“Meanings change,” Malkmus said, following a raucous rendition of their usually midtempo early staple, “Summer Babe.” The music video for their single “Cut Your Hair” gained some MTV play in 1994, while their raw, melodic punk was immediately embraced by underground zine culture.īut it was their rejection of Top 40 pursuits allowed the band to remain unequivocally cool.

The band’s greatest feat was becoming somewhat well-known and respected - their first three studio albums are now among the 500 greatest albums of all time, according to Rolling Stone - without losing their edge or selling out, the gravest fear for any indie rock stalwart. Often labeled slackers for their carefree swagger, the band even earned the immortal critique that “They need to try harder!” during a “Beavis and Butt-Head” couch gag.įollowing their amicable disbanding, the members of Pavement embraced their 30s by pursuing other musical projects - the most popular being Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - or by focusing on families, race horses, and in the case of their second drummer Steve West, becoming a stonemason. Courtesy of Moses Berkson Indie darlings of the 1990sĪs the quintessential 1990s indie rock band - which formed in Stockton in 1989 to release five albums, before disbanding in 1999 - Pavement remains entwined with the decade. From the left: Mark Ibold, Stephen Malkmus, Bob Nastanovich, Steve West and Scott Kannberg.

It only took a reunion tour, the second in two decades, and 23 years since their last album release for the titans of slacker rock to finally seize achievement.

Sound driver to play city of heroes