May 6th, 2013
If you're a member of Generation X, you know "Last Splash" from the Breeders. Released in 1993, this alt-rock classic turns 20 this year, making those of us who loved it as teenagers feel officially old. The album, thanks to alternative going
mainstream at the time, achieved platinum status. Kim and Kelley Deal, the identical twin sisters from Ohio who fronted the band, were sexy tomboys
who rocked out without their twats out. Crafted with a loose, DIY, slightly unfinished
sound, the record shot them to the top. Their singles, especially
"Cannonball", were all over the radio and their videos got heavy
rotation on a channel that was once Music Television. I saw them
perform at the peak of their popularity when they hit the main stage
at Lollapalooza on Randall's Island in 1994, along with the Beastie Boys, L7, & the Smashing Pumpkins. In a stacked lineup, they more than held their own. Sadly, after that summer's tour, other projects and substance abuse issues splintered the band. Now, two decades later, Kim and Kelley Deal, Josephine Wiggs, Jim MacPherson, and Carrie Bradley, Last Splash's birth parents, have reunited for a series of shows in which they play the entire album from front to back. I joined a crowd of my peers in a sold out Webster Hall for a trip down memory lane.
The band took the stage to raucous applause. They greeted the crowd. Moments later the opening notes of "New Year" rung out from Kelley's guitar. The packed house filled with a collective roar, Kim sung the first line and the song kicked in. With that the show was rolling. As promised, one by one they worked their way through all 15 songs. Highlights for me were Kelley belting out "I Just Wanna Get Along" and the forever great "Divine Hammer".
The crowd was loudest at the beginning and ending of songs, but rather subdued besides that. I'm guessing many in attendance were being transported to younger days and enjoying flashbacks behind their glazed eyes. They hadn't come to make a new memory as much as they'd come to remember. This was what made this show so special. Great bands make an impact and leave touchstones we use to remember periods of time in our brief lives. The Breeders greatness is affirmed by "Last Splash", an enormous touchstone for countless members of my generation.
After wrapping up the set with Roi's Reprise, they took a brief break backstage before returning for a lengthy encore of covers and other songs from their catalog. When the show finally came to a close, Kim and her comrades walked off to shouts of "Love you" and "Thank you". Couldn't have said it better myself.
The crowd was loudest at the beginning and ending of songs, but rather subdued besides that. I'm guessing many in attendance were being transported to younger days and enjoying flashbacks behind their glazed eyes. They hadn't come to make a new memory as much as they'd come to remember. This was what made this show so special. Great bands make an impact and leave touchstones we use to remember periods of time in our brief lives. The Breeders greatness is affirmed by "Last Splash", an enormous touchstone for countless members of my generation.
After wrapping up the set with Roi's Reprise, they took a brief break backstage before returning for a lengthy encore of covers and other songs from their catalog. When the show finally came to a close, Kim and her comrades walked off to shouts of "Love you" and "Thank you". Couldn't have said it better myself.
Upcoming Tour Dates
| May 9 | Royale Nightclub | Boston, MA | |
| May 11 | Danforth Music Hall | Toronto, ONT Canada | |
| May 12 | Majestic Theatre | Detroit, MI | |
| May 14 | Cannery Ballroom | Nashville, TN | |
| May 15 | Variety Playhouse | Atlanta, GA | |
| May 17 | Hangout Festival | Gulf Shores, AL | |
| May 24 | Primavera Sound 2013 | Barcelona, Spain | |
| May 25 | This is Not A Love Song Festival | Nimes, France | |
| May 27 | Le Bikini | Toulouse, France | |
| May 28 | Le Rocher De Palmer | Bordeaux, France | |
| May 30 | Primavera Sound 2013 | Porto, Portugal | |
| June 1 | Le Trianon | Paris, France | |
| June 2 | Ancienne Belgique | Brussels, Belgium | |
| June 3 | Paradiso | Amsterdam, Holland | |
| June 14 | Vicar Street | Dublin, Ireland | |
| June 15 | The Limelight | Belfast, Ireland | |
| June 17 | ABC | Glasgow, Scotland | |
| June 18 | Ritz | Manchester, England | |
| June 19 | Forum | London, England | |
| June 21 | ATP Festival | Camber Sands, UK | |
| July 20 | Pitchfork Music Festival | Chicago, IL | |
| Aug 3 | Osheaga Festival | Montreal, QC CANADA | |
| Aug 26 | Rio Theatre | Santa Cruz, CA | |
| Aug 27 | The Fillmore | San Francisco, CA | |
| Aug 30 | Wonder Ballroom | Portland, OR | |
| Aug 31 | Commodore Ballroom | Vancouver, BC | |
| Sept 1 | Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival | Seattle Center, Seattle, WA | |
| Sept 7 | Hopscotch Music Festival | Raleigh, NC | |
| Oct 26 | All Tomorrow's Parties | Altona North, Melbourne, Australia | |
| Oct 28 | Enmore theatre | Sydney, Australia | |
| Oct 29 | Tivoli theatre | Brisbane, Australia | |
| Oct 31 | Astor Theatre | Perth, Australia |
