THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND
Weezer and Pixies, MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, June 23

Florida was the launchpad for the big summer tour pairing alt-rock legends Weezer and the Pixies on a co-headlining bill. Even with very solid bona fides and undisputed spots in the indie canon, however, both bands have had their own legacy hiccups. The Pixies are, ahem, dealing with continuing the reunion era of their career minus a very defining and beloved member (indie idol Kim Deal). And Weezer have been trying to age gracefully and hold on to their compass amid shifting fan base and, frankly, diminishing artistic returns.
In this latest outing, it was good to see that the Pixies have maintained their feral fire, refusing to be tamed by the responsibility of historical stature. And new bassist Paz Lenchantin is a worthy addition.
Look, there’s only one Kim Deal, and she ain’t it. But neither is the rest of world. Lenchantin, however, is a solid fit in this one-of-a-kind band, and that’s something most of humanity can’t claim. Also, hearing the Pixies rip their full-throttle Jesus and Mary Chain cover live hit my sweet spot exponentially.
Weezer, for their part, really capitalized on the true headlining spot with set changes, production and even pyro.
Being far more arena-ready inherently, their big, clean, chunky riffs translated well in this outdoor milieu. What also came through was the band’s famous humor and personality, including a Toto cover to oblige a teenage fan’s Twitter campaign.
Even though Weezer is generally more suited to top a summer blockbuster tour, it did feel kind of heretical to hear the Pixies play before them. But at the end of the day, both are bands with some defining songs and sounds that were groundbreaking and landmark. And this double-headed bill is an indie-rock dream ticket.

Follow Bao on Twitter (@baolehuu)
Email Bao: baolehuu@orlandoweekly.com