Dave Lovering
Encyclopedia
David Lovering is an American
musician
and magician
. He is best known as the drummer for the alternative rock
band Pixies, which he joined in 1986. After the band's breakup in 1993, Lovering drummed with several other acts, including The Martinis
, Cracker
, Nitzer Ebb
and Tanya Donelly
. He also pursued a magic career as The Scientific Phenomenalist; performing scientific and physics-based experiments on stage. When the Pixies reunited in 2004, Lovering returned as the band's drummer.
As a drummer Lovering was inspired by bands from a variety of genres, including Rush
and Steely Dan
. Author Ben Sisario described him as the "great unacknowledged anchor" of the Pixies, and stated that his unique influences gave "a precision and versatility essential to following Black Francis's songwriting quirks".
. He learned to play drums during his teenage years and joined his high school
's marching band. According to his friend John Murphy, Lovering was always very "drum oriented" in his musical taste. In his high school yearbook entry, Lovering stated his three main ambitions: to be in a rock band, to be an electrical engineer, and to tour with Rush, his favorite band. After graduating from high school, Lovering studied electronic engineering
at the Wentworth Institute of Technology
in Boston. He got a job at a Radio Shack
store with Murphy, and the pair often played practical jokes while at work. One such incident involved Lovering wiring the store toilet to a fire alarm. After graduating from Wentworth with a bachelor's degree in 1982, he took a job building laser
s, and continued to drum in local bands such as Iz Wizard and Riff Raff. He has cited bands from a number of genres as influences, including Steely Dan
, Led Zeppelin
, and Devo
.
1985 Lovering attended Murphy and Kim Deal
's wedding service. In January 1986 Deal was hired to play bass
in the newly-formed Pixies, an alternative rock
band formed by Charles "Black Francis" Thompson and Joey Santiago
. Murphy suggested that Lovering audition for the band — who were still without a drummer. Lovering had stopped drumming by this point and was at first unimpressed by the trio's performance of the band's songs. However, after playing along he agreed to join. Lovering and the band wrote and rehearsed material throughout 1985 and 1986 and performed at small venues in Boston
. The band decided to record 18 songs for a demo tape in 1987. Lovering co-wrote one of the tape's songs, "Levitate Me" (his only major writing contribution to any Pixies song) and appeared on the cassette's front cover, jogging naked with his back turned to the camera. "Levitate Me" later appeared on the band's first full length release Come On Pilgrim
, which included seven other songs taken from the demo tape.
The Pixies entered the studio again in 1988 to record their second album Surfer Rosa
. Lovering's contribution on songs such as "Bone Machine" — which begins with a 10-second drum solo — "Break My Body" and "River Euphrates" established his steady, accurate style. Doolittle
, the band's major label debut, followed in 1989. During the album's recording sessions, Thompson convinced Lovering to sing on "La La Love You", which had been written as a "dig at the very idea of a love song". The album's producer Gil Norton
later said that during the sessions Lovering "went from not wanting to sing a note to 'I can't get him away from the microphone'. He was such a showman". In addition to drums and vocals, Lovering played bass guitar on the album's penultimate track, "Silver".
After the release of Doolittle, the relationship between the band members became strained because of constant touring and the pressure of releasing three albums in two years. After the final date of the Doolittle "Fuck or Fight" tour in November 1989, the band was too exhausted to attend their end-of-tour party the following night and shortly afterwards announced a hiatus. After the band reconvened in mid-1990, Lovering moved to Los Angeles
along with the rest of the band. The Pixies released two more albums, Bossanova
(1990) and Trompe le Monde
(1991). Lovering sang lead vocals on the "Velouria
" B-side "Make Believe"; a song about his admitted "obsession" with US singer-songwriter
Debbie Gibson. The Pixies toured sporadically throughout 1991 and 1992. They eventually broke up in 1992, mostly due to tensions between Thompson and Deal, although it was not publicly announced until 1993.
, but turned down an invitation to join the Foo Fighters
. Lovering then joined Santiago's band The Martinis
, appearing on their song "Free" on the soundtrack of Empire Records
. However, he soon left the band to become a touring drummer for Cracker
. Lovering moved from band to band, drumming with Tanya Donelly
's group on 1997's Lovesongs for Underdogs
and with Boston band Eeenie Meenie. After facing difficulty finding new work, Lovering gave up the drums and moved into a rented house that banned drumming.
Towards the end of 1990s, Lovering's friend Grant-Lee Phillips
took him to a magic convention. Lovering was very impressed by some of the illusions, and later said "I had to learn how to do it". Mutual friend Carl Grasso invited them to a show at the Magic Castle
, a magic-oriented nightclub in Los Angeles. There Lovering met Possum Dixon
frontman Rob Zabrecky
, and the pair soon became friends. Zabrecky convinced Lovering to apply for a performers' membership to the Magic Castle. After gaining his membership, Lovering reinvented himself as "The Scientific Phenomenalist". His act combined his electrical engineering knowledge with his stage performance experience. His decision to pursue a career in magic was influenced by the fact that as a musician, he "couldn't top the Pixies".
As the Scientific Phenomentalist, Lovering performs science and physics
experiments in a lab coat while on stage. He shuns traditional magic tricks, and prefers "things that are more mental, using mental powers". He later explained: "It's all kind of upbeat, really weird physics experiments that you'll never see. [...] I'd rather have them [the audience] going 'Is it [magic] or isn't it?' rather than 'It's all science' or 'It's all magic'. So I do kinda weird things that other magicians don't do". Lovering cites sleight-of-hand artist Ricky Jay
, mind reader Max Maven
and Eugene Burger
as influences on his technique. His performances often involve intricate self-built machines.
Lovering became part of The Unholy Three
, a trio of magicians that resides at the Magic Castle, and performs "a new wave, alternative, avant-garde kind of magic". He toured his act across the United States as the opener for Frank Black
(the new stage name of former Pixies band-mate Thompson), Grant-Lee Phillips, The Breeders
and Camper Van Beethoven
. He performed his act at the Shellac
-curated All Tomorrow's Parties
music festival in 2002. He later commented that his performance at the festival was "perhaps my greatest achievement". Lovering resumed drumming, appearing at some Frank Black and the Catholics shows. He also appeared on one track of The Martinis' 2004 album The Smitten Sessions.
. In a 2004 interview, he commented: "I remember I was on the way to the bank, and I was just bummed out — everything, financially, was really a mess for me. I was involved in this relationship that was absolutely terrible. I was bottoming out. And I'm on the way to the bank and my cellphone rings. It's Joe [Santiago]; he says, 'Guess what?'" Santiago had just received a call from Thompson stating his desire to reunite the Pixies. Lovering was overjoyed at the news. He added that "the saddest thing is that when I sat down to rehearse for the Pixies, I couldn't believe that I had given up something that I loved". In 2004 Lovering and the band recorded their reunion single, "Bam Thwok
".
Lovering appeared in the 2006 documentary loudQUIETloud, which covered the Pixies' 2004 reunion tour. His father died midway during the tour, and Lovering began drinking heavily as a result. According to Thompson, Lovering "messed up a couple of songs" during a number of live shows. "It was all caught on film", said Thompson, "but they re-edited this to look like it happened in the middle of our tour and it looked like this whole tour careened into this drunken stupor with David. It really wasn't like that at all". He toured with the Pixies throughout 2005 and 2006, while performing at the Magic Castle on Friday nights with The Unholy Three. In 2007, Lovering played a benefit concert for Wally Ingram
as part of The Martinis. Later that year, he formed a new band called The Hermetic Order Of The Golden Dawn, with Los Angeles
musicians Amit Itelman and Oscar Rey.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and magician
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
. He is best known as the drummer for the alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Pixies, which he joined in 1986. After the band's breakup in 1993, Lovering drummed with several other acts, including The Martinis
The Martinis
The Martinis are a rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1993. The band consists of Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago and his wife Linda Mallari. They have released one album under the label Cooking Vinyl, Artist Direct, and Distracted/BMG...
, Cracker
Cracker (band)
Cracker is an American alternative rock band featuring founders/songwriters singer David Lowery and guitarist Johnny Hickman. They are best known for their platinum-selling 1993 album, Kerosene Hat, featuring the hit songs "Low", "Euro-Trash Girl", and "Get Off This".Founders Lowery and Hickman...
, Nitzer Ebb
Nitzer Ebb
Nitzer Ebb is a British EBM group formed in 1982 by Essex school friends Vaughan "Bon" Harris , Douglas McCarthy , and David Gooday .-Band name:...
and Tanya Donelly
Tanya Donelly
Tanya Donelly is an American Grammy-nominated singer songwriter and guitarist based in New England who co-founded Throwing Muses with her stepsister Kristin Hersh. She then went on to work in The Breeders and Belly in the 1990s...
. He also pursued a magic career as The Scientific Phenomenalist; performing scientific and physics-based experiments on stage. When the Pixies reunited in 2004, Lovering returned as the band's drummer.
As a drummer Lovering was inspired by bands from a variety of genres, including Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
and Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
. Author Ben Sisario described him as the "great unacknowledged anchor" of the Pixies, and stated that his unique influences gave "a precision and versatility essential to following Black Francis's songwriting quirks".
Youth and college
David Lovering was born in Burlington, MassachusettsBurlington, Massachusetts
Burlington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,498 at the 2010 census.- History :It is believed that Burlington takes its name from the English town of Bridlington, however this has never been confirmed....
. He learned to play drums during his teenage years and joined his high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
's marching band. According to his friend John Murphy, Lovering was always very "drum oriented" in his musical taste. In his high school yearbook entry, Lovering stated his three main ambitions: to be in a rock band, to be an electrical engineer, and to tour with Rush, his favorite band. After graduating from high school, Lovering studied electronic engineering
Electronic engineering
Electronics engineering, also referred to as electronic engineering, is an engineering discipline where non-linear and active electrical components such as electron tubes, and semiconductor devices, especially transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, are utilized to design electronic...
at the Wentworth Institute of Technology
Wentworth Institute of Technology
The Wentworth Institute of Technology is an independent, co-educational, technical design and engineering college located in Boston, Massachusetts...
in Boston. He got a job at a Radio Shack
Radio shack
Radio shack is a slang term for a room or structure for housing radio equipment.-History:In the early days of radio, equipment was experimental and home-built. The first radio transmitters used a noisy spark to generate radio waves and were often housed in a garage or shed. When radio was first...
store with Murphy, and the pair often played practical jokes while at work. One such incident involved Lovering wiring the store toilet to a fire alarm. After graduating from Wentworth with a bachelor's degree in 1982, he took a job building laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
s, and continued to drum in local bands such as Iz Wizard and Riff Raff. He has cited bands from a number of genres as influences, including Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, and Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
.
Pixies
On Memorial DayMemorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
1985 Lovering attended Murphy and Kim Deal
Kim Deal
Kimberley Ann Deal is an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the bassist of the alternative rock band the Pixies and the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for The Breeders. Deal first joined the Pixies in January 1986 as the band's bassist, adopting the stage name Mrs...
's wedding service. In January 1986 Deal was hired to play bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
in the newly-formed Pixies, an alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band formed by Charles "Black Francis" Thompson and Joey Santiago
Joey Santiago
Joey Santiago is a Filipino-American guitarist and composer. Active since 1986, Santiago is best known as the lead guitarist for the American alternative rock band Pixies. After the band's breakup in 1993, Santiago produced musical scores for film and television documentaries, and he formed The...
. Murphy suggested that Lovering audition for the band — who were still without a drummer. Lovering had stopped drumming by this point and was at first unimpressed by the trio's performance of the band's songs. However, after playing along he agreed to join. Lovering and the band wrote and rehearsed material throughout 1985 and 1986 and performed at small venues in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. The band decided to record 18 songs for a demo tape in 1987. Lovering co-wrote one of the tape's songs, "Levitate Me" (his only major writing contribution to any Pixies song) and appeared on the cassette's front cover, jogging naked with his back turned to the camera. "Levitate Me" later appeared on the band's first full length release Come On Pilgrim
Come on Pilgrim
Come On Pilgrim is the debut mini-LP release by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released in September 1987 by 4AD.- Background :...
, which included seven other songs taken from the demo tape.
The Pixies entered the studio again in 1988 to record their second album Surfer Rosa
Surfer Rosa
Like Come On Pilgrim, Surfer Rosa displays a mix of musical styles; pop guitar songs such as "Broken Face", "Break My Body", and "Brick Is Red" are featured alongside slower, more melodic tracks exemplified by "Where Is My Mind?". The album includes heavier material, and prominently features the...
. Lovering's contribution on songs such as "Bone Machine" — which begins with a 10-second drum solo — "Break My Body" and "River Euphrates" established his steady, accurate style. Doolittle
Doolittle (album)
Doolittle features an eclectic mix of musical styles. While tracks such as "Tame" and "Crackity Jones" are fast and aggressive, and incorporate the band's trademark loud–quiet dynamic, other songs such as "Silver", "I Bleed", and "Here Comes Your Man" reveal a quieter, slower and more melodic...
, the band's major label debut, followed in 1989. During the album's recording sessions, Thompson convinced Lovering to sing on "La La Love You", which had been written as a "dig at the very idea of a love song". The album's producer Gil Norton
Gil Norton
Gil Norton is a British record producer known for his work with such bands as Pixies, Echo & the Bunnymen, Foo Fighters, Tribe, Jimmy Eat World, Dashboard Confessional, Feeder, The Distillers, Maxïmo Park, Counting Crows, Terrorvision, The Triffids, Del Amitri, James, The Feelers, The Beekeepers,...
later said that during the sessions Lovering "went from not wanting to sing a note to 'I can't get him away from the microphone'. He was such a showman". In addition to drums and vocals, Lovering played bass guitar on the album's penultimate track, "Silver".
After the release of Doolittle, the relationship between the band members became strained because of constant touring and the pressure of releasing three albums in two years. After the final date of the Doolittle "Fuck or Fight" tour in November 1989, the band was too exhausted to attend their end-of-tour party the following night and shortly afterwards announced a hiatus. After the band reconvened in mid-1990, Lovering moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
along with the rest of the band. The Pixies released two more albums, Bossanova
Bossanova
Bossanova is the third album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released in August 1990 on the English independent record label 4AD in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States. All of Bossanovas original material was written by the band's frontman Black Francis; it...
(1990) and Trompe le Monde
Trompe le Monde
Trompe le Monde is the fourth and final album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released in 1991 on the English independent record label 4AD in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States...
(1991). Lovering sang lead vocals on the "Velouria
Velouria
"Velouria" is a song by the American alternative rock band Pixies, written and sung by the band's frontman Black Francis. "Velouria" is featured on their album Bossanova, was the first single to be released from it and was the band's first UK Top 40 hit. The song features extensive use of theremin...
" B-side "Make Believe"; a song about his admitted "obsession" with US singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Debbie Gibson. The Pixies toured sporadically throughout 1991 and 1992. They eventually broke up in 1992, mostly due to tensions between Thompson and Deal, although it was not publicly announced until 1993.
The Scientific Phenomenalist and other projects
Following the Pixies' breakup, Lovering drummed with several artists, including Nitzer EbbNitzer Ebb
Nitzer Ebb is a British EBM group formed in 1982 by Essex school friends Vaughan "Bon" Harris , Douglas McCarthy , and David Gooday .-Band name:...
, but turned down an invitation to join the Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
. Lovering then joined Santiago's band The Martinis
The Martinis
The Martinis are a rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1993. The band consists of Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago and his wife Linda Mallari. They have released one album under the label Cooking Vinyl, Artist Direct, and Distracted/BMG...
, appearing on their song "Free" on the soundtrack of Empire Records
Empire Records
Empire Records is a 1995 coming of age film that follows a group of record store employees over the course of one exceptional day. The employees of this independent music store try to fight off a large chain, all while learning about each other...
. However, he soon left the band to become a touring drummer for Cracker
Cracker (band)
Cracker is an American alternative rock band featuring founders/songwriters singer David Lowery and guitarist Johnny Hickman. They are best known for their platinum-selling 1993 album, Kerosene Hat, featuring the hit songs "Low", "Euro-Trash Girl", and "Get Off This".Founders Lowery and Hickman...
. Lovering moved from band to band, drumming with Tanya Donelly
Tanya Donelly
Tanya Donelly is an American Grammy-nominated singer songwriter and guitarist based in New England who co-founded Throwing Muses with her stepsister Kristin Hersh. She then went on to work in The Breeders and Belly in the 1990s...
's group on 1997's Lovesongs for Underdogs
Lovesongs for Underdogs
Lovesongs for Underdogs is the solo debut album by Tanya Donelly, who had formerly recorded with Throwing Muses, The Breeders, and Belly. It was released on September 9, 1997. Two singles were released for promotion of the album. "Pretty Deep" was released in July of 1997, while "The Bright Light"...
and with Boston band Eeenie Meenie. After facing difficulty finding new work, Lovering gave up the drums and moved into a rented house that banned drumming.
Towards the end of 1990s, Lovering's friend Grant-Lee Phillips
Grant-Lee Phillips
Grant-Lee Phillips is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist known for his versatile voice, intense lyrical narratives and dexterity on the acoustic twelve-string guitar, a style that often sees him compared to Neil Young, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan.- Background :Born in...
took him to a magic convention. Lovering was very impressed by some of the illusions, and later said "I had to learn how to do it". Mutual friend Carl Grasso invited them to a show at the Magic Castle
The Magic Castle
The Magic Castle, located at 7001 Franklin Avenue in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, is a nightclub for magicians and magic enthusiasts, as well as the clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts. It bills itself as "the most unusual private club in the world."-Nightclub:The Magic...
, a magic-oriented nightclub in Los Angeles. There Lovering met Possum Dixon
Possum Dixon
Possum Dixon was an American alternative rock band. Fronted by singer/songwriter/bassist Rob Zabrecky, the group's neo-new wave pop and post punk style first appeared among a string of early independently released 7 inch singles and on their self-titled debut on Interscope Records in 1993...
frontman Rob Zabrecky
Rob Zabrecky
Rob Zabrecky is an American songwriter, actor and magician. His career began as a musician while being the front man for the band Possum Dixon. He later found success as a magician and actor....
, and the pair soon became friends. Zabrecky convinced Lovering to apply for a performers' membership to the Magic Castle. After gaining his membership, Lovering reinvented himself as "The Scientific Phenomenalist". His act combined his electrical engineering knowledge with his stage performance experience. His decision to pursue a career in magic was influenced by the fact that as a musician, he "couldn't top the Pixies".
As the Scientific Phenomentalist, Lovering performs science and physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
experiments in a lab coat while on stage. He shuns traditional magic tricks, and prefers "things that are more mental, using mental powers". He later explained: "It's all kind of upbeat, really weird physics experiments that you'll never see. [...] I'd rather have them [the audience] going 'Is it [magic] or isn't it?' rather than 'It's all science' or 'It's all magic'. So I do kinda weird things that other magicians don't do". Lovering cites sleight-of-hand artist Ricky Jay
Ricky Jay
Richard Jay Potash , better known by the stage name Ricky Jay, is an American stage magician, actor, and writer. He is a sleight-of-hand expert and is notable for his card tricks, card throwing, memory feats, and stage patter.-Life and career:...
, mind reader Max Maven
Max Maven
Max Maven is an American magician and mentalist. He often appears on television magic shows to perform "interactive" mind reading tricks that work for the television audience....
and Eugene Burger
Eugene Burger
Eugene Burger is an American magician. He was born in 1939 and is based in Chicago Illinois. He is reputed for his close-up skills and his work in mentalism and bizarre magic.He is also a philosopher and a historian of religion...
as influences on his technique. His performances often involve intricate self-built machines.
Lovering became part of The Unholy Three
The Unholy Three (Magic Trio)
The Unholy Three are a magic cabaret trio composed of magicians David Lovering , Rob Zabrecky and Fitzgerald...
, a trio of magicians that resides at the Magic Castle, and performs "a new wave, alternative, avant-garde kind of magic". He toured his act across the United States as the opener for Frank Black
Frank Black
Black Francis is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the influential alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. Following the band's breakup in 1993, he embarked on a solo career under the name Frank Black...
(the new stage name of former Pixies band-mate Thompson), Grant-Lee Phillips, The Breeders
The Breeders
The Breeders are an American alternative rock band formed in 1988 by Kim Deal of the Pixies and Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses. The band has experienced a number of line-up changes; the current line-up consists of Kim Deal , her twin sister Kelley Deal , Jose Medeles , Mando Lopez Todd the Fox...
and Camper Van Beethoven
Camper Van Beethoven
Camper Van Beethoven is an American alternative rock group formed in Redlands, California in 1983.An eclectic band, Camper Van Beethoven mixes elements of pop, ska, punk rock, folk and alternative country, as well as various types of world music. Their aggressive musical pluralism created a...
. He performed his act at the Shellac
Shellac (band)
Shellac is an American group composed of Steve Albini , Bob Weston and Todd Trainer...
-curated All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
music festival in 2002. He later commented that his performance at the festival was "perhaps my greatest achievement". Lovering resumed drumming, appearing at some Frank Black and the Catholics shows. He also appeared on one track of The Martinis' 2004 album The Smitten Sessions.
Pixies reunion
By the summer of 2003, Lovering was feeling depressedDepression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
. In a 2004 interview, he commented: "I remember I was on the way to the bank, and I was just bummed out — everything, financially, was really a mess for me. I was involved in this relationship that was absolutely terrible. I was bottoming out. And I'm on the way to the bank and my cellphone rings. It's Joe [Santiago]; he says, 'Guess what?'" Santiago had just received a call from Thompson stating his desire to reunite the Pixies. Lovering was overjoyed at the news. He added that "the saddest thing is that when I sat down to rehearse for the Pixies, I couldn't believe that I had given up something that I loved". In 2004 Lovering and the band recorded their reunion single, "Bam Thwok
Bam Thwok
"Bam Thwok" is a 2004 download-only single by the American alternative rock band Pixies. The song was written and sung by bassist Kim Deal, and released exclusively through the iTunes Store on June 15, 2004. Upon its release, "Bam Thwok" was a commercial success, debuting at number one on the very...
".
Lovering appeared in the 2006 documentary loudQUIETloud, which covered the Pixies' 2004 reunion tour. His father died midway during the tour, and Lovering began drinking heavily as a result. According to Thompson, Lovering "messed up a couple of songs" during a number of live shows. "It was all caught on film", said Thompson, "but they re-edited this to look like it happened in the middle of our tour and it looked like this whole tour careened into this drunken stupor with David. It really wasn't like that at all". He toured with the Pixies throughout 2005 and 2006, while performing at the Magic Castle on Friday nights with The Unholy Three. In 2007, Lovering played a benefit concert for Wally Ingram
Wally Ingram
Wally Ingram is an American drummer and musician. He is most famous as a member of the band, Timbuk 3.In recent years, he has toured with the multi-instrumentalist David Lindley, and released several records with him :* 2000 : Twango Bango Deluxe...
as part of The Martinis. Later that year, he formed a new band called The Hermetic Order Of The Golden Dawn, with Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
musicians Amit Itelman and Oscar Rey.
Pixies
- Come On PilgrimCome on PilgrimCome On Pilgrim is the debut mini-LP release by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released in September 1987 by 4AD.- Background :...
(1987) - Surfer RosaSurfer RosaLike Come On Pilgrim, Surfer Rosa displays a mix of musical styles; pop guitar songs such as "Broken Face", "Break My Body", and "Brick Is Red" are featured alongside slower, more melodic tracks exemplified by "Where Is My Mind?". The album includes heavier material, and prominently features the...
(1988) - DoolittleDoolittle (album)Doolittle features an eclectic mix of musical styles. While tracks such as "Tame" and "Crackity Jones" are fast and aggressive, and incorporate the band's trademark loud–quiet dynamic, other songs such as "Silver", "I Bleed", and "Here Comes Your Man" reveal a quieter, slower and more melodic...
(1989) - BossanovaBossanovaBossanova is the third album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released in August 1990 on the English independent record label 4AD in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States. All of Bossanovas original material was written by the band's frontman Black Francis; it...
(1990) - Trompe le MondeTrompe le MondeTrompe le Monde is the fourth and final album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released in 1991 on the English independent record label 4AD in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States...
(1991)