I have never been a huge Pixies fan, but I totally enjoyed last Tuesday evening at SF Pubic Works when UnderCover Presents featured fifteen of the Bay Area’s finest bands in a celebration of the classic album Doolittle. Each band performed a different track off the album, and I am currently loving the CD of the studio recordings of the same tracks. And  I’ve been turned into some of the music of local bands that I had not heard before.

That is the precise intent of UnderCover: to celebrate a beloved album and celebrate the local Bay Area music community, and create new fans along the way.

Participate in the forum: What album would like to see UnderCover perform?

So far they’ve celebrated The Velvet Underground & Nico and Doolittle and the next is rumored to be Prince’s Purple Rain on June 7th (which is Prince’s birthday) with Jazz Mafia’s Adam Theis as guest music director.

Don’t get me wrong; I totally respect what the Pixies have done for music. And I really enjoy a handful of the more radio friendly songs from the album. But I can’t remember the last time I heard Doolittle in its entirety. I saw the Pixies perform live at the Austin City Limits Festival a few years back and I really only remember Francis Black screaming a lot. It’s just not my aesthetic cup of tea. That does not mean I cannot appreciate a brilliant reinterpretation of one of those tunes.

My one critique of this past UnderCover show is more of a logistical one: because there are so many bands performing on one stage, the time taken between performances to set up made the night rather long for only fifteen songs and the crowd thinned towards the end, unfortunately folks missed out on some of the coolest performances of the night. As this was only the second UnderCover show, this is a problem that can be solved with experience and eventual resources.

Guest music director Aaron Novik encouraged performers to interpret the Pixies in their own styles, thereby giving the audience a sense of what each band’s original material might be like.

Highlights of the night for me were discovering Karina Denike & Lily Taylor and Blue Rabbit. Blue Rabbit performed “Hey,” complete with three-part harmony and an arrangement that proves that the cello and harp are bonafide rock’n’roll instruments. Karina Denike & Lily Taylor were as sultry as can be on their rendition of “Silver.” The recorded tracks are just as amazing.

Novik’s rendition of "No. 13 Baby” was an intricate web of back-up female vocals, incredible lead vocals by Dominique Leone (holy moly, where has this dude been hiding?) and Novik’s signature bass clarinet.

Some performances were more straight-up covers, like Joe Bagale and the Jazz Mafia’s “Here Comes Your Man” which fit nicely into their soul/funk groove.  Other ensembles like the 35-woman a cappella chorus Conspiracy of Venus clad in gold, silver and white gowns interpreted “Monkey Gone to Heaven” into their own unique style so different from the original. Other bands to do this were Latin tinged LoCura performing “Mr. Grieves” and afrobeat band Albino! with “Debaser.”

I also especially loved Dina Maccabee’s sweet and dreamy arrangement of “La La Love You” including violin and the twang of a mouth harp. I hope that Maccabee, as well as the other performers, is able to add this tune seamlessly into her future performances.

Check out upcoming shows for some of the UnderCover presents Doolittle bands:

Conspiracy of Venus – Thursday, March 3, Freight and Salvage, opening for Beth Custer

Blue Rabbit – Wednesday, March 2, The Hemlock

Lily Taylor - Saturday, March 5, SOMArts Main Gallery

LoCura - Friday, March 11, Aubergine After Dark

Dominque Leone - Saturday March 12, Totally Intense Fractal Mindgaze Hut

Albino! - Friday, March 25, Elbo Room

Click to purchase CDs from Porto Franco Records:

UnderCover Presents: Velvet Undeground & Nico

UnderCover Presents: Doolittle

UnderCover Presents is a collaborative effort of Faultline Studios, Porto Franco Records, and UnderCover (Lyz Luke).

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For more info: www.UnderCoverPresents.com