FRANK BLACK AT BOSTON HOUSE OF BLUES FOR “TEENAGER OF THE YEAR”

7 days ago3 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

On February 1, 2025, as a photographer and a fan of live music, I was delighted to see Frank Black and his band at Citizens House of Blues in Boston for “Teenager of the Year.” Despite the cold weather, over a thousand of fans attended the concert across the emblematic Fenway Park of the Boston Red Sox.

The show started at 8:00 p.m. with Reid Paley Trio as the opener. Starting straight with a series of songs from their different albums, the group composed of Reid Paley on guitars and vocals, Eric Eble on bass, and Dave Varriale on drums was terrific.

An American singer, songwriter and musician, born in Brooklyn, New York, Reid Paley has been performing and recording both solo and with his trio since the mid-1990s. With his powerful voice that fuels his fusion of blues and vintage rock & roll; Paley has worked extensively with Frank Black.

At the House of Blues, the trio was phenomenal.

Around 9:30 p.m. the headliner Frank Black hit the stage.

Known as Black Francis and Frank Black, Black was part of the 2013 lineup for the Pixies. Pixies, the American band whose unique blend of punk rock’s aggression and pop music’s infectious melodies helped establish the sound that would define alternative rock in the 1990s.

Following the band’s breakup in 1993, Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV embarked on a solo career under the name Frank Black. He released two albums with record label 4AD and one with American Recordings. He left the label and formed a new band, Frank Black and the Catholics. He re-adopted the name Black Francis in 2007.

At Citizens House of Blues in Boston, Frank Black played with a group of talented musicians: Frank Black (guitar, lead singer), Eric Drew Feldman (bass and Keys), Lyle Workman (guitar), Nick Vincent (drums), Rob Laufer (keys, bass, and guitar).

These musicians are part of the band for Black’s 2025 Teenager of the Year tour. The tour celebrates the 30th anniversary of the album Teenager of the Year.

I love to hear good Rock and Roll and Black was just fantastic. His band has played together for years. The musicians are so tight, and their music permeated the whole venue. The riffs, the deep feelings, and the emotions coming from the songs were amazing. The exuberant crowd loved Frank and his band as I did.

The sound at the House of Blues was so good that it could shut my eyes and turn me back to the years of the Pixies when the album “Teenager of the Year” came out. Frank played the album in its entirety and had so much fun doing it.

Overview

Teenager of the Year is the second solo studio album by American musician Frank Black. The album was released in 1994 by 4AD in the United Kingdom and Elektra Records in the United States. It was co-produced by Eric Feldman, who also played keyboards and bass guitar on the album. Teenager features work by several backing musicians, including Lyle Workman, Nick Vincent, Moris Tepper and Black’s Pixies bandmate Joey Santiago.

The album reached no. 2 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart and No 31. On the Billboard 200 chart in 1994. The single “Headache” reached No. 10 on Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart that year. Although not originally well-received, the record is now widely praised by both critics and fans. The album is often cited as the high point of Francis’ post Pixies catalogue. The album is included in the book “1001” Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.”

Frank Black Setlist

1. Czar

2. Ten Percenter

3. Whatever Happened to Pong?

4. Thalassocracy

5. (I Want to Live on an) Abstract Plain

6. Calistan

7. The Vanishing Spies

8. Speedy Marie

9. Headache

10. Sir Rockaby

11. Freedom Rock