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Pavement (Sorta) Reunites In The Name Of Love
The Nashville Scene reported that after being married in Nashville, Nastanovich and friends were celebrating Feb. 21 at The 5 Spot, a wedding party that was open to the public and billed on the local venue’s MySpace page as a “Secret Show.”
Scenesters crowed the club in hopes of seeing the ‘90s indie rock darlings. The house band – Tim, Chad and Sherry – featured former Silver Jews William Tyler and Brian Kotzu and rocked out to traditional wedding reception favorites like “Proud Mary,” “Bennie and the Jets” and “What a Fool Believes.”
After hanging out to left of the stage for most of the night, Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus, who co-founded the Silver Jews along with Nastanovich and David Berman, jumped on stage. Malkmus charmingly took on the role of wedding singer, singing Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love” and The O’ Jays “Love Train,” according to the Nashville Scene.
Dang, if I knew Malkmus was available for weddings, I would have totally called him up a year and a half ago. I know a certain friend of mine who would have died to bring him along as her date! Swoon!
Anyway, the Pavement fun didn’t end there. Malkmus was soon joined on stage by Nastanovich, former Pavement bassist Mark Ibold (now of Sonic Youth) and former Pavement drummer Steve West. And about a dozen or so guests. It was a party!
Pavement was (almost) united on stage as the house band played “FCC Party,” a song by West’s band, Marble Valley. Rolling Stone pointed out that a commenter on the Nashville Scene claimed that although Scott “Spiral Stairs” Kannberg, Pavement’s former guitarist, wasn’t on stage, he was at the celebration that night.
Unfortunately for fans and wedding crashers, no Pavement songs were played. I think “Cut your hair” would have been a fitting choice for a wedding. It’s so cheery!
Kannberg previously told music tabloid Loud And Quiet that “everything’s fine now” between band members and he was hopeful of a reunion.
“I don’t see why not, you know, it could be a fun thing to do, go and play your favorite songs every night!” Kannberg told the magazine.
“2009 would be our 20-year anniversary too, so that’d be a good time to do it, but I think that’s too soon, it might have to be pushed back later,” Kannberg said.
Pavement’s last gig together took place at Brixton Academy in London November 20, 1999.
A month later, a Pavement spokesman told NME that “Pavement are retiring for the foreseeable future to: 1. Start families, 2. Sail around the world, 3. Get into the computer industry, 4. Dance, 5. Get some attention.”
Read the Nashville Scene article here.
Read the Rolling Stone article here.