Frank Francis Black on tour--Salt Lake City

I went to see Frank Black last night here in Salt Lake City. I get the impression Frank/Francis/Charles has a lot of fans like me: loved the Pixies, loved the first solo album, liked the second one (Teenager of the Year), didn't bother with the third one (the Cult of Ray), dipped a toe in the Frank-Black-and-the-Catholics pool, but didn't get wet; but still likes the guy, and would pay $25 to go see him live.

The opening act was David Williams, a singer/guitarist who sounds a lot like Lyle Lovett, looks a bit like Charles Manson (as some highly disrespectful audience members loudly pointed out to him). His set was very low-key--a la Mazzy Star--with a few very impressive acoustic guitar solos.

Frank and long-time collaborator Eric Drew Feldman hit the stage and immediately addressed the proverbial elephant in the room--the Pixies. He started the set alone on his familiar cream-colored Telecaster with a handful of favorite Pixies songs in order to "scratch that itch" right off the bat. He also said that his oath as an Indie Rock star precluded him from doing them as a medley (huge laughs). He kicked off the Pixies segment with "Mr. Grieves", then "Velouria", although when he played the wrong chord shortly after starting, he segued into "Monkey Gone to Heaven", as if he was starting a Pixies medley (more huge laughs). He also played "Caribou", "The Holiday Song", and, much later in the set, a lurching version of "Nimrod's Son".

He and Feldman transitioned into his Frank Black material with his cover of the Tom Waits carnival barker number "the Black Rider", and then a stomping version of "Los Angeles" and "Ten Percenter" from his first solo album, and "I want to Live on an Abstract Plain" from Teenager of the Year.

He and Feldman joked about a song that was prominently featured in a recent movie that no one went to see (it was the phenomenal "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World"), and then told a story about how years ago he went to Puerto Rico for six months with a handful of homemade cassettes, only one of which turned out to contain any music, with was by the Ramones. The single cassette of Ramones music turned out to be all he needed there, and years later, Joey and the Ramones were so touched by Frank's song "I Heard Ramona Sing" that they took Frank on tour with them.

At this point he wandered into unfamiliar territory with songs I hadn't heard before, but had titles I could pick out from past setlists: "Superabound", "Sir Rockaby", "Big Red", "Calistan".

Was this fan disappointed that he didn't play such fan favorites as "Old Black Dawning", "Headache", "Freedom Rock", "Men in Black", or "Czar"? Hellz yes. Did it make me want to track down those albums I ignored? Nope. It was a great show though.