Pavement's Reunion Tour Returns to Chicago

Posted on Sep 14th 2010 10:00AM by Anna Deem
Comments

Tim Mosenfelder, Getty Images

With strings of light bulbs stretched across the cavernous stage of Millennium Park's Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago, dedicated fans filled the architectural landmark row after row on Monday evening, awaiting Pavement's return to their city after the band played the Pitchfork Music Festival just two months prior.

No Age took the stage around 7PM, warming the crowd up with their sonic swells of noise on songs like 'Teen Creeps' and 'You're a Target.' The audience seemed vaguely interested, nodding their heads along, but most were walking around and seemed to be saving their energy for Pavement's set. Still, No Age gave it their best and their newer songs, 'Fever Dreaming' in particular, sounded excellent live.

Thirty minutes after No Age finished, fans cheered as Pavement finally walked onstage. "This is kind of a weird place for us to play, but I think it's a good thing," exclaimed frontman Stephen Malkmus as he lifted his guitar over his head. He started strumming and then the rest of the band kicked into 'Silence Kit' from 'Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain.' The crowd yelled excitedly and kept the momentum going as Pavement tore through classic hits like 'In the Mouth a Desert,' 'Starlings of the Slipstream,' 'Gold Soundz' and 'Grounded.' The gentle Lake Michigan breeze and twinkling lights hanging above the band complimented the chiming chords of the latter song perfectly, as fans nodded along thoughtfully.

The histrionic screaming of percussionist/singer Bob Nastanovich on 'Unfair' woke the crowd up again, as they pumped their fists and jumped along with his antics, perhaps feeling a bit of a kinship after Malkmus introduced him as Pavement's "Midwest connection" due to his Des Moines, Iowa roots. Later, Malkmus also dedicated 'Perfume-V' to No Age and bemoaned the fact that they only got to play for half an hour.

"We love Chicago, we've played here so many times," Malkmus said as Pavement's set wound down. "We played the University of Chicago more times than the kids there actually went to class," he joked and launched into 'Rattled by the Rush' to close out the first part of the set. An encore followed less than a minute later with highlights of 'Spit on a Stranger' and a rousing version of 'Conduit for Sale,' which had Nastanovich roaming around the stage and spurring the crowd on as he screamed the chorus into his microphone over and over again. 'Box Elder,' 'Kennel District' and 'Range Life' closed out the second and final encore, leaving fans clapping and whistling for more. "Thanks, Chicago. See you in 10 years," Malkmus said as the band waved goodbye.

Watch Pavement Perform 'Cut Your Hair' in Chicago