Frank Black fans left the Paradise Rock Club beaming and with their stomachs full on Monday night. They could not have asked for anything more.
Although Black appeared with his current band the Catholics, aficionados of his solo career and now defunct band the Pixies enjoyed plenty of songs from his earlier years. The band just kept going, spitting out tune after tune at full force, rarely even breaking for a sip of water (or Dr. Pepper, which the Catholics drink at least four times a day, according to Black). The set was approximately two-and-a-half hours long, and included an encore of 7 songs.
No one can let out a screech, yelp or whisper like Frank Black does. His voice is most definitely recognizable and one-of-a-kind. In a constant state of mega-perspiration and forehead vein-popping, the large-in-size Black remains one of the most passionate, visceral and driven performers in rock music.
The setlist for the show was jaw-dropping. The crowd was ecstatic when the band opened with “Nimrod’s Son” from the Pixies album Come On Pilgrim, and then continued with other classic Pixies favorites such as “Monkey Gone to Heaven,” “Gouge Away,” “Dance the Manta Ray” and “Holiday Song.” Two of the greatest highlights of the night were the half-moody, half-bouncy “Mr. Grieves,” and the dark and enigmatic “Where Is My Mind” (recently featured in the film “Fight Club”), during which the audience howled in unison.
The audience rocked to popular songs from Black’s solo career and with the Catholics, such as “Headache,” “666” and “Western Star.” All the while, the Catholics ripped through their incredibly long set list, never hesitated; and their gripping front man kept belting out his energy as beads of sweat incessantly poured down his face.
The House of Lords, a rock band from Iowa, opened the show with a mediocre set.
The dynamics of the Catholics’ show were incredible, and are sure to resonate in the minds of the attendees for quite some time. The two and a half hours of unique quirk bar rock and the pleasurably grating voice of Black probably rank as one of the Paradise Rock Club’s finest moments. And it’s assuring to know that Black is still making music after a fine decade-and-a-half in the scene.
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