1 Blast Off
2 Gouge Away
3 Stupid Me
4 Fiddel Riddle
5 Six Sixty-Six
6 All My Ghosts
7 You're Such a Wire
8 Llano Del Rio
9 Mr. Grieves
10 Bullet
11 Dog Gone
12 Headache
13 21 Reasons
14 Holiday Song
15 I Switched You
16 Remake/Remodel
17 Dog In the Sand
18 Jumping Beans
19 I'll Be Blue
20 John the Revelator
21 Nimrod's Son
22 The Swimmer
23 (shrimp boat song - Dirty Old Town?)
24 Calistan
25 Los Angeles
26 Comin' to Los Angeles
27 Everytime I Go Around Here
28 The Black Rider
29 Where Is My Mind?

E N C O R E :
30 Steak N' Sabre
31 If It Takes All Night

David Lovering was a hoot: excited yet underwhealming. He announced himself, then came out in a white lab coat with "David" sewn on it. He used his old Pixies bass drum to thwack out smoke rings, and he plugged in a pickle and made it glow in the dark. Despite heckling, he was a real gentleman - he'd be a great host at a science museam - and I think few people recognised him.

Mr. B & the Cs filled every moment with noise - there were no pauses, save for breaking in the middle of Mr. Grieves to say how much he missed his wife, and in the middle of Every Time I Go Around Here, to play The Black Rider. I think I was the oldest person there, 25. To great surpise, all the young kids sang to Where Is My Mind - AND to If It Takes All Night. The new 666 is more that great, yes Rich plays with a drumstick, tongue & 30-odd fx pedals, very stoic in ruby red shoes. The room was hot, the band was tight & after their 1st set stood in a row with their axes planted at their feet like statues as the crowd exploded. They're selling Oddballs & Rich's band's cd @ $15.
matt orefice

well well well. i have to say, dave lovering IS getting better. his show has been greatly expanded since i last saw him perform, and it is actually .. well .. entertaining. personally, i prefer his act to having to sit through some second-rate opener. but enough about that. frank black and the catholics were in excellent form. they played for over two and a half hours. i was quite surprised by the heavy roots country flavor they added to just about everything. as the night went on, it became apparent that many of frank's compositions are very well suited for this type of presentation, in particular fiddle riddle, holiday song, every time i go round here, doggone, you're such a wire, and everything from dog in the sand. at times it got downright strange. for instance, headache was played with two pedal steels and no electric guitar. the cover tunes were particulary notable. i'm a son house fan, and every version i'd ever heard of john the revelator was a capella. not this one. this was a full out rockin' affair, one of the evenings highlights. also excellent was tom waits' the black rider, which waits opened his shows with last year. then there was the angst cover. i missed the name, but this was *not* the song called angst from sunday sunny mill valley groove day. this was supposedly a song from an angst cassette that frank cherishes. i feel kind of ignorant here, but was there ever a band called angst? or is frank putting us all on? if anyone knows, drop me an email. anyway, this was a great power pop song. another interesting choice of covers was a song about a shrimp smimming to louisiana, responding to advertisements about all of the great opportunities for shrimp in that region, who instead gets caught in a net. frank repeatedly quipped that this was a very serious song. six sixty-six bore absolutely no resemblance to the version on the album, which is a good thing. the way frank sung it, it sounded closer to tame. awesome power. ironic, though, that the one outright country song did not sound country at all, while most of the other songs did. anyway, frank was in a great mood - making jokes about the cat hair on this shirt, as he'd just been home to see his cats for a couple of days after his worldwide trek. he apologized for cancelling the two previous coach house shows - two years ago due to blowing out his voice, and last year due to his wife having to have emergency surgery (he assured us that jean marie was ok). he made up for it, though. unbelievable.

setlist:
fiddle riddle
holiday song
(not in order)
the black rider
angst cover?
shrimp going to louisiana song?
gouge away
nimrod son
monkey gone to heaven
where is my mind?
mr. grieves
dancing the manta ray
los angeles
fu manchu
every time i go round here
calistan
headache
all my ghosts
doggone
six sixty-six
steak n sabre
you're such a wire
blast off (rocked!!)
seen your picture
robert onion
bullet
llano del rio
hermaphoditos
stupid me
dog in the sand (sublime)
21 reasons
swimmer
john the revelator
if it takes all night

33 songs. Damn!
James Meronk

David Lovering opened up again with his “Science Experimentist,” displaying the wonders of science. The only real wonder there is why he does it? Frank said later that he was from Las Vegas, Nevada and I wondered if he was being facetious ?

I was pretty excited for the WOW Hall, as Frank had specifically mentioned it as an example of a great club to play with good acoustics. And especially after the shitty acoustics of the Crystal Ballroom the night before, I was just thankful that he was willing to play a small town like Eugene, OR. The WOW Hall was small, intimate and yeah, the acoustics were great. And Frank used them to full advantage, really delivering on the vocals. I thought he was going to burst an artery at the end of Six sixty-six with his screaming (Kurt Cobain eat yer heart out). Anyway, he started out saying he hadn’t slept that well and then suggested they play Steak and Sabre, since they hadn’t played it in a week. Then they went into Fiddler Riddler. The crowd was a little younger tonight, and it seems the younger they are, the more they are there for the Pixies. They got Mr. Grieves, Nimrod’s Son, Monkey Goes to Heaven, & The Holiday Song. The band kind of adopts a smug insularity when playing the Pixies tunes, aware that they don’t have to work as hard to please with the old standards, but still delivering high voltge renditions of the songs. There were also a lot of covers, including Coming into Los Angeles, Dirty Old Town, and Black Rider. Other songs included Dog Gone, Jumping Beans, So Hard to Make Things Out, Bad Harmony, Bullet, I’ll Be Blue, All My Ghosts, Calistan, Hermaphroditos, 21 Reasons, Stupid Me, Robert Onion, You’re Such a Wire, and Llano Del Rio. Again, he finished the set with Dogs in the Sand and Where Is My Mind? Then Frank Black and the Catholics stood like warriors accepting the roaring of the fans (“Do not think he does not like the cheering of the crowd”), Dave McCaffrey with his guitar planted between his legs like a conquering hero, before leaving the stage. He made us work for our encore, which is only fair, and then came out to play If It Takes All Night and the Manta Ray song, which he announced was a Bryan Ferry song. Then he slung his backpack over his shoulder, paused to guzzle down some water and and accept some more appreciation and then marched off the stage, leaving another crowd of fully satisfied patrons to wait until the next time their self-proclaimed trouabdour would come around again.
WAQAP@aol.com

Got there in time to catch Dave Lovering burn pickles, be heckled by people planted in the crowd, make lame jokes and demonstrate simple science like magnetic fields. Was the joke that he was forcing some of the most overentertained humans in the history of humankind to sit through high school science experiments and lounge hall humor and still get them to laugh at jokes even Disney would be ashamed of ?

Frank and the boys took the stage around 10:30, Frank looking very Marlon Brando-as-Col.-Kurtz in a flannel shirt with cut-off sleeves, Rich Gilbert natty as always in a dark blue suit, the younger guys with matching blonde hair and Scott Boutier in a baseball cap. Frank asked them what they ate for dinner and then they start into a slow, mellow Fiddle Riddle. The Crystal Ballroom is a poor excuse for a venue, pretty to look at and famous for a floor on marbles, but the acoustics suck and the space is too big and the ventilation seemed to annoy the performers, Frank asking at one point if the air conditioning could be turned off. But the crowd was pumped, expecting a great show from a crack team of musicians whose last few studio releases have basically been live recordings. And they were not disappointed, there was something for everyone, a liberal sprinkling of Pixies tunes (Mr. Grieves, The Holiday Song, Monkey Goes to Heaven), new Frank and old Frank, and quite a few covers, from a Louisiana shrimp song to the Black Rider, which came out like some crazed carnival barker/cabaret tune. With the Christian covers Six Sixty-Six and John the Revelator, Frank played it like a gospel singer, really packing power into his voice. Unfortunately, Rich Gilbert spent much of the time out of my view, playing the steel pedal guitar and the keyboards. He is such a joy to watch, whether he is plucking out music with a seemingly nonchalant toss of his arm, or slithering a drum stick up and down the neck of his guitar for the chaotic chords of Los Angeles. Other songs were Headache, Calistan, Sir Rockaby, Fu Manchu, If It Takes All Night, Hermaphroditos, Bullet, Robert Onion, Stupid me, You’re Such a Wire, All My Ghosts, Dogs in the sand, Manta Ray (Bryan Ferry cover), 21 Reasons, and Llano del Rio. They ended the set with Dogs in the Sand, (which was a revelation for me, the live performance really got through the crepuscular muscularity of the song), and then Where Is My Mind?, with the crowd happily crooning out the Ooooohs. Then the band basked in the cheers of the crowd before leaving the stage. They came back on for a 3 song encore, including a cute little ditty about a Louisiana shrimp and If It Takes All Night.
WAQAP@aol.com

... Frank's energy was unreal, both shows lasted over 2 and a half hours! His energy is unreal, here are the setlists and brief comments:

Fiddle Riddle
Mr. Grieves
Robert Onion
Headache
UNKNOWN SONG
Los Angeles
You're Such a Wire
Holidy Song
Bullet
Dog In The Sand
(some "Gay Old Time" song, which I think he said is by Tom Waits)
Gouge Away
Dance the Manta Ray
Stupid Me
Calistan
Hermaphroditos
So Hard to Make Things Out
Dog Gone
Every Time I Go Around Here
Monkey Gone To Heaven
Six Sixty-Six
All My Ghosts
Llana Del Rio
I'll Be Blue
John the Revelator
21 Reasons
Nimrod's Son
Sir Rockaby
Where is My Mind

Encores:
Fu Manchu
Dirty Old Town
If It Takes All Night
Remake/Remodel
Matthew Presidente

Holiday Song
Bullet
Headache
Robert Onion
Mr. Grieves
Los Angeles
Llana Del Rio
Nimrod's Son
I Switched You
Superabound
Fiddle Riddle
UNKNOWN SONG
Oddball
Hermaphroditos
Blast Off
Dog Gone
Dance the Manta Ray
Monkey Gone To Heaven
Six Sixty-Six
I Love Your Brain
John the Revelator
Stupid Me
Calistan
Men In Black
The Marsist
I've Seen Your Picture
21 Reasons
I'll be Blue
Dog In The Sand
Dirty Old Town
Where is My Mind

Encores:
If It Takes All Night
Remake/Remodel

... Frank's energy was unreal, both shows lasted over 2 and a half hours! His energy is unreal, here are the setlists and brief comments.
Matthew Presidente

Chuck's show at the Showbox last Thursday was stunning, as good as any i've seen him play, and that includes several shows with the Pixies.

The band is white hot (not one but TWO great lead guitarists who double on pedal steel) and the song selection was great. I would loved to have heard Bad Harmony, Sir Rockabye, and Western Star, but i won't quibble about SEVEN pixies tunes, my single favorite FB solo tune (Headache) and corrosive covers of Tom Waits and Roxy Music.

Two hours and fifteen minutes of awesome music. The Chuck-ster is on fire these days!

Setlist (10:09-12:24):

All the Tired Horses->
Fiddle Riddle->
Nimrod's Son->
Bullet->
Los Angeles
Headache->
Robert Onion
I’ll Be Blue->
Mr. Grieves->
Llano Del Rio
21 Reasons->
The Black Rider->
Gouge Away
Dancing the Manta Ray
You’re Such a Wire->
Skeleton Man->
Dog Gone
I’ve Seen Your Picture->
Oddball->
Jumping Beans->
Monkey Gone to Heaven
Six Sixty-Six
All My Ghosts
Steak ‘n’ Sabre
Stupid Me->
Calistan->
Hermaproditos->
The Holiday Song
Everytime I Go Around Here
Dirty Old Town
John the Revelator
Dog in the Sand
Where is My Mind?

Encores:
If it Takes All Night
The Marsist->
Remake/Remodel
Mitch Goldman

Got to Columbus about two hours before doors. Parked right in front of Little Brothers and made our way to the line forming. Our friend from Cleveland could not make it down to Columbus, but our Chicago buddy was there with us. We had an extra ticket and made a young man with a ”Black or Bust” sign quite happy. It was still early and the band was spotted heading out the side door on their way to dinner. A few fans tried to follow the guys but decided it was best to leave them alone. We had brought a picture for possible autographing, but did not try it then. After getting in the place, I bought a copy of ”Oddballs” and we took our normal spot in the front row! Again we had to sit through HOLS, but the earplugs made it tolerable. Once they were gone, the Catholics started to come out and set up. Rich immediately noticed us and came over to talk. He wanted to know where we were from and we wanted to let him know that these shows and the new album were the best things going right now. He is a very cool dude and even though our pen didn’t work, he signed the picture we brought in with a Sharpie he had in his pocket! Souvenir No. 3! Frank came out and while setting up told a quick ”Knock-Knock” joke. ”Knock Knock” ”Who’s There” ”The Fonz” ”The Fonz Who” ”Aeeeeeee”. The show again started with ”All The Tired Horses” which is such a great way to open. New songs this night included ”Fu Manchu”, ”Headache”, ”Holiday Song” and ”I Love Your Brain”. They played the longest this night, not finishing until 1:30 am. Halfway through the show, Frank made introductions. After Rich and David, he introduced Dave Philips as Joey Santiago. The crowd cheered this, but then Frank told them he was just kidding and that it was really Eric Drew Feldman. The crowd went nuts and then Frank said that, no, he was kidding again and that it was Dave Philips. A lower cheer came from the crowd, to which Dave replied that he liked it better when he was Eric Feldman. Frank told him he could be Eric for the rest of the tour. Late in the show people started yelling out song titles. When Frank started into ”Dog in the Sand” a fan yelled ”Debaser!” Frank countered this by mocking the way the guy yelled Debaser over and over while the intro of Dog in the Sand went on. When the show was finally over, we realized so too was our little trip. It was so worth it, and as I write this I am tempted to get in the car and head to Chicago to see them tonight at the Metro.

Set List:
All The Tired Horses, Fu Manchu, Los Angeles, Every Time I Go Round Here, Headache, Calistan, Fiddle Riddle, Sir Rockaby, The Marsist, All My Ghosts, Dog Gone, Steak and Sabre, 666, Skeleton Man, Your Such A Wire, I Love Your Brain, Blast Off, Hermaphroditos, If It Takes All Night, I’ve Seen Your Picture, Llano Del Rio, Robert Onion, Dog In The Sand, I’ll Be Blue, Bullet, Oddball, Nimrods Son, Gouge Away, Mr. Grieves, Monkey Gone To Heaven, Manta Ray, Where Is My Mind, Holiday Song, John the Revelator, Black Rider, 21 Reasons, Jumping Beans
Jarrod Fisher

Day two of the trip brought us to the Beachland Ballroom. We were joined by a friend who lives in Cleveland, and another friend who flew in from Chicago just to see FB&C. After picking up our buddy at the airport we got a bite and headed to the venue. We were told ahead of time that this was a small place and once we got there I couldn’t stop grinning. There was hardly anyone there yet and we knew we were going to get up front again. We had some drinks and my wife and I were telling our friends to prepare to be blown away. A bar was located to the right of the entrance to the ballroom, so we grabbed the table right next to the door to make sure we were first in line. The doors opened, we went in, and set up in front of Mr. Gilbert again. It was still early and Frank and Rich were spotted going into the dressing room area located in the back of the Ballroom. My wife again felt like checking in on the guys before the show, so she wandered over and strolled right in. About 3 minutes later, she came back out and let us know that the band would be fueled with beer and beef stroganoff this night. Again, she was told that she was not supposed to be there and the door was locked behind her as she left. We were prepared for HOLS this time, having purchased a pack of earplugs from the drugstore. After HOLS, FB&C came out and started setting up the equipment. It was apparent that Rich Gilbert had put some work in since the previous night, because his seven effects pedals were now neatly mounted on two boards making set up a lot easier. When it was show time, Bob Dylan’s ”All the Tired Horses” was coming over the speakers and the band slowly started chiming in with their guitars and drums. What a great sound and what a rush! The stage was about four feet high so we fixed our gazes upwards and allowed the band to rip through another 2 and a half hours of amazing music. After the Dylan cover, the band played ”Nimrod’s Son” but when it was over, Frank had noticed a person siting on the speakers on the right side of the stage. Frank told the guy, who was taking pictures, that he shouldn’t be up there cause if he fell Frank could get sued. The crowd yelled at the guy to get down and he flicked them off. Then Frank persisted and the asshole flicked Frank off. Frank gave the guy the bird back, and Scott Boutier flung a drumstick at him. Frank, obviously pissed off at this idiot, left the stage and the band went with him. The crowd cheered when they came back a few minutes later, and we were treated to ”Nimrod’s Son” again. I think this was a dedication to the middle finger waving Nimrod. After the song, Frank said he was going to go ahead and play everything twice tonight. When the band played ”Los Angeles”, Rich Gilbert was using a drum stick to slap the power chords for the first part of the song. And once he dropped that drumstick, it was mine! Souvenir Number 2 baby! The rest of the show was incredible and did not get over until 1:00 am. ”Sir Rockaby”, ”I Switched You” and ”If It Takes All Night” were three songs that weren’t played the previous night that just kicked butt. In the middle of ”I Switched You”, beer started to get sprayed on the stage and in Franks eyes. It was the same asshole who had been climbing on the speakers. At the natural break in the song, Frank stopped the show and called him out. After the verbal berating, the song picked back up where it usually does and they finished it with a flurry. Later Frank made reference to being late for the show because they were out buying a new truck and you know how long that can take. He also said that the new truck was booby trapped. At the end of the show, we gave my wife a boost onto the stage and she grabbed the only pick that Frank used that night. Since I had the drumstick and a pick already, my friend from Chicago got the pick from this show. We headed home and started to get ready for Columbus.

Set List:
All The Tired Horses, Los Angeles, Every Time I Go Round Here, Superabound, Calistan, Fiddle Riddle, Sir Rockaby, The Marsist, All My Ghosts, Dog Gone, Steak and Sabre, 666, Skeleton Man, I Switched You, Your So Hard To Make Out, Hermaphroditos, If It Takes All Night, I’ve Seen Your Picture, Llano Del Rio, Robert Onion, Dog In The Sand, I’ll Be Blue, Bullet, Oddball, Nimrods Son x 2, Gouge Away, Mr. Grieves, Manta Ray, Where Is My Mind, John the Revelator, Black Rider, 21 Reasons, Jumping Beans, Can I Get A Witness
Jarrod Fisher

Detroit, MI - Day 1 of our three day FB&C mini tour started off at the Magic Stick, which is located above the Majestic Theatre in downtown Detroit. The great thing about this trip was getting to see three venues that I had never been to previously. We had been to Detroit for a show once before (last fall for PJ Harvey at St. Andrews Hall). The Magic Stick was interesting in that on the lower level was a 10 lane bowling alley and bar and the stairs led to the area where Frank and his band were getting set to rock the house. Once upstairs, you could see four pool tables off to the left and a nice big area in front of the stage with tables surrounding for people who wanted to sit and watch. A metal gate was at the top of the stairs, but that did not stop my wife from sliding it to the side and checking to see what was up there. Fueling this was the fact that sound check was going on and Bullet could be heard from the bar. Once she was spotted, a bar employee let her know that she was not supposed to be there and directed us back down the stairs. No line was forming yet, so we got drinks and tried to figure out how we were going to get up front. There were already about 15-20 people waiting, and most of them were kids who were in kindergarten when the Pixies were introducing their sound to an unsuspecting public. The group of people started to get restless about forming a line for entrance, and since we were crowding the bottom of the steps, a Magic Stick waitress told us to start the line at the entrance. This put us about 20 people back and we were quite worried about not getting a good spot in front of Rich Gilbert. We had seen the Frank and the Catholics once before in Chicago and by chance stood in front of Mr. Gilbert-I was completely blown away by this masters guitar work. Once the doors opened (after getting some entertainment by a few of the local street people-”Mr Johnson T, with a big fat D!” especially) we got up the steps and noticed that our spot was available on the left side of the stage. We took it and settled in for a night of butt-kicking rock-and-roll.
HOLS came out and did their thing, and even though we weren’t too impressed, a few people in the crowd were fans and enjoyed the bands sonic blasts. HOLS ripped through their 15 song set list in about an hour and then proceeded to break down their equipment. Then some of the Catholics started to appear on stage. Rich Gilbert was setting up his 7 effects pedals and checking the pedal steel and keyboards. Dave Philips and Scott Boutier also were seen working on their stuff. And then Mr. Black came out. Dressed in a blue flannel shirt with the sleeves ripped off and a pair of baggy, saggy jeans, a roar from the crowd did not phase him from his present job of checking guitars and equipment for the show. The stage then cleared and when the band returned, we knew the time had come. It appeared that the guitars that the band were using were not new ones just purchased, but replacements brought in from home. Frank was playing an old Fender with bits of duct tape keeping cords in place, and Rich, David and Dave each had guitars which looked like they had been around a while. After a brief Velvety Instrumental, Scott pounded on the drums in what would turn out to be Hermaphroditos-It Rocked!. The band played for nearly 2 and a half hours and ended with Where is My Mind. In between was a good mix of old and new and Pixies with a heavy emphasis on the new album. Only disappointment was no songs from ”Frank Black”, but that was ok. We had two more shows in as many days and were sure to get to hear a tune from that album. Highlights start with grabbing Franks guitar pick that he used the first half of the show. Also, seeing Rich nail every guitar part and improvise by playing with a Rolling Rock bottle and using a support pole and his tongue to create guitar sounds was awesome. ”Western Star”, ”Fiddle Riddle” and what turned out to be the only ”Stupid Me” of the three days were very memorable parts of the show. The music was amazing and I don’t think the band could get any tighter or cooler or more fun to watch. We left the show with ears ringing and couldn’t wait for the next days show in Cleveland.

Set List:
Velvety Instrumental, Superabound, Calistan, Fiddle Riddle, The Marsist, All My Ghosts, Dog Gone, Steak and Sabre, I Gotta Move, Bad Harmony, Western Star, Hermaphroditos, Stupid Me, I’ve Seen Your Picture, Llano Del Rio, Robert Onion, Dog In The Sand, I’ll Be Blue, Bullet, Oddball, Monkey Gone To Heaven, Gouge Away, Mr. Grieves, Manta Ray, Where Is My Mind, John the Revelator, Black Rider, 21 Reasons, Jumping Beans
Jarrod Fisher

I went to see Frank Black twice at the Horseshoe Tavern, in downtown Toronto. He played the 16th April- 18th April. I caught the first and last dates. First night was probably a bit of a struggle for the band as they spent the day looking for new equipment in the city. So they all only had one geetar to play with (each that is). For the second night it seemed like they had more in the way of equipment. Unfortunately on both nights the monitors cut out, which was really frustrating, but both nights they played for more than two hours. I think the first gig was the best gig I have ever been to, it was amazing to see Frank play Pixies songs, as I couldn't get a ticket for one of their gigs on the Bossanova tour, which I think was the last headlining tour they did in Ireland.

I always love to see Frank. The way things have worked out, I haven't been in the same city as him since he supported Alanis Morrisstte, after TOY. So this was a real treat. He amazed me with his professionalism, he didn't get mad when the monitors cut out, he apologised to all of us. He seemed to have gotten over the fact that his equipment was gone. They played a great set, the only complaint would be that he basically played the same tunes both nights and when you have 12 or so albums to draw from that is kinda dissapointing, but still a great show. I shouted for 'Abstract Plain' but he disn't hear or more likely thought that I was a distracting pain in the ass.

Anyway here are the songs they played, there was a huge overlap, but I will put them down as best as I can:

Frank Black: Los Angeles, Every time I go...

TOY: Calistan Way, Headache, Superabound.

COR: The Marsist.

FB and the Catholics: All my Ghosts, Dog Gone, Steak and Sabre, 6-66 (heavy version), Gotta Move.

Pistolero: You're such a wire, So hard to make things out, Skeleton man, Billy Radcliff.

Dog in the Sand: everything except for Dam Disaster.

Also he played 21 Reasons, a song that he said didn't quite make it on the new album.

Oddballs: Oddballs and Jumping Beans.

Pixies: Gouge Away (very cool version, much more mellow with organs), Dancing the Manta Ray (not Manta Ray which most reviews have here, there are two songs) , Mr. Grives, Where is my Mind?, Nimrod's Song, Holiday Song.

Covers: Dirty Ol' Town, John the Revelator , Black Rider and one other cover I didn't know, I think it was a Dylan tune.

So go check him out !!!
Mark Bury

While FB generally put on a very good show tonight he "only" played for about two hours. What really bummed the crowd was that he performed no encores and left out a number of songs he had performed at other shows. No "Los Angeles," no "Where is My Mind?", no "Men in Black." He had played, I believe, New York the night before and might have been tired from that (or saving up energy for DC). Still, FB suffers from the same problem that plagued the Pixies and all other bands - too much inconsistency. Don't think it would have killed him to play an encore or two. "Gouge Away" and "Monkey Gone to Heaven" were two highlights - the new stuff sounded better live especially a guitar pumped version of "Blast Off." The Catholics have become a solid band overall. FB's voice is still one of the best for a small theater. The Trocadero started out slow but I'd say about three to four hundred people showed up. Good show, but could have been great with a few encores.
AMakow1014@aol.com

Frank Black & the Catholics kicked out the jams at New York's Irving Plaza Tuesday night (April 10), as the quintet of rock'n'roll troubadours covered considerable musical ground over the course of a two-hour, 33-song set.

The rotund Black is still probably best known for his work as the leader of alternative rock innovators the Pixies. But a decade after that band's demise, his legacy has grown stronger still on the muscle of his six solo albums and his evolution (with the Catholics) into a truly exhausting live act. His last three albums with the group, including February's "Dog in the Sand" (What Are Records?), have been recorded live to two-track, ensuring that the material doesn't lose any of its bite in a live setting.

Indeed, the band -- guitarist/keyboardist Rich Gilbert, and guitarist Dave Philips, bassist Dave McCaffrey, and drummer Scott Boutier -- has developed a scorching live show. Tuesday night's gig covered material from five of Frank's solo albums (the lone exception being 1996's "The Cult of Ray") as well as five Pixies songs and assorted cover tunes by the likes of Son House, Ewan MacColl, Tom Waits, Arlo Guthrie, and '80s punksters Angst.

Probably the evening's warmest reception came in response to Pixies songs "Gouge Away" and "Where is My Mind?" The former began with Black's back to the audience, as his band pounded out the familiar chugging groove. Philips then sliced in with a great take on Joey Santiago's memorable guitar line, which was met with resounding applause as the whole crowd jumped to scream along with Black's wailing vocal. The latter tune also morphed into a sing-along, with audience members attempting to recreate the backing vocals of Pixies bassist Kim Deal while Frank and the band took care of the rest, doing justice to one of his most well-known creations.

Also welcomed with enthusiasm were solo Black tracks like the new album's searing single "Robert Onion" and earlier chestnuts such as "Los Angeles" and "Superabound." Most just stared in wonder, however, at the howling cover of Christian rocker Larry Norman's "666." Black's peppy acoustic version appears on 1998's "Frank Black And The Catholics," but this was a different animal entirely.

The band sustained powerful distorted guitar chords while Black exercised his voice to its limit, repeatedly screaming into the microphone in a display that certainly rivaled his renowned Pixies vocal work (which itself so famously inspired young Pixies acolyte Kurt Cobain to affect a similar style).

With his new album receiving some of the best reviews of his solo career and his crack band regularly playing to sold-out venues, Black is finally embracing his own legacy a bit more. His shows in the early half of the '90s would almost never include Pixies songs, but he has been slowly infusing more into his setlists as time begins to heal some of the emotional wounds associated with that period in his career.

This is another indication that Black has become a "lifer," a musician who is in the rock'n'roll game for the long haul. At 35, the man has 12 albums under his sizable belt, and judging by the energy level onstage Tuesday, he seems to be getting stronger as he rolls along.

Here is Frank Black & the Catholics' set list:

• "Dog Gone"
• "Nimrod's Son" (from Pixies' "Come On Pilgrim")
• "Bullet"
• "Black Rider" (Tom Waits)
• "Headache"
• "Robert Onion"
• "Comin' Into Los Angeles" (Arlo Guthrie)
• "Los Angeles"
• "Llano Del Rio"
• unidentified Angst song
• "21 Reasons"
• "Mr. Grieves" (from Pixies' "Doolittle")
• "Holiday Song" ("Come On Pilgrim")
• "Gouge Away" ("Doolittle")
• "Stupid Me"
• "I've Seen Your Picture"
• "Oddball"
• "Jumping Beans"
• "Hermaphroditos"
• "Steak & Sabre"
• "Fiddle Riddle"
• "Superabound"
• "Sir Rockaby"
• "So Hard To Make Things Out"
• "All My Ghosts"
• "666" (Larry Norman)
• "Do You Feel Bad About It"
• encore:
• "Dirty Old Town" (Ewan MacColl)
• "Every Time I Go Round Here"
• "John The Revelator" (Son House)
• "The Swimmer"
• "Where Is My Mind?" (from Pixies' "Surfer Rosa")
• "Dog In The Sand"

Troy Carpenter (- also for billboard.com)

2001, April 09th, Boston, MA, Paradise Rock Club

This was my second Frank Black concert and i was quite excited (first being met cafe jan 12). I brought the insert of Dog in the Sand with me in case i should get the unlikely chance of an autograph, and sure enough i bumped into Rich Gilbert at the McDonald's next door! He was really nice and gave autographs to me and my friends, i told him what a big fan my dad was of Human Sexual Response..hope that didn't make him feel old.

Anyway, the opening band, House of Large Sizes were pretty good, considering i wasn't familiar with any of their material. They had the Pixies female bassist-male guitarist-vocalist thing going, and the music had those loud-soft dynamics, but they also sort of sounded like the Beastie Boys in a weird way. Anyways, insteresting enough.

At 9:15, only a little while after the HOLS left the stage, the into began and frank black and the catholics strolled out and bolted into Nimrod's Son. The show was absolutely fantastic, they played for (dramatic pause) 2 and a half hours! Frank was in a great mood and joked and talked throughout. They came out and did a 7 song encore! Frank kept saying "this is our last song", but then he said "well, i'll just play one more, this one's fun to play! everyone get out of here!" He did a funny monologue on what exactly a dedication was, then dedicated "where is my mind" to the guy he accidentally walked in on in the bathroom that night (it was really funny). Anyways, here are the songs he played in no order:

Come on Pilgrim: Nimrod's Son, Holiday Song
Surfer Rosa: Where is my mind
Doolittle: Gouge Away, Monkey Gone to Heaven, Mr. Grieves
Complete B-Sides: Dancing the Manta Ray
Frank Black: Everytime I go Around Here, Fu Manchu, Los Angeles
Teenager of the Year: Calistan, Headache, Sir Rockaby, Fiddle Riddle
Cult of Ray: The Marsist, Men in Black
FB and the Cs: All my Ghosts, Steak n Sabre, 666 (this crazy noise version everyone's talking about... good good!)
Pistolero: Western Star, You're Such a Wire, Skeleton Man, I love your Brain
Oddballs: Oddball
Dog in the Sand: I've Seen You're Picture, Robert Onion, Bullet, Hermaphroditos, I'll be Blue, Llano Del Rio, If it takes all night, Dog in the sand

He also played a TON of covers/new songs (?). Lesse..Black Rider by Tom Waits, Comin' to Los Angeles by Arlo Guthrie (the song he said is fun to play while we were heading out)..a song by the old punk band X, and 3 or so more i don't know. One was a laid back country type song, one had him doing some interplay with the bassist back and forth then built up to him really screamin, the other couple i can't completely remember. OH yeah, he also played the Dog in the Sand outtake, 21 Reasons...go see 'em, they're playin like crazy these days !
Itchload@aol.com

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2001, March 24th, Amsterdam , NL, Melkweg

If there is something like a home in Europe to play, for Frank Black and the Catholics; then it is definitely Amsterdam. Cool Tour T-shirts they sold for 15 gulden a piece.

The gig was at the melkweg which was completely full and sold out, I guess around 550 people where present. I think 60 % of the audience where ladies - Frank the heart breaker !!!

There was a great atmosphere as Frank & the Catholics entered the stage. And I could not believe my ears as I heard the first notes of Warszawa a legendary Bowie song. (From Bowie’s Berlin period, in March many magazines like uncut had long articles about, maybe that’s why?) People where confused and started screaming David, David what a fun. Frank must have enjoyed it too. First song was "Fiddle Riddle" and "Calistan" in comparison to all other concerts, this one was in perfect sound and acoustic quality.
As "Mr. Grieves" followed a fantastic rock night was granteed.
Due the many people, I expected a lot of Pixies songs, instead he played almost the whole (except St.Francis dam disaster) Dog in the sand.
The audience reacted very positive, sure there still some around who only like the Pixies songs but in general people came to listen his new work.
Highlight was for me the Tom Waits, a cover version, Frank’s voice ruled the room. Everybody was stunned about his voice volume - stronger and clearer then every other instrument that night !
Positive was also that he played some songs from his solo debut like Los Angels and Fu Manchu the show ended with a fantastic "Where is my mind".
Unfortunatly I had to miss out on the encores again because of the train.
All in all, the best Frank Black Concert I ever have seen with a good audience and a superb sound quality. But the impression what stayed with me and my friends was his voice. Today in Show Biz there is really nobody who comes even close to him does it than really matter which songs he plays ?

I hope this concert is taped !
Andreas Mahl

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2001, March 22th, Zwolle , NL, Hedon

This was the first gig from Frank Black & the Catholics in Holland on this tour and it started out in the north of Holland in a town called Zwolle.
I arrived at 9.00 p.m. at the Hedon (apr.350 pax) and to my surprise it was quite full. (Look on the map where Zwolle is !!!)
Another surprise for me was that they were selling Tour T-Shirts (none in Frankfurt)
At exactly 9:30 Frank and the Catholics entered the stage. And how ! For the last 10 years I have seen many Frank Black and Pixies concerts, but I never saw him in such a great mood. They started with a song which was partly played from a dat tape and I really don’t know the title. Followed by "Fiddle Riddle" and "Souperbound". Still Frank was in great mood, jumped and smiled all over the stage, unfortunately the audience was a little reluctant.
Followed by the first Pixies song "Gauge Away" but strangely this night people did not come to hear Pixies songs. This is good because I think Frank shouldn’t play them anymore, instead I would have preferred songs from his never released cd "Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day", like Constant Sorrow Man.
An excellent version from Tom Waits "Black Raider" followed. I must say it sounded stunning: the mix Black/Waits. I hope we will hear more of this sound in the future. From his latest work he played Blast off, Robert onion, Hermaphroditos, If it takes all night and Dog in the sand.
Of course Six-Sixty-Six and Steak’n’Sabre was on the set list as well.
My 2 favorite songs of the night where: "So hard to make things out" and the fantastic by far overlooked "I’ve seen your picture". This is for me the best song so far in 2001.
After 2 hours and 10 minutes finest rock music the Catholics finished their set but came back for encores.
Sadly I could not listen to them because I had to run for my last train back to Amsterdam which I anyway missed!
Andreas Mahl

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2001, March 21th, Lille , FRA, L' Aéronef

C'était la troisième fois que j'allais voir FB en concert. L'aéronef est une salle assez sympa, rien de spécial. Une première partie pas terrible : un groupe dont je ne souviens pas du nom, fanatiques de crustacés ... de toutes façons au bout de 30 minutes, ils étaient partis.

Et pendant que les 20 minutes que dure le demontage de leur matos, et le montage de celui de FB&TC, qui je vois sur une passerelle 3 étages au dessus ? Le gros Frank, accompagné de 3 Catholics, ils sont en train de délirer entre eux, ca fait plaisir à voir, il a l'air en bonne forme.

La salle n'est pas comble, 500 personnes peut être, mais il pourrait y avoir une bonne cinquantaine de personnes en plus.

21h30 : ils rentrent en scène pendant qu'un truc enregistré (un groupe avec une chanteuse, j'en sais pas plus) est passé ... et ils se mettent à jouer par dessus. Ca dure pas longtemps, mais c'est très sympa comme intro, je ne sais pas si c'est un truc que FB a fait dans les autres concerts. Ils ne sont pas en costume comme en 99 à Paris, mais c'est pas grave (sauf pour Rich "Austin Powers" Gilbert qui était super drôle dans son costume orange).

Ils attaquent le concert par 2 Pixies (Gouge Away et Mr Grieves) puis Hermaphroditos ... généralement sur toute la première partie, c'est des trucs qui bougent ... et pourtant le public reste stoïque ... il apprécie, je pense, mais il bouge pas d'un poil.

Frank est jovial ce soir, il sourit, fait des face à face avec le bassiste et on a l'impression qu'ils jouent entre eux à qui jouera le plus fort. Encore plus fort, il introduit certaines chansons dont Monkey's Gone to Heaven avec la bouche : "Pom pom pom ..." ahah excellent. Il se demène comme jamais, et je ne sais pas comment il arrive à chanter dans les aigus, les graves, si fort, en beuglant comme au temps des Pixies la moitié du temps, et faire ça tous les soirs ... David Mc Gaffrey est dans un bon jour aussi, il sourit tout le temps et prend visiblement son pied. Rich Gilbert fait la gueule, comme à l'accoutumée mais en pire ... il me semble pas très inspiré ce soir, et même si au début il fait des trucs sympas (une outro géniale à moitié improvisée avec la pedal steel guitar, je sais plus quelle chanson), il termine une chanson (I've seen your picture je crois) avec le haut du pied de son micro, et il joue Los Angeles en tapant sur les cordes avec un stick de batterie (bon à un moment, il a paumé le stick aussi ...) ... mais après Frank vient l'engueuler discretement pour je ne sais trop quelle raison, et du coup power off, il fait plus rien (enfin si il joue un peu quand meme) ... Scott Boutier cogne, et c'est bien meilleur que dans le concert en 99, précis et dynamique. Dave Philips joue pas mal du tout mais cherche quelques fois un peu sa place ...

Et sur la 7/8ème chanson, I Switched You, le public devient tout d'un coup histérique, ca bouge beaucoup. Ca durera une petite heure, à peu près jusqu'a ce qu'un cinglé se retrouve sur scène et fasse un petit tour derrière Frank en plein Los Angeles. Frank s'arrête, le regarde, fait un signe qui veut dire "tu me fatigues avec tes conneries", et il reprennent alors Los Angeles comme si de rien n'était :) N'empêche que le public est assez connaisseur, il chante beaucoup sur les chansons des Pixies, et sur quelques FB aussi. Il me semble que Frank a dit à un moment à Dave "this is the best one", peut être en parlant du concert.

Mes favoris pour ce soir : Fu Manchu, et So hard to make things out, avec la deuxième partie jouée 2 fois plus vite que sur l'album, c'est à dire TRES rythmé :)

En tous cas c'était un grand concert, 2h15 et une bonne trentaine de chansons dont voici la liste pour la plupart dans le désordre :

Gouge Away
Mr Grieves
Hermaphroditos
Dancing the Manta Ray
I've seen your Picture
Steak 'n Sabre
Dog in the Sand
I Switched You
Fiddle Riddle
Six Sixty Six
Monkey's Gone to Heaven
Every time I go around here
I love your Brain
Superabound
Los Angeles
Skeleton Man
Bullet
Llano del Rio
Nimrod's Son
You're such a wire
I'll be Blue
Sir Rockaby
Blast Off
Calistan
Robert Onion
All my ghosts
So hard to make things out
Fu Manchu
Where is my mind?
The Holiday Song
Stupid Me

NB : pour les gens du son de l'aéronef si par hasard ils lisent ça, baissez un chouya le niveau sonore, parce que avoir les oreilles qui sifflent 12 heures après un concert, c'est pas terrible.
Arnaud

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2001, March 20th, Strasbourg , FRA, La Laiterie (1)

Going to a FB concert is always a event. Furthermore, knowing that he plays a lot longer than the previous tours and that there are loads of the Pixies' stuff, woaw, it would be great !!!

The door opened at 8PM as planned and the first part (a local band) performed for about 45 minutes. What a surprise to see, 10 minutes before the show started that FB and his crew were tuning the guitars and stuff themselves, he's such a pro ! They all came on stage at 9:30PM and played for about 2 hours without a break and then a 20 minute encore. Here's the setlist, with no special order :

Velvety instrumental !
Fiddle Riddle
All my ghost
Bullet
Calistan
Dancing the Manta Ray
Dog Gone
Dog in the sand
Everytime I go around
Gouge away
Hermaphroditos
Holiday song
If it takes all night
I'll Be Blue
I've seen your picture
Llano del rio
Los Angeles
Mr Grieves
Nimrod Son
Oddballs
Robert Onion
Sir Rockaby
Six Sixty Six (cool version)
Skeleton Man
So Hard to make things out
Steak 'n Sabre
Stupid Me
Such a wire
Superabound
The Marsist
Tom Waits version
Where is my mind
I love your brain
21 reasons

It was the sixth time I had seen Mr Black live , and it sure was the best...
Gilles ADAM

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2001, March 20th, Strasbourg , FRA, La Laiterie (2)

For those of you who already read the review of the concert in Munich, Backstage, you will already know what happened at the beginning of the our trip:

I went from Germany to France (3 hour drive) with the same dude I saw the Munich gig with. He again forgot our tickets and since this time he was driving, he came late, we had no petrol. I thought ‘Cool, same circumstances like last time and then the show was brilliant’trying to see things positively.

So we left Germany at 4.30 pm and arrived in Straßburg already at 7.30 . We had planned some time to be searched at the border because it was exactly the time where Europe’s borders had been controlled strictly for this animal disease virus spreading in Europe. We thought we would be desinfected with a spray they used for the shoes and the car wheels. Anyway, nothing like that happened and even the description of the way to the laiterie that I got from the Internet was perfectly right - so 2 hours early and it rained. We picniced in the car, listened to some At the Drive-In (needless to mention my friend forgot the Frank Black MiniDiscs) and went in as persons no.5 and 6.

Some local band opened for the Catholics and I missed them totally due to some funny and stoned Frenchmen who heard us speaking German and wanted to talk to us.

I was curious to find out about different crowd reactions in France. I thought that at the beginning it was quite the same like in Germany but towards the end, when the Pixies tunes were played, one could clearly hear that the Pixies were the most successfull here in France. I think this is strange since the French are much less into Rock Music than Germans or English folks. They prefer Reggae in the south and in the north and Paris area dance and club music is very big. But those are only my impressions, anyway, the crowd reaction in France was all in all better than in Germany, I have to admit.

The concert itself, again, great, long, about 30 songs, brilliantly played, good atmosphere. It was worth the trip. My personal highlight was definetly the moment one very drunk Frenchman suddenly entered the stage, stood next to Frank, put his hand on his shoulder (all during a song) and attempted to jump into the audience to do some crowd surfing. Frank just smiled (being very perplex) and put his hand on the Frenchman’s shoulder until he finally jumped and fell very badly due to lacking coordination - after he stood erect, the security came and showed him the way to the door I believe...
Björn Minx

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