The Pixies – The Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver (Night 2)
with special guests Kurt Vile & The Violators
The Orpheum Theatre was the place to be as The Pixies wrapped up a sold-out two-night run that saw the legendary alt-rock pioneers dive deep into their catalog with purpose, precision, and a touch of apocalypse.
While Night 1 treated diehards to front-to-back performances of Bossanova and Trompe Le Monde, Night 2 shifted gears into a full-force retrospective. From the moment the band took the stage, it was clear we were in for a “classic Pixies” experience—raw, strange, and undeniably loud.
Frontman Black Francis didn’t waste time with banter. The band moved like a machine—tight and unrelenting—as they tore through fan favorites that spanned decades, all while giving air to new material from their latest release, The Night the Zombies Came. The fresh tracks didn’t just hold their ground; they snarled, shimmered, and settled in naturally alongside the classics. The newer songs, steeped in that eerie, surf-drenched chaos the band does so well, felt like a continuation rather than a departure.
Joey Santiago’s guitar work remained razor sharp and unpredictable, with tone and tension dancing on a knife’s edge, while Emma Richardson stepped in on bass and backing vocals – her playing steady and focused, honoring the band’s trademark sound. David Lovering, as always, kept it locked down with drumming that was minimalist in the best possible way—tight, moody, and completely in step with the Pixies’ otherworldly aesthetic.
Opening the night was Kurt Vile & The Violators, whose laid-back, psychedelic set acted like a slow drip of technicolor haze. Vile’s signature drawl and warped guitar textures laid a hypnotic foundation that stood in stark contrast to the Pixies’ jagged urgency—a perfect sonic appetizer before the main chaos hit.
In a room as opulent as The Orpheum, the contrast between elegance and noise made the show feel even more visceral. There’s something quietly violent about watching The Pixies light up a stage once designed for orchestras and opera. And yet, it works—maybe even better because of that tension.
For those lucky enough to attend both nights, this two-part experience offered the best of both worlds: nostalgia and evolution. And for everyone else? Night 2 was a powerful reminder that while the world around them may shift, The Pixies will always come back swinging—from the underground, from the future, from wherever the weird lives.
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