Pavement Reunite With Original Drummer Gary Young at Homecoming Show

Posted on Jun 25th 2010 6:12AM by Benjy Eisen
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Pavement's reunion tour drove down memory lane on Thursday, taking them all the way to Stockton, Calif. for some kind of homecoming -- one that even the mayor showed up for. Pavement initially formed in Stockton in 1989, broke up in 2000 and officially reunited earlier this year. But, in some ways, this show marked the band's one and only "true" reunion -- original drummer Gary Young joined the band for an extended encore ('Summer Babe,' 'Two States' and 'Perfume-V'). It was the first time Young played with Pavement since splitting with the group in 1993. Young only cut one complete album with the band -- 'Slanted and Enchanted' -- but it was Pavement's defining debut and to this day is considered one of the most important alternative rock albums of the 1990s.

Many fans first arriving at the Bob Hope Theater were actually greeted on the way in by Young, who lived up to his reputation as a friendly, acid-fried hippie. And, as such, he aimed to please. He posed for photographs and answered questions before erratically heading to an adjacent lawn where he did several headstands while fans scrambled to capture it on their smartphones. "Did everyone get a photo?" Young asked, congenially. "Because I don't know how much longer I can keep this up!" He fell to the ground several times but was ultimately convinced by bemused fans to try it again. Just like the good old days.

Inside, fans were greeted by another unusual introduction when Mayor Ann Johnston took the mic to introduce the band. "I want to say this is a historic moment for Stockton," said the mayor. "The last time [guitarist] Scott Kannberg was here, he might've been an usher." Mayor Johnston then welcomed those who traveled to Stockton for the special occasion, adding that the backstage scene resembled a kind of high school reunion. Seems like the Pavement camp just can't get enough of the reunion vibe these days.

It spilled over into the set, too, as frontman Stephen Malkmus took time between songs to recall old places, friends, skateboard parks, streets, railroad tracks, a golf course and even a drive-in theater. Between such reminiscing, the band pulled out songs that made everyone in the room nostalgic, including such classics as 'Gold Soundz,' 'Range Life,' 'Stereo,' 'Spit on a Stranger, ' 'Starlings of the Slipstream' and so on and so forth.

But reunions and homecomings are both fleeting affairs. As Malkmus noted before Pavement's last song of the set, "We'll see you ten years after this song. Or, maybe, we'll see you at Tortilla Flats later for a little green tea." The locals seemed to know what he was talking about. Then again, the locals also seemed to also know him, personally.

At the end of the night, with just four minutes till curfew and still another tune to get through, Young stood up, shirtless, from behind the kit and said, "Speech? Well, it's not really a speech; I just really appreciate the guys in Pavement for having me come and play this show."

All told, it was an amazing and historic homecoming.