The Breeders, one of the most influential bands in the 90’s, played the Fillmore in Philadelphia on 9/20. When they announced a 30th anniversary reissue of their album Last Splash and a upcoming tour, there was a lot of buzz. Not only is it regarded as of the best albums to come out of the 90’s but they stated they’d be playing the entire album front to back. It’s not very often that an audience gets to hear one of their favorite albums in it’s entirety and have it performed by same iconic musicians that were on the original album. The band consists of twins Kim and Kelly Deal, Josephine Wiggs and Jim Macpherson.
The band kicked off with the one two punch of “New Year” followed by their biggest hit, “Cannonball”. The place erupted. Some other highlights were the beautiful harmonies on “Devine Hammer” and the incredible jam on “S.O.S”. They band also got a huge response from the crowd on “Saints” and especially on the country tinged “Drivin on 9”, which included an impressive fiddle solo by a touring band member.
The Breeders encore included “Wait in the Car” and “Nervous Mary”, two gems off their critically acclaimed 2018 release, All Nerve. One of the biggest highlights of the night was on “When I Was a Painter”. It was one of three songs they played off their debut album Pod, which also included “Doe” and “Iris”.
It was a great night of music and such an appreciative crowd. Not only did they sound great but looked like they were having alot of fun on stage. What really impressed was the chemistry of the band. Whatever magic they had back in their heyday apparently remains unchanged. The band is owed a debt of gratitude as they have been viewed as pioneers of sorts and their unique sound helped shape the alternative rock sound of the nineties. There is no doubt they have influenced generations of artists.
