Live Review: Pavement and Times New Viking at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, 9/26/10

There aren’t many sure things in life. A Pavement reunion was definitely not a sure thing. Especially after the bitter break up of the band back in 1999. Rumor has it that chief songwriter and lead singer Stephen Malkmus just grew tired of touring. And infighting had splintered friendships within the band.

Fast forward to 2009, when rumors began circulating that Pavement may, in fact, reunite for their twentieth anniversary. As they say, there is truth in rumors. Pavement kicked off their world-spanning reunion tour in New Zealand six months ago. Malkmus and founding member Scott Kannberg finally made it to Atlanta’s Tabernacle for a sold-out show to a building full of Pavement fanatics. While “fanatics” may be a strong word, imagine nearly every person singing along with most every song. You get the picture.

While Pavement never had a #1 hit, “Cut Your Hair” and “Gold Soundz” may have been close, as far as fans are concerned. Malkmus comes across reminiscent of a Stop Making Sense era David Byrne, with his quirky mannerisms and jumpy moves. He does, however, put everything he’s got into his performance.

Guitarist and co-founder Scott Kannberg addressed the crowd with, “We played in Maryland last night. That sucked. We also played Lollapalooza. That sucked too. It’s nice to be back in Atlanta where we’re loved. Thank you.” And love it was. Although Malkmus may not have shown it, he and the band knew they were in a good place. After recent gigs on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and The Colbert Report, Pavement are enjoying some of the celebrity they left behind in the nineties.

Comparisons to The Fall and The Replacements were evident, as Malkmus channeled Paul Westerberg (who is still alive, by the way). But Pavement definitely has their own sound that remains relevant. Fans all over Georgia look forward to the band’s next visit.

Matador labelmates Times New Viking warmed the room up nicely with lo-fi beauties. Like Pavement, the Ohio trio had some serious fans in the house. Touring in support of their latest album, Born Again Revisited, the band left their mark on Atlanta.