Pixies Acoustic: Live in Newport 2005
(DTS)
Picture:
B- Sound: B Extras: B Concert: B
The
Newport Folk Festival, founded in 1959 by George Wein (who had already found
success with the Newport Jazz Festival), is an institution in the world of
music. It defined the Folk music
explosion of the 1960s, highlighting the works of now legendary performers like
James Taylor, Janis Joplin, and Peter, Paul, and Mary. In 1965 Bob Dylan scandalized the proceedings
by performing an electric set.
Since
then the festival has remained true to its roots. Musicians such as the Indigo Girls, Sarah McLachlan,
and other staples of the Lilith Faire have become fixtures. In recent years members of the Alternative
Country movement, like Lucinda Williams and Wilco have been added to the
roster.
On
the surface it would seem that the Pixies are an odd choice for inclusion. Since their breakup in the early 90s the
Pixies have come to be one of the most influential of the post-punk, pre-grunge
era, the archetype of Alternative rock.
They reformed in 2004 to great success, filling venues larger than they
ever dreamed of during their original tenure.
Their
songs are typically short and sharp, filled with riffs and obscure lyrics. Part of the magic of the Pixies has always
been how the loud and raucous played off the softer moments. It’s true in the music and it’s true in the
way Kim Deal’s soft voice complements the more bombastic vocals of Frank
Black. They are in many ways the
antithesis of the usual soft rock/folk-country/jam band mentality of the
Newport Folk Festival.
Nevertheless,
on a sunny afternoon in 2005, flanked by the ocean, sailboats, and a few
thousand slightly confused audience members, the Pixies took the stage in
Newport and played an acoustic set of their greatest hits. They looked a little
uncomfortable, as though they realized what they were doing was a little odd, a
little unsure of what their reception would be.
Pixies Acoustic: Live in Newport
2005 captures the concert on DVD for the first time.
Having
been a Pixies fan since 1989 the setlist was comprised of songs I have heard a
lot and feel very familiar with. This
slight change in their presentation gave new life to old songs. There was a reason for the success of MTV’s
Unplugged series. Removing the electric
and the studio production strips a song down to its basics, leaving it exist in
a form where it succeeds or fails solely on its merits as a song. Until the last century this was true of
everything; all music was folk music.
The
Pixies hold up rather well. They play
softer. Frank doesn’t scream as much, so
the lyrics and the harmonies are much clearer.
They play a version of Been All
Around The World, a traditional folk song, and it fits nicely with the rest
of their set, serving to establish a context that proves what they do isn¹t
that far removed.
The
primary impact of the unplugged setup is on guitarist Joey Santiago. Many of
his tools have been taken away. There is
no reverb, or sustain, or feedback, just six strings and a pick. He adapts
nicely, finding ways to fill those holes in, for him, new ways. The song Vamos
has been a part of their live show since the inception of the band and has
always served as a spotlight on Santiago’s guitar. He does not disappoint.
Neither
does the decent 1.78 X 1 image, though it would have been better if it could
have been anamorphically enhanced.
Though the audio is here in Dolby Digital 2.0 and 5.1 mixes, the DTS has
the slight edge and its great Eagle continues to keep DTS on most of their
concert discs. In addition to the full
concert film there are several extras, including a photo gallery and a making of featurette. All in all, the march of Pixies DVDs
continues and we look forward to the next releases.
- Wayne Wise
www.wayne-wise.com
