Pixies Play College Street

The Pixies may not have invented the loud-quiet-loud template that became so central to grunge, but the band distilled the dynamic approach to its essence.

Kurt Cobain wasn’t the only one lifting tricks from frontman/songwriter Black Francis and his collaborators. The band, which released its debut record, “Come On Pilgrim,” 30 years ago in 1987 was famously assembled in Boston with the partial help of a classified-style ad that sought musicians with a mix of influences as diverse as Husker Du and Peter, Paul and Mary.

The Pixies had a shrill, trebley and bent sound, plodding bass lines, simple beats, with spooky, dark and poetic songs that would sometimes start off strummy and quickly shift into shrieks and bellows, with snippets of Spanish for added zip. One could hear a connection to Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Buddy Holly and Tom Waits. Few other bands could turn a chorus about waves of mutilation into energetic sing-alongs.

The Pixies broke up in 1993, set aside differences a little over 10 years later and started touring again in the 21st century, then parted ways with original bassist and sometime vocalist Kim Deal. The reconstituted Pixies released a new record, “Head Carrier,” last year with new bassist Paz Lenchantin.

The Pixies are at College Street Music Hall, 238 College St., New Haven, on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 8 p.m. $45 and $55. Sunflower Bean are also on the bill. collegestreetmusichall.com.