We can’t show you a word that rhymes with Pavement, but we can show you the indie rock pioneers’ setlist from their very first show in 12 years. The reunion tour that was originally supposed to happen in 2020 finally kicked off on Monday night with a special warm-up gig at Los Angeles’ Fonda Theater, and per setlist.fm, they selected a healthy mix of crowd pleasers and deep cuts for devotees both new and old.
Naturally, Pavement performed “Harness Your Hopes” — their 1997 B-side that’s become a mysterious viral hit on Spotify and TikTok — for the first time in over 20 years. Aside from the expected hits like “Gold Soundz,” “Range Life,” “Cut Your Hair,” and “Spit on a Stranger,” they also ran through fan favorites like “Frontwards,” “Here,” “Grounded,” and “Summer Babe (Winter Version)” — perhaps they took some inspiration from Consequence’s recent list of Pavement’s 10 Best Songs.
What’s more, Pavement’s first gig back included a double-encore. According to the setlist the band posted on their social media, the second encore was supposed to include “Stereo” and “In the Mouth a Desert,” but both had to be cut for time. We can’t fault them — their set still clocked in at 30 songs. Lastly, they closed out with a cover of Jim Pepper’s “Witchi Tai To.”
All-in-all, Pavement’s reunion tour already looks like it won’t disappoint, although we’d likely be just as happy watching Stephen Malkmus improvise on stage for an hour and a half. Watch some fan-captured footage of the night, and take a look at the full setlist, below.
Last month, Pavement released the long-awaited reissues of their final album 1999’s Terror Twilight and their Spit on a Stranger EP. They also recently cashed in on the delayed “Harness Your Hopes” attention with a new music video featuring Yellowjackets star Sophie Thatcher.
These guys sound familiar, but we can’t quite place it pic.twitter.com/T88zYJcc6r
— Matador Records (@matadorrecords) May 24, 2022
Wait, hold on. Don’t tell me. A few more songs and I’ll know who this is pic.twitter.com/IeorbwtXuv
— Matador Records (@matadorrecords) May 24, 2022
Alright, i Shazam’d it. Allegedly this is @pavement_band tonight at @FondaTheatre pic.twitter.com/c0suXupb4A
— Matador Records (@matadorrecords) May 24, 2022
Very happy we got all the identity stuff sorted. Thanks internet! @pavement_band @FondaTheatre pic.twitter.com/eJPJqJKoSY
— Matador Records (@matadorrecords) May 24, 2022
Hella thanks y’all. Had to cut a couple but…
Much love, c’mon in… pic.twitter.com/oVBJUQVMfE— PAVEMENT (@pavement_band) May 24, 2022
Setlist:
Our Singer
Frontwards
Embassy Row
Black Out
Trigger Cut
Kennel District
Spit on a Stranger
Gold Soundz
Transport Is Arranged
Serpentine Pad
Motion Suggests
Two States
The Hexx
Shoot the Singer (One Sick Verse)
Grounded
Harness Your Hopes
Silence Kid
Cut Your Hair
Type Slowly
Perfume-V
Fame Throwa
Range Life
Folk Jam
Encore 1:
Shady Lane
Unfair
Grave Architecture
Major Leagues
Summer Babe (Winter Version)
Encore 2:
Here
Witchi Tai To
Pavement 2022 Tour Dates:
06/02 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
06/10 – Porto, Portugal @ NOS Primavera Sound
09/07 – San Diego, CA @ Balboa Theatre
09/09 – Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum Theatre
09/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum Theatre
09/12 – San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
09/13 – San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
09/14 – San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
09/16 – Troutdale, OR @ Edgefield Amphitheatre
09/17 – Seattle, WA @ The Paramount Theatre
09/19 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
09/20 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
09/21 – St. Paul, MN @ The Palace Theatre
09/22 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
09/23 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
09/24 – Detroit, MI @ Masonic Cathedral Theatre
09/26 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
09/27 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
09/28 – Boston, MA @ Boch Center Wang Theatre
09/30 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
10/01 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
10/02 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
10/03 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
10/05 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Met
10/06 – Washington, DC @ Warner Theatre
10/08 – Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern
10/09 – Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern
10/11 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live at the Moody Theater
10/17 – Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy Leeds
10/18 – Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland Ballroom
10/19 – Edinburgh, UK @ Usher Hall
10/20 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo
10/22 – London, UK @ Roundhouse
10/23 – London, UK @ Roundhouse
10/24 – London, UK @ Roundhouse
10/25 – London, UK @ Roundhouse
10/27 – Paris, FR @ Le Grand Rex
10/29 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega
10/30 – Oslo, NO @ Sentrum Scene
10/31 – Stockholm, SE @ Cirkus
11/02 – Aarhus, DK @ VoxHall
11/04 – Bremen, DE @ Pier 2
11/05 – Berlin, DE @ Tempodrom
11/07 – Brussels, BE @ Cirque Royal
11/08 – Amsterdam, NL @ Royal Carré Theater
11/10 – Dublin, IE @ Vicar Street
11/11 – Dublin, IE @ Vicar Street
