P is for Puzzle

Pixies - Live at Royal Court, Liverpool, England (5/3/89)

Where would be without them, eh? Would punk have died? Would music have died? I dunno, maybe - maybe not. But for a brief shining moment, maybe a couple of years, sure seemed like they were the best thing that ever happened to punk.

One of my favorite Pixie recollections is of my little sister's high school graduation party, at our family's farm. Hot summer sun, big volleyball net on the lawn, my brother's giant stereo speakers hauled outside for the day - and "Gigantic" blasting out across the southern Wisconsin hillsides! Damn, that sounded good. It's the first thing that pops into my head when I think of the Pixies.

Second is the my oldest brother constantly playing "Monkey Gone to Heaven" from his apartment directly above mine. Constantly. At extreme volume. Late at night. For months. I'm not complaining - even through the floorboards, it's a song that sends shivers up and down my spine. Just the way it happened.

Anyhoo, this is a great show. Great sound and performance. I made a copy of it a few years ago for one of my students, who was nearly shell-shocked when I told him I liked his Pixies t-shirt. He thought he was the only person in town who knew the Pixies, that they were his secret! Swell kid, super smart genius kind of young man, too smart for regular school. This one's for my little Pixie fan!

PS I turned the picture into a puzzle for your pleasure. Print it, paste it to cardboard, cut it apart, shake the pieces up and kill an hour or two at work putting it back together. Your boss will be impressed by your scissor skills.