Last Friday night, a group of Boston and Boston-bred artists gathered at the Pleasant Street Theater — a tiny indie movie house in Northampton, Mass., that’s closing after 30 years — to throw a party in honor of the venue. Among those performing: Pixies frontman Black Francis and Throwing Muses leader Kristin Hersh, staples of the late-’80s scene, who together performed the Pixies’ “Wave of Mutilation.”
Above you’ll find a photo of the duo soundchecking, via Hersh’s Twitter feed, and, below, is an iPhone-filmed clip from ImaginalComponent of the performance itself, interrupted, quite comically, by Frank Black’s attempt to explain how he cribbed the song’s opening phrase (“Cease to resist…”) from the Beach Boys, who, in turn, nicked it from Charles Manson.
And thanks to Bradley’s Almanac for pointing us to the clip.
VIDEO: Black Francis & Kristin Hersh, Pleasant Street Theater, 7/13/12
Northampton is a million miles (spiritually) from Boston. Charles went to school in Amherst, a few miles away. Hersh grew up in Rhode Island. Not to be picky, but I never considered The Pixies or Throwing Muses to be Boston bands–not like… The Lyres, the Neighborhoods, Mission of Burma, Scruffy the Cat, Del Fuegos, Buffalo Tom, The Outlets, and the best of them all–Human Sexual Response & The Modern Lovers. I think The Pixies became relatively famous too fast! (and good for them)–they came to Boston, made a name and left. I saw their reunion show (well, the first round!) at the Orpheum in Boston and musically it was a treat–but the hometown love–all one way. They may as well have been playing Boston, UK.
Wow! I didn’t know the PST was closing! That was a GREAT tiny theater where you could see all sorts of fun indie and foreign movies. I have so many wonderful memories of Northampton (don’t get me started on the late lamented Main Street Music, where I bought pretty much all those tapes in your banner), including seeing a lot of strange and wonderful movies at that place. Sad to see it go, but I’m glad it’s getting a fitting sendoff!