M'Lou Elkins
There was no better place to be for a brief respite from the sweltering Dallas heat on Saturday, June 24th than the South Side Ballroom, where alternative music icons Pixies and Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand, along with grunge-pop opener Bully, collectively brought the house down.
Nashville’s Bully, lead by singer and guitarist Alicia Bognanno, set the tone for the night with a high-energy performance in support of their latest release and fourth album, Lucky For You, which just dropped on June 2. Near the end of their set, Bognanno had to briefly stop the show when she spotted an audience member in distress. The crowd clapped as security pulled the concertgoer from the throngs of people packed against the barricade, and Bully ended their set on a high note, having properly warmed up the crowd for what was to come.
Franz Ferdinand sauntered onstage to cheers so loud that you had to wonder if those in attendance were there for the Pixies or for Alex Kapranos and Co., and launched into “Jacqueline” off of their 2004 self-titled debut album.
Kapranos is a natural-born performer and easily endeared himself to the crowd with his genuine smiles, enthusiastic jumps, and stage banter.
Four songs into their set, when the opening chords of “Do You Want To” filled the way-too-overcrowded venue, the audience immediately began jumping and singing along, and to the delight of those paying close attention Kapranos appropriately changed the lyrics of the song to: “Well here we are at the DALLAS, TEXAS party / I love your friends they’re all so arty.”
After a solid 14-song set that ended with an extended rendition of “This Fire,” the band took their final bow and exited the stage leaving many to wonder how the hell the Pixies were supposed to follow that.
Pixies, which featured Black Francis on vocals and guitar, Joey Santiago on guitar, David Lovering on drums, and Paz Lenchantin on bass, drew from their extensive catalog of tunes to deliver a unique setlist for the night, as every night’s setlist on this tour is different – often with the band not knowing what song is to be played until the first opening chord is strung.
Materializing onstage in almost complete darkness, Pixies dove right into “Gouge Away” followed by their classic hit “Wave of Mutilation,” which immediately drew loud cheers from the audience who passionately belted out the song’s chorus.
Though the crowd seemed more subdued as the Pixies delivered deeper cuts and songs from their 2022 release, Doggerel, they knew what was to come and you could feel the anticipation building.
For their patience, the audience was rewarded with back-to-back classics: “Caribou,” “Bone Machine,” and “Hey.”
Pixies rolled through a considerable amount of tracks, with very little stage banter, and ended the night on a high with “Where is My Mind?” and a cover of Neil Young’s “Winterlong.”
After a 28-song set that lasted almost 3 hours, the diverse crowd filtered out of the venue into the oppressive heat of the Dallas night, where many could be overheard discussing their favorite moments of the night.
Check out our photo galleries of Pixies and Franz Ferdinand from the concert.
