Dave Grohl Joins the Breeders at Joe Walsh’s VetsAid 2022
Dave Grohl joined the Breeders on stage at Joe Walsh's VetsAid 2022 for a performance of Pixies' "Gigantic."
The song was co-written by Pixies bassist Kim Deal and lead vocalist Black Francis, and appeared on the band's 1988 debut album, Surfa Rosa.
This year's VetsAid featured an all-Ohio bill, with the Breeders hailing from Dayton, Ohio. "I believe in Ohio and look forward to celebrating our musical legacy while honoring our veterans with VetsAid 2022," Walsh said in an earlier press release.
Growing up, Deal recalled in a 1995 interview, there was little exposure to the kind of music that would ultimately inspire her and her twin sister Kelley. A friend of Kelley's would send the sisters tapes from California, with music by acts like Elvis Costello, the Sex Pistols and the Undertones. "In Dayton, we felt like we were living in Russia," Kim said, "that those tapes were our most valuable asset. Precious, the only link with civilization. We didn't even know what a fanzine was, a specialized record store. For us, records could only be bought in supermarkets."
Years later, while Pixies was on hiatus, Kim formed the Breeders with Tanya Donelly, Josephine Wiggs and Britt Walford. (Donelly was later replaced by Kelley.) They released their debut album, Pod, in 1990, which Grohl's former Nirvana bandmate Kurt Cobain once cited as an album that changed his life. "The main reason I like them is for their songs, for the way they structure them, which is totally unique, very atmospheric," he said to Melody Maker in 1992. "I wish Kim was allowed to write more songs for the Pixies, because 'Gigantic' is the best Pixies song and Kim wrote it."
Deal acknowledged the comment in a 2018 interview with The Guardian: "Something like that makes you realize that music is so impactful. Whether it's me or somebody else, it changes people's lives. Sometimes it all gets so cynical, or I'm just doing my own thing, and I forget that music really is powerful – it really does matter."
Proceeds from VetsAid 2022 will benefit Ohio veterans and their families. A livestream of the entire concert can be purchased on the Veeps website for $19.99, and can be re-watched for 48 hours after the event begins.