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Pixies have staying power

Alt-rock legends finish Doolittle tour in Victoria
The Pixies 2009
American alt-rock legends, the Pixies, are making a stop at the Save On Foods Memorial Centre with their Doolittle tour, Thursday, May 5.

Alt-rock legends finish Doolittle tour in Victoria

The air is thick with anticipation.

Fans of critically acclaimed alt-rock pioneers, the Pixies, won’t have to wait much longer to see the rock legends perform a perfected version of their 1989 album, Doolittle.

With almost 100 tour dates under their belt, the Pixies are finishing off their cross-Canada tour here in Victoria, Thursday, May 5.

“It’s amazing, tours keep coming up because of demand,” says drummer David Lovering. “We thought it was over in the U.S. late last summer, but we found out Canada wants to see it, too.”

The Doolittle tour began in Ireland in September 2009, and has graced stages throughout Europe, Australia, South America, the U.S. and finally Canada.

They’ll be playing the 22-year-old album from start to finish, along with B-sides for an eager crowd of aging rock enthusiasts and new fans alike.

“It’s very weird, I can't believe how young some of these people in the crowd are,” says guitar player Joey Santiago. “I guess they found out about us in utero when they were fetuses because their parents really dug the music.”

“We're one of those lucky bands because college really broadens people's horizons. I used to tell my nieces and nephews about my work, but when they hit college they came to me and I was like 'I told you I was a fucken bad ass, I'm not just your uncle.”

The band members: singer Black Francis, bassist Kim Deal, Lovering and Santiago, will take turns selecting songs for the encore. “Generally when we do an encore, it's a greatest hits kind of thing,” says Lovering.

The show will feature 11 films custom-made by Judy Jacobs, Tom Winkler, Brent Felix and Melinda Tupling. The films will be projected onto a massive back drop and will accompany about half of the songs on the set list.

“This is the biggest, grandest production we've ever had,” says Lovering. “We have two semis full of equipment.”

After the show, Santiago and Lovering will be spending time around town enjoying some local delicacies.

“We like to eat," says Santiago. "We're the hunters of the group. "The other two are gatherers — they're mostly vegetarian."

Keep your eyes peeled for Santiago cruising around town on his bicycle, which he uses for sightseeing on tour.

“I picked up this beater mountain bike in Halifax for $100 and brought it along for the tour. When I take it for a cruise, I always have a destination, usually food related — I have to find a place to get my huevos rancheros,” he says.

He plans to lock the bike up somewhere in Victoria and hold a treasure hunt contest on Twitter, leaving clues to its location. “Whoever finds it will get to keep it. I'll give them the lock combination.” M