Pavement:Classic or Dud

Sounds like SM is back to his old tricks

Count you're not the first person I've heard say that. I don't really understand how anyone could be a big enough Pavement fan to drop £25 to see them and not expect that from SM. I was more surprised at how genuine the rest of the guys were.

Actually considering Kannberg's recent releases maybe not.

Obviously I wasn't expecting Malkmus to be acting all sincere and impassioned like he's in Fugazi or something, but in most of the live footage from back in the day, the ironic tomfoolery is generally goodnatured and charming, whereas this time he seemed arrogant and sneering. I barely saw him crack a smile!

Yup. I was there and thought the same thing, but mainly ruminated on how this guy is 43 years now and still has to come across at petulant. I thought reforming the band after 11 years would mean he'd be enthused and generally happy to share the spotlight, but there y'go.

In this (terrible) Klosterman article he doesn't seem too excited about it. So I guess add that to his usual ennui

You'd have to figure he's feeling a little bit cynical about it all, what with purposefully staying underground in the 90s and mocking bands who made a lot of money and all and now here he is doing this fan-service/cash-grab.

Not that I'm complaining it was nice to see them but I guess I understand where he's coming from. But I was also laughing at him during the show, not feeling put off or anything, so perhaps we're coming from different places

WELL I WAS DRESSED FOR

that article makes me really, really hope that they release a new album and it's all about fantasy sports

dunno if playing lollapalooza, tons of late night shows, working w/ nigel godrich can be called "purposefully staying underground in the 90s" ... for an indie band they did a lot to make it big. But I dunno, I think that people are just reading too much into his onstage demeanor -- he's always like that. I think he's kind of fun in that way.

fair, but aren't they considered one of the first bands to choose to stay with an indie simply because they wanted to? they could've had more money elsewhere, you'd think

oh yeah, i'm sure they got major label offers, but were (rightfully) suspicious of that world -- don't think that was necessarily just a "we stay indie cuz we're indie" kind of thing. and obviously they felt like they could make a go of it on Matador. I mean, they were way more successful than a lot of major label rock bands of the 90s, right?

So went to the Brixton gigs on Tuesday and Weds nights. Tuesday was I thought pretty much flawless. Great setlist (obviously). SM did seem bored but in an amused way rather than a petulant way I thought so I wasn't bothered by it at all. More importantly his playing was phenomenal. Gold Soundz, The Hexx, Frontwards, and Fight This Generation were all incredible.

Weds night they started with Frontwards and Summer Babe but SM's amp crapped out for both of 'em although this led to Spiral compensating for it on Summer Babe so that still sounded great but Frontwards was pretty much ruined. Despite this SM seemed in a really really good mood and the rest of the gig was great. They mixed up the setlist so got to hear Box Elder, Here, Range Life, Date w/Ikea, Lions!!!, and Loretta's Scars none of which they played Tuesday. They also tried to play some of the stuff differently on occasion which led to really good versions of Fight This Generation and In The Mouth A Desert.

All in all I had a fantastic time and they were pretty much everything I hoped they'd be.

Went last night with low expectations - love them, but reunion seemed a bit grudging or cynical, & I found them p boring when I saw them last (Terror Twilight tour, I think). Made no effort to get tickets until I noticed there were a ton on eBay for half-face-price, so it seemed silly not to go.

V glad I did - they sounded terrific, & fun - not stiff, or bored (maybe this is because they're mixing up the set-list a lot?), & it was great to hear those songs again, loud, still a bit messy in places. Some dumb shouty stuff came over really well - Two States and Debris Slide made me happy, thought Unfair was a blast.

I just picked another ticket for tonight, £10 again - don't think there'll be so many gloomy desperate touts there tonight (since Broken Social Scene are more of a draw than Sic Alps), but might be worth dropping by if you're near Brixton & are bothered about Pavement.

can somebody please say these shows are bad because i can't go and am feeling sad about it

Yeah, I can't see them at Pitchfork and they aren't playing anywhere near Chicago after that.

Really enjoyed the Tuesday gig (though perhaps my favourite bit was Wooden Shjips alienating all the delicate indie fans). Like woof I almost didn't go, not really seeing the point of indie legend reunion tours in general. The band were clearly way inside their comfort zone, but that didn't bother me. I was suprised at how many songs I know all the words to and delighted they played Frontwards (my favourite Pavement song, ever since I paid £10 for Watery, Domestic and got home to find it was 8 minutes long). Now I know how boomers feel when they go see the Eagles and they play all the songs they loved in their distant youth - they feel good!

But for one date on their reunion tour, Young will rejoin the band, as the Matablog reports. On June 24, Young will play with Pavement at the Bob Hope Theatre in the band's hometown of Stockton, California. As previously reported, this is Pavement's first show ever in their hometown.

But for one date on their reunion tour, Young will rejoin the band, as the Matablog reports. On June 24, Young will play with Pavement at the Bob Hope Theatre in the band's hometown of Stockton, California. As previously reported, this is Pavement's first show ever in their hometown.

― mizzell, Thursday, June 10, 2010

O.M.GOD!!!!

Dud

yeah I realized that a) my elation was probably over the top and b) some too cool for school type would pee all over it. you're so blase, van smack!

But for one date on their reunion tour, Young will rejoin the band, as the Matablog reports. On June 24, Young will play with Pavement at the Bob Hope Theatre in the band's hometown of Stockton, California. As previously reported, this is Pavement's first show ever in their hometown.

― mizzell, Thursday, June 10, 2010

O.M.GOD!!!!

― iago g., Thursday, June 10, 2010 7:56 PM (54 minutes ago)

i did it again so imma let the beat drop

good one ksh! clever-er than the other guy!

yeah I realized that a) my elation was probably over the top and b) some too cool for school type would pee all over it. you're so blase, van smack!

― iago g., Thursday, June 10, 2010 5:48 PM (8 minutes ago)

I was saying Pavement is a DUD. It's not a reply to your post, which I didn't read in the first place.

then stfu and leave?

anyway the young news is pretty cool!

then stfu and leave?

― fman29.5 (k3vin k.),

The band is still a dud.

great point

van smack, laying down the van smack

"Pavement Called 'Duds', Cancel Tour"

irl lol

"Pavement: Classic or stfu and leave"

Maybe van smack really is Jim Rome.

Maybe Gary will make cinnamon toast for the crowd.

sounds fun!

so what up? these dudes broke?

gary must be getting on in years -- he was already 40-something when the band started out, right? wonder if he can still do those killer fills.

According to the pretty fascinating Mojo article about the reunion, Bob Nastanovich has major gambling debts (the section of the article about his marriage to a female jockey he worked with was really interesting) and Malkmus agreed to the reunion at least in part to help ease his (and maybe some of the other guys') financial situations.

By all accounts, though, Malkmus isn't having a lot of fun doing the shows.

Unrelated: Has he always played without using a guitar pick? I saw a couple of these reunion shows and he does some really interesting stuff mixing weird finger picking with kind of hitting the strings with his index finger. It was interesting to watch.

aw that's kind of sad re Bob

?is that mojo article online (sorry if this is an LOL query)?

maybe if they'd all gotten degrees in something useful like spiral stairs did they wouldn't have to be doing this humiliating tour, and maybe if spiral stairs hadn't wasted away his post-collegiate days playing electric guitars with a slacker rock group he could have a nice urban planning job right now

(sorry if this is an LOL query)

New board description?

Odd parallel with Blur's reformation, if there was any truth to the rumour that Dave Rowntree was in need of money.

god i wish i had some lol 90s band i could reform and scare up so dough with.

why is touring and playing music "humiliating"?

yeah i'm sure these guys are feeling so humiliated right now

(despite the glibness of my comments i should note that i don't think Pavement reuniting is in any way humiliating. hell, i'd pay good money to see them if they were coming even within a day's drive of my town.)

del the funky griffithsapien

just talkin out my ass here. don't know if it's actually humiliating for pavement themselves, but when bands reunite and tour seemingly just to pay off debts - not cause they love each other and love being musicians in each others company and want to record and share more new music with everyone - it's humiliating for me, at least somewhat. then again who knows i haven't seen pavement on this tour nor have i actually read the mojo article.