsteen, Warren Zevon) in the same fashion. Regardless, I’ll pick up a Pixies shirt in a heartbeat… and maybe even Frank Black and The Catholics could get a pass.
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