I Drove to San Diego to See Pixies and Modest Mouse. Was it Worth it?

Show Lineup:

Opener: Cat Power Headliners: Modest Mouse and Pixies

Genre(s): Mainly alternative rock

Venue: Gallagher Square, San Diego CA

Date: September 16th 2023 Description:

For some context, I have seen both of these headliners perform at the Rialto (Modest Mouse being my first concert) and I had a great time so when I heard they were touring together, I knew I would need to see them even though the closest show was like a six hour drive. After I decided I was going to the show, I got a group together to make it a road trip so I wasn't just driving there, sleeping, and then coming back.

When we got to the venue, I was immediately a fan. It was an outdoor venue at Petco Park so the view of the stadium was really cool and the weather in San Diego was perfect. Right at 7, the opener, Cat Power, came out and I wasn't that impressed. The band didn't really have much of a stage presence and the music was not my vibe. After them, Modest Mouse came out and oh my god their set was amazing! It was even better than the first time seeing them, I felt entranced and it was just so chill. As soon as their set was over, there was a huge surge towards the front of the crowd for the moshing to come out of the Pixies set. As expected, right as the Pixies came out, the pit opened and it got pretty crazy. I ended up moshing for a bit and had a good time but then there was an altercation and somebody got injured and the show was stopped for a minute. Throughout their set, Pixies played two versions of Wave of Mutilation which I was a fan of. I was however not a huge fan of the Pixies set. It was kind of boring with the band just playing in place and never addressing the audience. I was able to enjoy when they were playing their older songs but their newer music just doesn't sound that good live. I think I am being harsh on the Pixies set because I love their music so much and so I have high expectations for their performance.

Breaking the show down by set, I would rate Cat Power: 5/10, Modest Mouse: 10/10, and Pixies: 8/10. Overall the show and trip as a whole were very enjoyable and I would rate that weekend an 8.5/10. I am glad that I was able to have a successful road trip with my friends and I would say that it was most definitely worth it!

Reviewer Name: Noah Lieberman

Date of Review: September 28th 2023