PHOTOS BY ANDY CROSS

Beer has been at the forefront of many of rock'n'roll's most prolific moments, and Wednesday evening (Oct. 17) it served as the backdrop to an intimate evening of conversation and music with Black Francis, a.k.a . Frank Black, formerly of seminal Boston band the Pixies, and also a much-adored solo artist. Taking its "Craft" concert series on the road, Miller Genuine Draft stopped off at San Diego's Belly Up Tavern where host Warren Zanes engaged his friend and colleague in a conversation about all things musical, in front of a packed house.

Charming, good-natured, and often self-deprecating, Black Francis shared thoughts on his weirdest moment on the road ("Well, I did see David Bowie push a peanut across the floor with his nose"), songs about topics other than love ("Sometimes you want to be in your own little world. But then along comes Roy Orbison..."), and his love for George Harrison's "Savoy Truffle" ("I like the way that [George Harrison] sings with a relaxed cockiness"). Although divulging much about his past, Francis was more reserved on the future of the Pixies, ("I talked to Joey (Santiago) a couple weeks ago... and he said, 'Why don't you send me something?'"). The audience listened with rapt attention throughout, but when Black broke out the electric guitar and pulled down his dark shades, they stomped and hooted with unbridled enthusiasm to solo favorites such as "Cactus" and "Los Angeles," as well as Pixies classics like "Wave of Mutilation," and "Where is My Mind." The evening was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pop open a cold beer and spend some time inside the mind of a rock'n'roll legend, as amply evident in the glowing demeanor and awestruck facial expressions of the crowd . 

We asked: Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV is a man of many names -- Frank Black and Black Francis. Who's your favorite and why?

Name: Cory Barker
Age: 28
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Occupation: Business consultant
"Black Francis. He's cooler than everyone!"

Name: Kim Wahlstrom
Age: 25
Hometown: Garden Grove, CA
Occupation: Math teacher
"Frank Black. Black Francis confuses me."

Name: Bobby Earle
Age: 25
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Occupation: Photographer
"Frank Black was the first - 'Teenage of the Year!' But I really like 'Honeycomb.'

Name: Liz Azevedo
Age: 24
Hometown: Oceanside, CA
Occupation: Data entry clerk
"Frank Black because it's got that gunslinger appeal to it."

Name: Rebecca Bowman
Age: 29
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Occupation: Bookkeeper
"It's an impossible question. It's like the Holy Trinity. You can't separate one from the other. I can't even touch it!"

Name: Gus Thrasher
Age: 34
Hometown: Tacoma, WA
Occupation: Civil engineer
"Frank Black, because I always associate him with the song 'Los Angeles.' That song is playing when I wake up to go surfing."

Frank Black or Black Francis? / Photo by Andy Cross

Black Francis with moderator Warren Zanes / Photo by Andy Cross