Though never the mainstream superstars of some of their ’90s rock peers, California-formed Pavement are, arguably, the decade’s most influential and iconic indie band, whose prolific yet brief decade-long initial run helped shape modern indie rock in immeasurable ways. Formed in 1989, initially as a studio project (they’d fill out their ranks and become a full-time band a few years later), Pavement’s sound was indebted to British post-punk like the Fall and Echo & the Bunnymen, American punk and alt rock like the Replacements and Sonic Youth, and the burgeoning college rock explosion of bands like R.E.M., running parallel to the grunge and alt rock explosion of the early ’90s, but always remaining sonically distinct, with Pavement’s sound notably more lo-fi, slacker, and stream of conciousness (again, all ingredients that would influence an entire generation of indie artists, and would give Pavement a distinct cool and indie bona fides the more mainstream rock of the era could only dream of).
After a few promising early EPs, which were well-received but not widely heard, Pavement signed with indie label Matador (where they’d remain their entire career), going on to release five LPs and touring more extensively throughout the ’90s. Though they did go on to attract moderate success, even notching some mainstream attention- including MTV and radio play- by sophomore album Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (and enduring single “Cut Your Hair”), Pavement remained somewhat ambivalent to fame, frequently zagging with their writing choices, evolving and experimenting with their sound. By final 1999 album Terror Twilight, helmed somewhat turbulently by famed producer Nigel Godrich, and recorded with more polish than prior LPs, tensions between band members and especially frontman Stephen Malkmus were rising, causing the group to abruptly split by the end of that year.
Members went on to pursue other creative ventures, like Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, but as indie rock saw a prominent resurgence in the ’00s, Pavement’s legacy too underwent something of a reexamination, with a new generation of fans discovering and falling in love with the band’s incredible catalogue. The band would initially reunite in 2010, first for a series of benefit shows in Central Park, and then a proper world tour, but it didn’t stick, and they split again soon after. Another decade would pass before the band announced their intention to regroup again, for their 30th anniversary, but the Covid-19 pandemic delayed plans by a couple of years, with the group finally returning to stage in 2022, performing a series of tours and fests through 2024. Not long after, the experimental, Alex Ross Perry-directed pseudo-biopic, pseudo-documentary Pavements premiered, to rave reviews, further asserting the band’s legacy and importance to the contemporary indie scene.
Though it seemed like Pavement might again take the back burner for the foreseeable future (Malkmus formed supergroup The Hard Quartet during this last reunion), they have teased the possibility of a sixth album, and have continued to pop up at fests the last couple of years, and are currently in the midst of another short tour, which concludes with a pair of shows in Nashville- the band’s first since 1994 (not counting a jam sesh at The 5 Spot in ’09, in honor of percussionist Bob Nastanovich’s wedding)- at The Ryman Auditorium! Night one, July 27, which is nearly sold out, features support from Canadian indie rockers Nap Eyes, and night two, July 28, boasts Nashville’s own Soccer Mommy, with tickets for both still available right here while they last!
Pavement will perform Monday, July 27 with Nap Eyes and Tuesday, July 28 with Soccer Mommy at The Ryman Auditorium. The shows are all ages, begin at 7:30 p.m. (doors at 6:30 p.m.), and tickets are available for $73.80-104.61.
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