Pixies, Spoon and Fazerdaze at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley

The Pixies hit Berkeley’s historic Greek Theater this past Thursday night on the Fall leg of their US Tour on a balmy Thursday night amidst a Berkeley campus that was buzzing with students for the start of the school year and who seemed mostly oblivious to the after-work throngs that filtered their way along the surrounding streets.

Located in the midst of the Berkeley campus, The Greek Theatre kicked things off with an early (6 pm) start to ensure the rock and roll was over by the 10 pm curfew and the students in the dorms over-looking the amphitheater all got a good night’s sleep. First up, Fazerdaze from New Zealand. Fronted by Amelia Murray, the duo offered up a 30 minute set of shoegazy rock that warmed up the gathering audience as the sun started to set over the San Francisco Bay.

By the time Spoon took the stage for their 7 pm set, the Greek Theater was nearing capacity as the after work crowd finally made their way into the amphitheater and as the band launched into their opener, “Jonathan Fisk,” it was clear that a large number of folks that lined the front row were there specifically to see them. That’s not to say that they were the only Spoon fans in the crowd … far from it in fact … at times it seemed that all of Berkeley was singing along to the hits which the band smattered through the hour-long set that ended as the sun set behind Alcatraz.

With the down and the stage prepped, Pixies strolled onto the stage to The Beach Boys “Pet Sounds” … Frank Black taking a sip from a mug set on the drum riser before making eye contact with drummer David Lovering as the band kicked off their set with “Oyster Beds,” kicking off a block of 4 new tunes from the band’s 2024 release, The Night the Zombies Came. The love for the Pixies from the Berkeley crowd was palpable but the energy peaked as the performance turned to the band’s classic tunes … “Gouge Away” and “Debaser” followed by an epic cover of The Jesus and Mary Chain’s “Head On.” For fans of the classic material, the setlist included a healthy dose of Doolittle including mainstays “Here Comes Your Man” and “Wave of Mutilation.”

The light-up Pixies logo suspended over the drum riser was complemented by a bank of lights at the back of the stage, setting the perfect ambiance for a 90 minute set that ran right up against the Greek’s 10 pm curfew. Folks on the GA floor remained rapt on on their feet while those in the amphitheater seats and back lawn were more than happy to chill as much as possible on the impossibly hard seats and sing along.

After nearly four decades in the business, the Pixies continue to deliver jaw dropping performances with plenty of surprises for the die-hard fans. From amphitheaters and arenas to clubs, this band never disappoints. The current leg of their fall US tour runs through late September.

Pixies Setlist: