This is my favorite time of the year: the hottest days of the summer are in the rearview, and fall is just around the corner. Before the warmth of the season fades completely, if we’re lucky, we might get one last chance to catch a spectacular show outdoors before it gets cold. This past weekend presented me with one such chance, in this case, to see the Pixies and Modest Mouse with Cat Power at Napa’s Oxbow River Stage.
Cat Power’s set was a nice, mellow beginning to the evening. I don’t know any of her original songs, but just as I was thinking she vaguely reminded me of Fiona Apple, I heard someone nearby tell a friend that Power was “kind of Lilith Fair-ish.” I smiled, thinking that was a fair assessment, and settled in for Power’s roughly thirty minutes of music. I enjoyed Power’s set and her overall vibe, but just as she was finishing up came my favorite part. “Take care of yourselves,” Power implored the crowd as she prepared to leave the stage. “Be good to yourselves. Be kind and gentle to yourselves.” I really liked her message, and it seemed like it actually mattered to her. I was touched, and it really left a lingering sweetness on my evening.
Next up was Modest Mouse, and when they hit the stage, they were ready to play! (And not just literally.) As the sun prepared to set behind them, they just got better. While only lead singer/guitarist Isaac Brock is an original member, it’s still easy to see why a band like this has lasted for thirty years. The result is an eclectic sound that blends a little grunge, a lot of alternative rock, and just enough of a je ne sais quoi quality that gives them a sound all their own. However you want to classify Modest Mouse’s music, the set was tight, electric, and thoroughly enjoyable. I particularly enjoyed “Dashboard,” “Heart Cooks Brain,” “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes,” and “Float On.”
By now, it was fully dark out, but not so dark that I couldn’t enjoy some people-watching before the Pixies took the stage. I was surprised and delighted to discover what an age range of fans these bands have: I saw kids as little as 8 and 10 running around in Pixies t-shirts, but the crowd ran the gamut from Gen Z and Millennials to plenty of Gen X and even Boomers. Any band that attracts that kind of age range is going to be a treat to behold live, in my opinion. And then the set started… I was floored almost right away. After “Gouge Away” and “Here Comes Your Man,” I paused to type “FIRE!” in my notes to remind myself how great the set was right from the start.
I admit it: I was excited to finally see the Pixies because this is a band I’ve known for a long time, but I’ve never done a deep dive into their music as they deserve, so I got to do it live this weekend. I had no idea what an impressive range their music covers. Some songs are softer and more melodic, but many are much harder, especially when vocalist Black Francis gets to screaming. Interestingly, I realized that it’s not just a juxtaposition of a band that has songs that are hard and those that are soft, but that many Pixies’ songs are both at the same time, creating a fascinating bit of paradox that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Any band that can get David Bowie not just to endorse them as a band he personally loved, but to go one step further to cover one of their songs on his album is a band I want to hear! For this reason, “Cactus” was a highlight of the show for me. As their set neared its end, “Where Is My Mind?” was everything I wanted it to be and then some, and it was the perfect (almost) end to a wonderful night. They closed their set with the UK Surf version of “Wave of Mutilation,” and I closed my night humming happily along right home to bed. And now, I will put the lid on my summer and look forward to all things fall!
