Pavement:Classic or Dud

Tonight was awesome!! They killed it. Such a good show…

(T-shirts are $35)

This rips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td0revzciXM

well I'm off to see this band

Fantastic shows in Chicago—I bought a ticket to the second one immediately after coming home from the first. Only a few shared songs between the last night and tonight; the former was heavier on Brighten, tonight on Slanted and the EPs. I haven’t gone to a show in years, but I’d never seen them before and this thread convinced me—boy, am I glad for that. I just stood there grinning and thinking that this sound is my platonic ideal of ’90s guitar music.

ACL Live Stream On Monday

https://acltv.com/2022/10/06/live-stream-pavement/

Thanks for the Orpheum link above. I had to miss the NY shows (too much going on this week and Kings is quite a hike from where I am), but that was a nice consolation. I know all four NY shows were recorded by tapers so hopefully those will be widely available soon. (One's on archive.)

Yes, thanks for that! I had a ticket for the Philly show but wasn't able to make the trek out there, so I consoled myself by digging into the Primavera and Orpheum sets last night instead (I'd been holding off on watching them so I could go into the show fresh).

I think the Orpheum set ended up being a better watch simply because it gave you the option to see anything at any point in time - whichever player you wanted to watch or the background projections if you were more interested in that. I put it on a 55" monitor hooked up to a stereo system and it was pretty awesome - it was kind of like having a nice balcony seat in a way.

They brought Kurt Vile out to sing Zurich in Phila last night:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma1RbgXEToI

This Guardian article (which the band is promoting) has some interesting details about how the breakup affected Kannberg, etc.

That was a great read. I didn't realize Kannberg was about to be a bus driver in Seattle when he got the call about the 2010 reunion. Crazy. Reminds me of Topper Headon and how he used to drive a cab sometime after the Clash - imagine getting a ride only to discover the driver was part of your favorite band.

Can someone explain to me why this particular reunion tour is so newsworthy? I mean, they've reunited several times before, right? And post-unlikely algorithmic hit "Harness Your Hopes?" My entire timeline has been nothing but Pavement all week. To be sure, much better than trending topics about bombings or the alt right, but I don't understand why people are acting like this one is such a huge deal? What am I missing?

They seem to be having a good time?

Actually no, it's been twelve years since they last toured. (Would've been ten but the pandemic happened.) And before that, it had been over ten with serious doubts if they'd ever reunite again. So just two reunions and the rarity alone is special. As the Guardian article emphasized, they turned down an offer from Jeff Tweedy to do a co-headlining tour in 2014. (Kannberg wanted to but Bob thought it was a bad idea.)

("Actually no" should have an xp in front of it - they ARE having a good time.)

also they are playing lots of songs that they have never played live before!

It's their 2nd (and likely final, if Malk is to be believed) reunion; they're at a cultural "high point" and enjoying new fans/goodwill (vs. 2010); they're playing great – all as mentioned above

its newsworthy bc pavement fucken rules

IIRC the 2010 tour was like their best-known stuff (the "hits" if you can call it that), which was great because I was told they could be notoriously hit-or-miss live when they were originally together. Now it's like a really deep dive into the catalog, and they're even improving tracks I don't like ("Folk Jam" for starters).

Also it's great to see them appreciated this way - the Guardian article is a great read for that reason, emphasizing what the economic reality is like when you're in a band like Pavement.

The most touching part of the Friday Brooklyn show is when it seemed liked everyone was singing along to "Here" - like for a minute it seemed like Pavement did achieve mass popularity and they had something that was as widely known as a Beatles hit. (After it was over, Bob said he was "verklempt." Then Stephen recommended he take a reefer.)

DC show last night was fantastic; first time I'd ever seen them live. Lots of jams and deep cuts from WZ and BTC (and no Harness Your Hopes). They're in a sweet spot with their catalogue where if they're playing well they can't really go wrong with the selection (unless there's a lot of Terror Twilight numbers, but that's me).

Can someone explain to me why this particular reunion tour is so newsworthy? I mean, they've reunited several times before, right? And post-unlikely algorithmic hit "Harness Your Hopes?" My entire timeline has been nothing but Pavement all week. To be sure, much better than trending topics about bombings or the alt right, but I don't understand why people are acting like this one is such a huge deal? What am I missing?

― Paul Ponzi

they had sex with your mom

Harry Styles probably wore a Pavement shirt or something

Speaking of which, glancing at the table last night it didn’t look like Pavement has updated their merch since 1999.

yellow arm pit rings

It's a mix of vintage designs and (cool) new stuff...

It's definitely newsworthy ... and yes, two relatively short reunions in 23 years, certainly not "several times."

I think what we're seeing with this one, too, is kinda like a high school reunion ... at 10 years, you're happy to see people but really not far enough away from graduation to think of it as a big, special deal and you've not aged enough to really have the perspective that life doesn't last forever, it's the people and relationships that matter, etc. Then at 20 years, you're starting to understand that more and so you start to appreciate seeing old friends, recounting the memories, etc.

In this case, I think it's the same for both the band members and their longtime fans. It's much more feel-good than it was in 2010, and as a result, the band seems happier and more game for the hype/celebration/reminiscing. And then there's the added layer of new fans, "Harness," etc.

Also from 9/30, Bob singing "I'm just a boy with a new haircut, LITERALLY!" was funny. (FWIW, when I saw him 2010 he had nice curly locks.)

also, One Eye Open otm: it's newsworthy because they're better than pretty much every other band *shrug*

FWIW, the 2010 show was more memorable to me, mainly because it was the first time I ever saw them - I never thought I'd get that chance. And I was right in the very front on the edge of the stage, so that made a difference. This time is kind of poignant because they've visibly gotten much older - Stephen's gone completely grey, Scott now looks exactly like some old dudes I know who are generations removed, and most of them are wearing glasses (except Bob and Stephen). It does make you appreciate that they're still here and able to do this.

Bob wears glasses too, maybe just not onstage
https://external-preview.redd.it/QPmKVEPhfvZ9XfdS9uCcmHIvgzjIiHFdEquW4xtUeOA.jpg?auto=webp&s=d9def49b983ed8b51b44faa9e4865ee709f9fb2c

also. . . name a better band from that era

1) Stone Temple Pilots
2) Smashing Pumpkins

I kid, of course. I have been following this tour on IG and I admit it makes me misty-eyed. I'm not seeing them cuz I'm trying to put my limited live shows budget towards bands I haven't seen before (just bought tix to see The Comet Is Coming in a few weeks). I also had something of a Peak Experience seeing them on the 2010 tour and IDK if that can be topped.

also. . . name a better band from that era

― a (waterface), Friday, October 7, 2022 3:13 PM (three minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

come on

I like Pavement, for the record - a lot! - but it's exactly this kind of hyperbole / mass hypnosis that puts me off

Also it's great to see them appreciated this way

it seems to me that Pavement has always occupied that enviable place in the indie rock pantheon along with Yo La Tengo, Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth, and a few others where it's basically taken for granted that their place in alt rock history is beyond reproach and more or less assured. I mean this is hardly an underdog story here

Sorry to grump all over the thread, I'm sincerely glad so many of you are having fun, especially since fun has been in such short supply these past few years

come on

I like Pavement, for the record - a lot! - but it's exactly this kind of hyperbole / mass hypnosis that puts me off

Name it. Name the band from that era that's better.

I think what we're seeing with this one, too, is kinda like a high school reunion ... at 10 years, you're happy to see people but really not far enough away from graduation to think of it as a big, special deal and you've not aged enough to really have the perspective that life doesn't last forever, it's the people and relationships that matter, etc. Then at 20 years, you're starting to understand that more and so you start to appreciate seeing old friends, recounting the memories, etc.

i think this is well said ...

And hey, they sounded great, seemed to be having fun at the show I saw. Very good vibes.

it seems to me that Pavement has always occupied that enviable place in the indie rock pantheon along with Yo La Tengo, Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth, and a few others where it's basically taken for granted that their place in alt rock history is beyond reproach and more or less assured. I mean this is hardly an underdog story here

I don't think it's the same thing for them to show up in a few "Best of the '90s" playlists or Pitchfork lists and actually being out there, playing in front of all these fans (including numerous parent / teenage kid pairings), reaping the love (and, yes, merch $$).

(To put it another way – occupying a spot in the "indie rock pantheon" plus $12.50 will get you a chicken sandwich...)

Last night was fantastic

More Wowee Zowee than I could have hoped for, a lot of early stuff I wouldn’t have expected.

A lot prior posts from the last couple days are very well stated.

I saw them live in 1995 and 1997, so for me it had been literally ages. They were better last night than I’d ever seen them, had the time of my life. It WAS very high school reunion-ish, in a good way.

Name it. Name the band from that era that's better.

― a (waterface), Friday, October 7, 2022 3:35 PM (four minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

I mean I don't typically get into ranking bands, and "good" is obviously subjective, but I'll take the bait. Some 90s-era "indie rock" bands who are or were to me - at least in their prime - at least as good (and, keeping the thread on track, worth memorializing) as Pavement, off the top of my head:

Sonic Youth, Helium, The Breeders, My Bloody Valentine, Slint, Hum, the Jesus & Mary Chain, Mazzy Star, Chavez, Royal Trux, Silkworm, Tortoise, Yo La Tengo, Dinosaur, the Melvins, Butthole Surfers, Meat Puppets, Fugazi, Spoon, Guided By Voices, Cat Power, Stars of the Lid, Hellacopters, Red Red Meat, Sebadoh, Sunny Day Real Estate, Polvo, Throwing Muses, Eric's Trip, Thinking Fellers, Unrest, New Pornographers, Teenage Fanclub, Come, Red Red Meat, Lungfish, Bardo Pond, probably many others, and this is before we even consider the many great bands on the lower tiers of cachet and visibility

If the Pixies had followed the same reunion model as Pavement (rather than reforming / limping on with a different lineup in such a way that even my wife, a big fan, says "I don't acknowledge any of these new albums"), I suspect it would be getting as much heat on your Twitter feed as Pavement.

(Also, as much as I love some of the bands on your list... I suspect you do not love Pavement the way some of us here do, if you consider them to be "at least as good" as Pavement!)

xxp The vibes were practically euphoric during the encore: Grave Architecture/Range Life/Gold Soundz/Here.

i mean we just agree to disagree. i don't think there's any of those bands that have anything as catchy as Pavement. NP's or GbV maybe. those are all great bands tho!

I think even the Chavez guys themselves would take turns punching me in the nuts if I told them they were as good as Pavement.

this is absolutely no dig at Paul or waterface for asking, but this is just silly. it *doesn't matter* who you or i or anyone else thinks is better and more deserving. it just doesn't! what we think about Pavement or anyone on that list doesn't mean anything to anyone but us.

i like to compare art and artists, too, but it has zero bearing on why Pavement can tour and make money and get lots of attention or whether or not they deserve less or more of any of it.

i know everyone knows this but it just drives me a little nuts.

x...p I forgot, besides Bob, I think Malkmus does need glasses now too - I have a vague recollection of him needing them when I saw him do a solo show in 2006.

FWIW, he was opening for New Pornographers and My Morning Jacket, and even during the Pavement songs, everyone just talked through his set. I was like "WTF, I know he's an opener, but he's also STEPHEN MALKMUS!" The next time I saw him was at the 2010 reunion - couldn't be more different.

xp, the more pertinent question is are there any bands on that list that were *bigger* than Pavement at their peak? some were close ... maybe some were, i don't know.

i'm asking for real if anyone thinks there's a bigger band than Pavement on that list. it's kinda tough to determine. JAMC? Spoon? Spoon does pretty good these days.

i like to compare art and artists, too, but it has zero bearing on why Pavement can tour and make money and get lots of attention or whether or not they deserve less or more of any of it.

they can tour and make lots of money (more than those other bands. . . Dino maybe comes close) because they're hugely popular, they write classic songs. if SY got back together *maybe* the hype would be similar, but obv. that's not gonna happen

Spoon are pretty close I'd wager, but I doubt they'd sell out in NYC 4 nights in a row. . . if they had lots of hits and broke up for twenty years? maybe.