He may be bald, chubby and 36 years old, but don’t just dismiss Frank Black as a has-been. You owe this man a huge debt of gratitude for saving rock music.
You see, Black (real name: Charles Thompson) was once in this little band called The Pixies. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, The Pixies fought the good fight against ’80s hair metal and synth pop with their twisted surf songs about UFOs and monkeys. Never a huge commercial success, the band called it quits in 1993, but not before releasing a body of material that has since had a huge influence on everyone from Nirvana to David Bowie to Weezer.
While you may know The Pixies, you might not know that Black has had quite a solo career, with six albums under his belt. He even has another band, The Catholics, who just released their third album, “Dog in the Sand.”
With its twangy guitar crunch, its country pedal-steel licks and its funky Wurlitzer/piano vibe, this CD rules. You should pick up a copy immediately. Black’s former Pixies cohort Joey Santiago even shows up on three songs.
Frank Black and The Catholics will grace the WOW Hall next Wednesday. It should certainly rock, and ex-Pixies drummer David Lovering will be opening the concert — with a magic show. Black describes Lovering’s act — dubbed “David Lovering’s Scientific Experiment” — as “weird… he blows stuff up with his powers of mentalism.” Pixies fans take note: On past solo jaunts, Black has steadfastly refused to play any songs by his old band. However, on this tour, Black has taken Pixies classics such as “Where is My Mind?” and “Gouge Away” out of the mothballs.
I managed to talk with a groggy Black at his hotel in Lawrence, Kan., and immediately realized to my horror that the phone call had woken him. While polite, Black sounded pretty tired, so his answers were rather short and to the point.
Pulse: May I call you Charles?
Frank Black: You may.
P: I read in a recent interview that the WOW Hall is one of your favorite places to play. What do you like about it?
FB: The way that it sounds on stage. Just the way that it sounds in the room.
P: Have some of the clubs you’ve played in had pretty bad acoustics?
FB: (laughs) Yeah, you could say that!
P: While on tour stops here, have you had much time to hang out and soak up Oregon?
FB: Over the years, probably a little bit.
P: What can an audience expect from a Frank Black and the Catholics show?
FB: Two, two-and-a-half-hour-long show.
P: In the past, reviewers have often been uniformly harsh in dealing with your last few albums. “Dog in the Sand” seems to be changing all of that by getting some of the best reviews of your career. Do you feel that it holds up better than the others?
FB: (pauses) No. I mean, I think that it has a certain vibe which people like. [It’s] a little lighter.
P: Why do you think there’s been such a different response to it?
FB: It’s a little more commercial-sounding.
P: “Dog in the Sand” was recorded live to 2-track, which is a rather unconventional method these days. Do you expect to keep recording this way?
FB: Absolutely. Absolutely. I will not go back to multi-track.
P: You have quite a backlog of glories to rest upon. Do you have any musical goals left that you feel must be accomplished?
FB: No. Actually, I have no musical goals.
P: You recently had all your equipment stolen from a tour stop. How has this affected your tour since then?
FB: Yeah, we did cancel a few shows, and you know, stuff kind of feels different. That’s taken some getting used to.
P: On this tour, you’ve resurrected some old Pixies songs for the first time in years. Was this a conscious decision to play songs that you’ve retired for so long?
FB: Um, I guess so. I guess so. I just decided to do some, that’s all. I can’t really say any more about it. Well, OK, let’s do some Pixies.
FB: We’re looking forward to Eugene, as always.
You can catch Frank Black and the Catholics May 16 at the WOW Hall. You can get tickets at any WOW Hall ticket outlet. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Doors open at 8 p.m. For more information, call 687-2746.