Pavement Close Out Pitchfork Music Festival With the Classics

Posted on Jul 19th 2010 11:00AM by Garin Pirnia
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Roger Kisby, Getty Images

Maybe it was the absolute exhaustion from a heat-filled weekend or sheer disinterest in the headlining alt-band, but more people at Chicago's Pitchfork Music Festival were present on Saturday night for LCD Soundsystem than Pavement's Sunday headlining set, and half of those fans who stuck around sat fatigued on the lawn.

Before Pavement shined in all of their '90s glory, Rian Murphy of the band's early label Drag City introduced the band, ranting about how money doesn't go to artists anymore and that they only get money through corporate sponsorship. The restless crowd booed Murphy, who finally announced the band as "The Grateful Pavement."

The group opened with their most commercial hit, 'Cut Your Hair,' bouncing around onstage and jamming on their instruments under a canopy of twinkling white lights. The band traded non-sequiturs with the crowd: Malkmus asked the audience if they'd ever eaten at Chicago restaurant Beef and Brandy and the quirky Nastanovich said he'd like to thank Hawthorne Race Track, perhaps referencing one of the horse racing courses he worked at. 'In the Mouth of a Desert' and 'Silence Kit' came next, followed by 'Kennel District' and 'Shady Lane.' The sound kept going in and out, but the band worked through it.

"This is an old Drag City song," Malkmus said, prefacing 'Debris Slide' from their 1991 EP, 'Perfect Sound Forever.' Pavement delved into twangy number 'Range Life' and the romantic 'Spit on the Stranger,' which temporarily slowed down the pace. Most of the band's set consisted of songs from their first two records, 'Slanted and Enchanted' and 'Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain,' but deep cut 'Frontwards' from the 'Watery, Domestic' EP made an appearance.

Pavement rounded out their 90-minute show with the catchy 'Gold Soundz' and 'Here' and gave one last hurrah ending on 'The Hexx' from their final record 'Terror Twilight.' The band thanked the crowd and reminded them to check out the counter festival Bitchpork going on downtown. The band will return to Chicago to play Pritzker Pavilion on Sept. 13.