The Daily Swarm

2008:

Led Zeppelin did it. Van Halen did it. Hell, even the Pixies did it. So what, you may be wondering, are the chances of Pavement getting back together for a reunion tour? Despite reports to the contrary, surprisingly good, actually — though it depends on how you define “tour.” The band’s leader, Stephen Malkmus, tells Entertainment Weekly in this week’s issue, “Something small in 10 years like the Zeppelin thing sounds good to me,” referring to the one-night-only London show the aging Hammers of the Gods put on in December. “Obviously, the arena would be smaller than theirs, though.”

Pavement’s happy-go-lucky bassist, Mark Ibold, currently busy touring with Sonic Youth in Australia, tells EW that he’d be on board, too. “Why not next month?” he jokes. “No, it needs to be carefully planned.” When asked if he saw any obstacles standing in the way, Ibold replied, “Learning the songs again. I’ve actually dreamt that there was a reunion show and I couldn’t remember the songs.”

2007:

Q: What are the chances of a Pavement reunion?

A: Very slim. I’m 100 percent into this. This is what I spend all of my time on. It could happen 10 or 20 years from now. It hasn’t even been 10 years. It’s too early for me.

Q: Do you even like the concept of rock reunions?

A: I do like reunions. I don’t have problems with it anymore. If the Stooges came here, I would go. I went to the Dinosaur Jr. reunion tour. I don’t need to go again. I was like the typical person, who wanted to see them once. As long as you don’t have extra guys in a reunion band, I’m all right with it. It has to have that spirit. The Police reunion is bad since they don’t like each other. It’s obvious that it’s just for the money. If it’s for the money and they like each other, I’m fine with that. You have to have that spirit.

2006:

So, Spiral, is there going to be a Pavement reunion?

“I guess, yeah, we’ll see.”

Um, what?

”[Laughs] I mean, I can’t tell you. I don’t know. I mean, yeah there’s been some talk over the last year about kind of getting together eventually. But I think it makes more sense to let more time go past, you know? It would probably work well for a 20 year anniversary or something like that. But I don’t know. I’m going to Steve [Malkmus]‘s wedding, I think, so we’ll see, maybe we’ll have a reunion there.”

2005:

This year saw the re-release of Pavement’s indie-rock classic Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. Much like the Pixies’ successful comeback tour last year, offers for the band to reunite have been pouring in. But even if a dump truck of money were driven up to the front of his house, he wouldn’t reunite the band — not for at least 10 years.

“We’ve already had offers of that ilk — maybe not a dump truck, but a small minivan,” he said. “People that like Pavement will still be alive [in 10 years], their kids will be in high school by then, so it’ll be easier for them to go to the show. Right now they have to carry them in baby papooses, you know?”

2004:

Pavement split after 1999’s “Terror Twilight,” with Malkmus going on to a solo career leading the band the Jicks. He says there’s no fundamental obstacle to a Pavement reunion some day, but it’s not something he’s anticipating in the near future.

“It doesn’t feel exactly right yet for me to do it,” he admits. “I mean, it could. I guess you just know when it’s right, just like so many other things in your life. Or, you force it due to financial reasons or someone telling you how much you could make. No one has told us that, so that’s not an issue at all. But we all get along; no one is like a lawyer with a huge caseload or has lost an arm.”

2003:

Pitchfork: Do you ever think Pavement will get back together?

Malkmus: Umm…I don’t know. Maybe. I don’t really see it happening, but I would not put it past the band getting back together for one big gig somewhere. Times might change and it might make total sense, because it might just seem fun. It doesn’t really sound that fun right now to run through all those songs, and we all live in different places, but a concert is not out of the possibility. I could see it.

2002:

For those still hoping, there will be no Pavement reunion.

“No one wanted to be involved with either project,” Kannberg drawls. “I happened to have all the stuff in my garage, so I took control of the whole situation. Lance, the guy who put the documentary together, sent everyone in the band a copy and asked for suggestions, but no one really helped.

“It was really frustrating, but not surprising, especially considering the way the band ended. Everyone was a bit frustrated with how certain people were behaving.”

Even so, Kannberg is not closing the door on Pavement just yet. If he has his way, the Slanted & Enchanted package will be just the beginning of a series of definitive Pavement reissues.

“There’s tons of stuff for the other records that I’d like to get out,” he says. “We tried to record Crooked Rain with our old drummer, Gary, and there’s a bunch of songs from that session that no one’s ever heard before, plus lots more outtakes and Peel Sessions. I want it all to be out there.”

2001:

With regard to a future Pavement reunion, Malkmus says anything’s possible. “I’m not saying that we won’t reunite for a ‘Monsters of Indie Rock’ stadium tour in 10 years,” he recently told Revolver magazine.

2000:

Despite the solo project taking shape – and that of Pavement co-founder Scott Kannberg, which was reported on nme.com earlier this week (August 22) – the band have dismissed rumours that they have permanently split. Instead, they insist they are simply having a break from recording and touring together.

1999:

Pavement have confirmed they’re “retiring for the forseeable future”, following an emotional gig at Brixton Academy last week (November 20) despite reports elesewhere suggesting that we were in some way making it all up.

A spokesman for Domino, Pavement’s UK label told NME: “Pavement are retiring for the forseeable future to:

1. Start families 2. Sail around the world 3. Get into the computer industry 4. Dance 5. Get some attention”