Pavement has been one of those very impactful bands in terms of my young adult life. The first album I heard was Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain during my freshman year of highschool via my good buddy Matt. He would throw it in on our drive to lacrosse practice (so suburbs). I was immediately hooked, buying up any/all recordings and seeking out shows. Pavement was very obscure for the time (early/mid 90s) even falling out of the grunge and emerging indie scene. For Matt and I and a few of our friends Pavement was a band that fit our personality, the lyrics were ridiculous and the music was chaotic but so unique. We would be the rebels and throw them in at high-school parties when no one was looking and belt out the lyrics and blast them from our shitty cars while driving down to the beach over the summer. I have so many great memories of driving from the burbs and into Philly seeing Pavement multiple times at the Trocadero. Getting so pumped that before the encore I had to go into the bathroom and suck on the faucet as to not pass-out from exhaustion. I remember seeing them at Lollapalooza ‘95, the WDRE Fest in Camden etc. Its just one of those bands that stuck with me and brings back so many great memories.
I continued to listen Pavement all throughout college. They eventually broke-up right before I moved to NYC and right after the Terror Twilight tour ended. I was it a bit of a transition period so I missed that tour. I made every other since Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. The catalyst for the break-up is debatable but seemed to center around front man Stephen Malkmus’s desire to pursue a solo career. Seeing Malkmus over the years was great too as he has a solid band but just hearing his voice and guitar reminded me of Pavement. The past decade there have been rumors upon rumors of a Pavement reunion tour. This time last year the dream came true. The first show scheduled was in NYC at Central Park Summerstage…then there were three more…then it became a world tour. I jumped on tickets for Philly and Brooklyn. I had tickets for Central Park but had to bail last minute due to adult/work-stuff. The Philly and Brooklyn shows were phenomenal. Here are the set-lists and some pics. Take a guess which ones were taken from a pro vs me and my buds. Hmm?
Philly – The Mann Music Center 9/17/10
SET-LIST
1.Grounded
2.Cut Your Hair
3.Kennel District
4.Heckler Spray
5.Elevate Me Later
6.Frontwards
7.Silence Kit
8.Starlings of the Slipstream
9.Box Elder
10.Unfair
11.Fight This Generation
12.Shady Lane
13.Perfume-V
14.Spit on a Stranger
15.Stereo
16.Two States
17.In the Mouth a Desert
18.Conduit for Sale!
19.We Dance
20.Rattled By The Rush
21.Range Life
Encore:
22.Date w/ IKEA
23.Trigger Cut
24.Stop Breathin'
Encore 2:
25.Gold Soundz
26.Here
PICS
Williamsburg, Brooklyn - The Waterfront 9/19/10
SET-LIST
1.Cut Your Hair
2.Date w/ Ikea
3.Rattled By The Rush
4.Elevate Me Later
5.Grounded
6.Frontwards
7.Shady Lane
8.Unfair
9.Perfume V
10.Fight This Generation
11.Silence Kit
12.Box Elder
13.Stop Breathin'
14.Two States
15.Father to a Sister of Thought
16.Heckler / In the Mouth a Desert
17.We Dance
18.Summer Babe (Winter Version)
19.Fin
20.Stereo
Encore:
21.Spit on a Stranger
22.Trigger Cut/Wounded-Kite at :17
23.Starlings of the Slipstream
Encore 2:
24.Gold Soundz
25.Kennel District
26.Range Life
PICS
They played every track I wanted to hear...except for Debris Slide which I found out later that they played it in CP...so pissed. Box Elder was the suprise highlight for me as I don't remember them playing that in highschool or college.
All said both shows were insanely good. The Philly show I thought was better played (something was off for a few of the BK songs) and held a special place for me given I experienced it with friends that grew up with the band with along side me. Brooklyn was equally sentimental as I rocked along with my sister who is always there to dance with me even when lame NYC crowds wont. The bands we've seen together over the years I cant even begin to count. Another "point of reflection" is that my first NYC apartment was in Williamsburg not too far from where Pavement took the stage...really hit me how much has changed in both the neighborhood and for me personally in the past 10 years or so. Sad sappy sucker.
While new recordings from Pavement are extremely doubtful and a reunion tour in 2020 would be even more doubtful, I was glad to be transported back to the alt-rock 90's...if only for a few nights.
The lyrics to Range Life really sum it up nicely. Enjoy.
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