Pavement have been on their reunion tour for more than a year now, having just played Hopscotch, and it’s finally coming to a close; they have four victory lap shows this week at NYC’s Brooklyn Steel ahead of an appearance at The National’s Homecoming Festival. The Brooklyn shows, at slightly more intimate and less fancy digs than last year’s Kings Theatre run, began Monday night. Walking on stage to The Georgia Satellites’ hit “Keep Your Hands to Yourself,” drummer Steve West greeted the crowd, saying, “Hi, we’re the Pavement Band,” which set the tone for a fun if loose evening of indie rock classics.
Pavement’s set opened with “Heckler Spray” and included “Embassy Row,” “Gold Soundz,” “Folk Jam,” “Spit on a Stranger,” “Perfume-V,” “Box Elder,” “Harness Your Hits,” “Shoot the Singer,” “Debris Slide,” and more before closing out the main set with “Type Slowly” and “Major Leagues.” When they played Wowee Zowee‘s “We Danced,” Bob Nastanovich encouraged the audience to dance with someone before picking his own partner, Spiral Stairs.
Pavement returned for a three song encore, with Steve Malkmus taking a moment to thank night one openers, Toronto’s Kiwi Jr (who get compared to Pavement frequently), and jokingly thanked the audience for “coming to see some washed up losers,” before introducing the band. Bassist Mark Ibold then introduced Malkmus, who chimed in, “there’s a reason Sonic Youth said ‘we gotta have this guy!'” The band closed out Night 1 with “Father to a Sister of a Thought,” “Cut Your Hair,” and “Stop Breathin.”
You can check out Night 1 photos by Edwina Hay, along with the setlist and a few fan shot videos, below.
Pavement continue their Brooklyn Steel run tonight (9/12) and there have been some tickets released for the show and for Wednesday’s show (act quick), but Thursday is sold out.
SETLIST: Pavement @ Brooklyn Steel 9/11/2023
Heckler Spray
Feed ’em to the (Linden) Lions
Embassy Row
Starlings of the Slipstream
Perfume-V
Kennel District
She Believes
Gold Soundz
Black Out
Silence Kid
Serpentine Pad
Folk Jam
Spit on a Stranger
We Dance
Box Elder
The Hexx
Painted Soldiers
Harness Your Hopes
Fight This Generation
Shoot the Singer (1 Sick Verse)
Debris Slide
Type Slowly
Major Leagues
Encore:
Father to a Sister of Thought
Cut Your Hair
Stop Breathin