Pavement Blows Away Stubb's (9/28/10)

Pavement: Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater, Austin TX, Tuesday, September 28 (Eight Magical Days of Live 90s Music continues)

If there were any doubts as to whether or not Rachel and I were smart to keep our second set of Pavement tickets and see them twice in 5 days, they were gone about 5 minutes into show number two last night at Stubb's. Episode Three of our tour through the 90s took us back home to Austin for Pavement, Luxe & Reduxe. Once again, the band was in top shape, and coupled with a typical strong Austin audience, it turned into another memorable night of live music.

The band wasted no time getting the crowd into the affair, kicking off with the great Buddy Holly-esque "Silence Kit," the first track from Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (album openers often seem to be good concert openers too). The audience -- a pretty even mix of young hipsters and older (ahem) fans -- was pretty good from the start, but really got going during a raging performance of "Unfair." Multi-instrumentalist and sometimes vocalist Bob Nastanovich put his all into his lines, coming across like a punch in the gut in contrast to Stephen Malkmus' slacker wail. All night long, the band was full of the key ingredients that Pixies were missing: Passion, emotion, raw energy -- lots more than some of today's "young" bands that we've seen. All five members -- Malkmus, Nastanovich, guitarist/vocalist Scott Kannberg, bassist Mark Ibold and drummer Steve West -- all seemed to be having a great time. Malkmus, who isn't much of a talker from what I understand, was increasingly engaging and loose as the night wore on. Kannberg did some nice moves during a Malkmus solo and climbed the speakers a few times. And Nastanovich, as usual, was all over the place.

Amazing songs too. The band played a seemingly endless bag of them. Throw in a great Austin crowd, excellent sound and a good view from our favorite spot to the left of the sound board, and perfect weather, and you have yourself a memorable night of rock music. Probably the single best show I've seen this year. Not bad for a bunch of rusty old slackers.

Setlist (Thanks Austin Music Source)

Silence Kit
Frontwards
Box Elder
Date w/ Ikea
Unfair
Starlings of the Slipstream
Stereo
Rattled by the Rush
Grounded
Perfume-V
Shady Lane
Fin
Cut Your Hair
Spit On a Stranger
Nastonovich slide whistle solo
Zurich is Stained
Gold Soundz
Fight This Generation
Trigger Cut
Conduit for Sale!
Range Life

Encore
In the Mouth a Desert
Two States
Here

Second encore
Kennel District
Summer Babe (Winter Version)
Stop Breathin’
AT & T


Pavement plays "Stereo" on Fallon (9/23/10) with contest winner

Up Next

Guided By Voices (tonight) at the new East Side Drive-In. The opening act happens to be the band that graced the shirt of Pavement front man Stephen Malkmus on Tuesday night at Stubb's. Coincidence, or cosmic event tied to the positive energy we're creating with our Eight Magical Days of 90s Live Musical Goodness?