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The Seattle International Film Festival is in town, and last night, Mike and I were lucky enough to attend a screening of loudQUIETloud: A Film About Pixies, a documentary that covers the band's 2004 reunion tour.
The title lends itself not only to the dynamics of a Pixies song (with its "quiet verse/loud chorus" pattern), but also to the band themselves: after rocking out all fierce on stage to the deafening-screams from the audience, they retreat backstage where they say very little to each other. (There's even a cute scene where bassist Kim Deal's sister, Kelley, remarks, "You guys are the worst communicators ever!")
But it's interesting watching all this backstage footage, because you definitely get a sense of why the band broke up, and well, frankly, of why they got back together. (And back to Kelley, there's a cute segment of her marching down a line of ticketholders outside a sold out UK show, interviewing fans by asking, "Why do you think they broke up, and why do you think they got back together?")
One of the answers given most frequently is "money", which the movie addresses. Sure, Frank Black (aka Black Francis, aka Charles Thompson) has been busy as a solo artist, but as hinted to in a heartbreaking scene where he's working on a forthcoming solo album, it hasn't been the smoothest road for him. Guitarist Joey Santiago has been living off the residuals of Pixies album sales, but admits point blank that since file-trading has become so commonplace, the amount he receives has been getting smaller and smaller. He scores soundtracks on the side, but with a second baby entering the Santiago household, the Pixies reunion couldn't have come at a better time for him. (And, holy crap, his kids are adorable!)
And then there's the heartbreaking tale of drummer David Lovering. After the Pixies broke-up in 1993, he found himself homeless and couch-surfing for a while, spending his hours with his metal detector on the beach, or cultivating his new love, magic. Needless to say, he was pretty eager to jump back onboard with The Pixies.
Kim's story is a little different though: the movie explains that she's been living with her parents, and is one-year sober when their reunion tour begins. In a sweet, yet sad moment, Kelley interviews her Mom asking her how she feels about The Pixies getting back together, and her Mom replies that she thinks the tour will be good for Kim. Later in the film, as the band approaches their New York City tour date, Kelley asks her sister, "Is this the first time you've been back to New York since getting sober?" and Kim freaks out a little when she realizes that, yes, it is. She and Kelley joke around that she'll be fine, because "New York isn't much of a party town".
Due to Kim's newfound sobriety, she asks that there be no alcohol allowed backstage, but when David's father passes away from cancer while they're on tour, the poor guy starts spiraling downward, combining drinking with valium, in order to cope. This actually leads to one of the most touching scenes in the film, where the band are in a van after a show, doing their awkward-best to have an intervention for David. For a band with a strong reputation as being dysfunctional and horrible communicators (hence their break-up ten years ago), it's really painful, yet heart-warming, to see them struggle to work through a problem together. It's obvious they care, but they just never learned how to convey it. Charles even grabs the lens of the camera and points it away during the uncomfortable exchange. But, it all has a happy ending, as David agrees to stop trying to self-medicate his grief.
Despite their personal setbacks behind the scenes, onstage, it's nothing but amazing! When the film began, and from the first notes of their music, I hate to fight the urge to stand up in the movie theater and start singing along, jumping up and down, and cheering. I even got butterflies in my stomach just hearing them play live together again after a decade, and that's just from seeing concert footage of a concert, not even actually being there! Directors Steve Cantor and Matthew Galkin did an excellent job of combining the electrifying live performances with the more subdued backstage moments, definitely capturing the title of loudQUIETloud.
Best Moment of Irony: Kim, clutching a Grande Starbucks Frappucino and a cigarette, announcing to the band that she's been drug-free for a year now.
Best Product Placement: Besides Kim's ever-present Frappucinos, this movie also made me want to run out and buy an iPod, as David testifies to their awesomeness, and Kim makes a dash for hers when she can't remember her bass part to "Hey".
Best Haircut: The winner by far is David, for shaving off that scraggly, fried almost-mullet he sports in the beginning of the film. Runner-up goes to Kim. Really, all she needed was a good conditioning treatment, but the sassy short-style she ends up with was a good choice too, plus it helps you differentiate her from her twin, Kelley.
Cutest Kid Award: It's basically a three-way tie between Joey's adorable son and daughter, and Charles' now-step-son. There's a scene where Charles and his then-girlfriend/now-wife take him to an aquarium, where they approach a starfish. And when they reach into the pool to touch it, the little boy puts his hand on Charles' hand as Charles touches the starfish. When his mom asks him if he wants to touch the starfish himself, he replies, "I want Charles to help me" and then, adorably, Charles puts his hand on the little boy's hand in turn, as he reaches into the water and touches the starfish. It was so cute, I just about died. (janice.02.06)
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