117-790: Major Leagues is the final EP by American indie rock band Pavement . It was released on October 12, 1999, on Matador Records . To date, it is their final release of original material excluding reissues. The EP contains seven tracks: A radio edit of the Terror Twilight version of "Major Leagues." Two "Spiral Stairs" songs: "Your Time to Change," and "Stub Your Toe," which were recorded by Pavement's original drummer, Gary Young (lead singer Stephen Malkmus most likely did not attend these sessions due to his feud with Young). A demo of "Major Leagues" recorded alone by Malkmus. "Decouvert de Soleil," which features Stephen Malkmus switching back between English and French. The sound and instrumentation of
234-401: A bass guitar to keep him off the streets. In the same year, Bob met Mars, a high school dropout. With Mars playing guitar and then switching to drums, the trio called themselves "Dogbreath" and began covering songs by Aerosmith , Ted Nugent and Yes without a singer. One day as Westerberg, who was a janitor in U.S. Senator David Durenberger 's office, was walking home from work he heard
351-530: A punk rock record store in Minneapolis; he also founded Twin/Tone Records with Paul Stark (a local recording engineer) and Charley Hallman. Westerberg originally handed in the tape to see if the band could perform at Jay's Longhorn Bar , a local venue where Jesperson worked as a disc jockey. (The band's first performance at a bar was at the Longhorn on July 2, 1980.) He eavesdropped while Jesperson put
468-853: A "best-of" compilation album in March 2010, entitled Quarantine the Past: The Best of Pavement . On June 24, 2010, Pavement performed at the Bob Hope Theatre in Stockton, their first-ever hometown show. Original drummer Gary Young joined the band for an encore, playing three songs from Slanted and Enchanted . Young also joined the band during six songs the next night at The Greek Theater in Berkeley. In September 2010, Pavement appeared on The Colbert Report and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon . After concluding their proper US tour at
585-403: A Monday night. The show at Folk City was not a success, because "The Replacements were so loud and obnoxious that the people just cleared right out," according to manager Jesperson. The band supported R.E.M. on an eight-date tour later that summer, deciding that they should alienate the audience as much as possible. It was not a successful tour; by the end, various members had threatened to leave
702-765: A North American leg on November 2, 2021. On May 23, 2022, the band played their first show since 2010 for a sold-out crowd at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles. In June, the band at last performed at Primavera Sound 2022 in Barcelona and Porto, respectively. For the tour, Pavement were joined by the keyboardist and backing vocalist Rebecca Cole , a former member of the Minders and Wild Flag . Nastanovich said Cole gave them more versatility and allowed them to play songs they had not performed live before. As
819-543: A September 2015 interview, Stinson discussed the band working on new studio material, stating, "it was one of those things: We dipped our toe in the water, and it didn't feel so good." Stinson said that he had reworked songs he wrote for the Replacements as material for his solo career. The Replacements gained local notoriety following their first live performance, because of Tommy Stinson's young age. Early shows were consistently tight and became more aggressive following
936-405: A band any more, right?" Kannberg told Malkmus that he needed to call the other members of the band to inform them that the band was finally breaking up, but Malkmus refused and Kannberg was left with the task of informing them. West said he had never received any call about the breakup from anyone in the band, and discovered that Pavement had dissolved via the internet. Nastanovich later said "there
1053-663: A band playing in the Stinsons' house. After being impressed by the band's performance, Westerberg regularly listened in after work. Mars knew Westerberg and invited him over to jam. Westerberg was unaware Mars was a drummer in Dogbreath. Dogbreath auditioned several vocalists, including a hippie who read lyrics off a sheet. The band eventually found a vocalist, but Westerberg wanted to be the singer and took him aside one day to say, "The band doesn't like you." The vocalist soon left and Westerberg replaced him. Before Westerberg joined
1170-599: A film which tells the band's story through the eyes of their most ardent fans. The Replacements played their first shows in 22 years at Riot Fest in Toronto (August 24 and 25, 2013), Chicago (September 13–15) and Denver (September 21 and 22). Dave Minehan, guitarist and vocalist of the Boston -based band the Neighborhoods as well as drummer Josh Freese rounded out the lineup for the shows. Westerberg said that
1287-515: A full member of the band. The band's next album, Don't Tell a Soul , was a quieter, less punky affair, largely considered an attempt at mainstream success. While the move cost the Replacements the appreciation of some hardcore fans, the album had some notable songs, such as "Achin' to Be" and " I'll Be You ", the latter of which topped the Billboard Modern Rock chart. The band then made a second appearance on network television, on
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#17327944926101404-487: A good job", he felt he only connected with Malkmus and disregarded the other band members; Nastanovich realized after several days that Godrich did not know his name. Kannberg was unhappy that Malkmus was not interested in working on songs Kannberg had written, and said it was the hardest Pavement record to make. Pavement released one last EP, Major Leagues . It features three Malkmus songs, two original Spiral Stairs songs and two covers, " The Killing Moon " by Echo &
1521-539: A key influence. Members of the alternative country groups Uncle Tupelo and Whiskeytown have said that The Replacements were an important influence on them. Brian Fallon of Gaslight Anthem said in a 2009 interview that "without The Replacements, there would be no Gaslight Anthem" and that they were inspired by the song "Left of the Dial". The band They Might Be Giants made a tribute song to them called "We're The Replacements". 1234 Go! Records released We'll Inherit
1638-471: A last-minute request to appear as the musical guests on the January 18th episode of Saturday Night Live , replacing the scheduled act, The Pointer Sisters , who had been forced to cancel only days before the show. The invitation was partly thanks to the show's musical director of the time, G.E. Smith , who was a Replacements fan. However, as a result of their shambolic and profanity-laced performance during
1755-592: A limited run off-broadway in December 2022. The Replacements (band) The Replacements were an American rock band formed in Minneapolis , Minnesota , in 1979 after nineteen-year-old Bob Stinson gifted his eleven-year-old brother Tommy Stinson a bass guitar . The band was composed of the guitarist and vocalist Paul Westerberg , guitarist Bob Stinson , bass guitarist Tommy Stinson , and drummer Chris Mars for most of its existence. After two albums in
1872-581: A long farewell tour which lasted into the summer of 1991. On July 4, 1991, the band played their last show for 22 years, with the Chicago power-pop trio Material Issue at Taste of Chicago in Grant Park , referred to by fans as "It Ain't Over 'Til the Fat Roadie Plays", because each member disappeared during the set, their respective roadies taking their places. This show was broadcast live by
1989-431: A more polished band, Pavement recorded five full-length albums and ten EPs over the course of their decade-long career, though they disbanded with some acrimony in 1999 as the members moved on to other projects. In 2010, they undertook a well-received reunion tour, followed by another international tour from 2022 to 2024. Though only briefly attracting mainstream attention with the single " Cut Your Hair " in 1994, Pavement
2106-419: A national television audience on January 18, 1986. As a reviewer succinctly observed, the band could quite often be "mouthing profanities into the camera, stumbling into each other, falling down, dropping their instruments, and generally behaving like the apathetic drunks they were." There emerged an element of unpredictability, as The Replacements—when sober—gained critical praise for their live shows. Part of
2223-458: A pair of handcuffs attached to his microphone stand and told the audience: "These symbolize what it's like being in a band all these years." About two weeks later, a spokesperson for their record label told NME that Pavement had "retired for the foreseeable future". In mid-2000, Malkmus called Kannberg and told him, "You need to change the website to say we aren't a band any more. People keep asking me if we're breaking up and you know we're not
2340-790: A prelude to their tour, Pavement worked with the bakery Rudy's Strudel and the Current Year Records and Tapes in Parma, Ohio , to come up with five flavors of pierogi based on their albums. Nastanovich and the Current Year's Michael Stutz played records at a benefit show for Parma seniors to raise thousands for charity, put together by the Parma for Pavement International Committee. Pavement did not rule out playing new songs live, but Malkmus said it would be "total cringe" to record new music. The band began their North American tour at
2457-475: A record a little faster than we were ready to. I mean, I'm totally into the record. It's just if we had another six months to think about it, it would've been much different." During the tour for the album, Nastanovich stated on the Slow Century DVD, the band would often not work out a setlist before shows, opting for drug and alcohol fueled jams over hit singles. Some of these shows were held during
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#17327944926102574-604: A strong sense of melody. Since its release Slanted and Enchanted has appeared on many critics' best-of lists and is frequently cited as being among the most influential indie rock albums of the 1990s. It is listed on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time . Later the same year, the band released the EP Watery, Domestic . During the Slanted & Enchanted tour, Gary Young's behavior became more eccentric; he would hand out cabbage and mashed potatoes to fans at
2691-596: A tour of the Midwest, but Stinson's prior commitments with Guns N' Roses prevented it from happening. In 2004, active members of the band performed as the fictional Christian Rock group, Godflight, in Brian Dannelly's cult classic satirical black comedy, Saved! , starring Jena Malone , Mandy Moore , Eva Amurri , and Macaulay Culkin . On June 13, 2006, Rhino Records released the compilation album Don't You Know Who I Think I Was? , consisting of songs from
2808-459: A tour, but said that the reunion may only be a one-off event. It said, "Please be advised this tour is not a prelude to additional jaunts and/or a permanent reunion." Tickets for the first Central Park concert sold out in two minutes, leading to the announcement of three more shows at the same venue. The band later confirmed a world-wide tour which started in Auckland , New Zealand, on March 1 at
2925-553: A wide range of styles including punk, country and balladry across its 18 tracks, which often avoided conventional song structures. On the Slow Century DVD, Malkmus attributed his odd choice of singles to his marijuana smoking, stating that "I was smoking a lot of grass back then but to me they sounded like hits." Although Malkmus has said in recent interviews that the album is the last "classic Pavement record", Kannberg has voiced regrets about Wowee Zowee . "We made some mistakes on that record... we were kind of pressured into putting out
3042-714: A young security guard, as roadie, who approached the band after a show at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Tommy Stinson dropped out of the tenth grade, joining the rest of the band on tour. The Replacements toured venues on the East Coast , including a tense gig at City Gardens , in Trenton, New Jersey where numerous punks lined the edge of the stage as the band played. The band performed in Detroit , Cleveland , and Philadelphia but its intended destination
3159-552: Is an American indie rock band that formed in Stockton, California , in 1989. For most of their career, the group consisted of Stephen Malkmus (vocals and guitar), Scott Kannberg (guitar and vocals), Mark Ibold (bass), Steve West (drums), and Bob Nastanovich (percussion and vocals). Initially conceived as a recording project, the band at first avoided press or live performances, while attracting considerable underground attention with their early releases. Gradually evolving into
3276-461: Is credited for defining the modern "indie rock" sound and was a large presence in 1990s " slacker culture". Malkmus' humorous and often cryptic lyrical themes were a key factor in gaining their cult following. Malkmus rarely wrote ballads or love songs and only a small portion of their discography contained personal reflections or similar lyrical themes, and most were satirical or laced with sarcasm . Malkmus's vocal style in his work with Pavement
3393-1191: The Auckland Town Hall , before heading on to Australia then heading to the UK, including the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Minehead, Somerset (May 14–16) and several European shows. They also performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2010, the Sasquatch! and Primavera Sound Festivals in May, the Toronto Island Concert in June with Broken Social Scene , Band Of Horses , and others, Open'er Festival , Roskilde Festival and Les Ardentes and Pitchfork Music Festival in July. The band released
3510-768: The Balboa Theater on September 7, 2022, followed by concerts across 12 US states and Canada, ending at Austin City Limits , Texas on October 11. On October 17, the band began their European tour at the O2 Academy Leeds , England, which included touring the countries of England, Scotland, France, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, and Ireland. The final European tour date took place at Vicar Street in Dublin, Ireland , on November 11. The band then toured Japan, Australia, and New Zealand in
3627-770: The Hollywood Bowl on September 30, the band played the following night in Las Vegas at the Palms Casino as a part of the Matador At 21 festival. During their set, Scott Kannberg kicked his monitor and smashed his guitar into his amp in frustration of not being able to hear himself while performing. NME noted the band had an "icy atmosphere onstage". The band honored a further two South American show commitments in November 2010. Kannberg joined Malkmus and
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3744-749: The New York Dolls , Buzzcocks , the Damned , and the Sex Pistols . Unlike many of their underground contemporaries, the Replacements played "heart-on-the-sleeve" rock songs which combined Westerberg's "raw-throated adolescent howl" with self-deprecating lyrics. The Replacements were a notoriously wayward live act, often performing under the influence of alcohol and playing fragments of covers instead of their own material. The Replacements' history began in Minneapolis in 1978, when nineteen-year-old Bob Stinson gave his eleven-year-old brother Tommy Stinson
3861-570: The Nothing for All disc is a collection of B-sides and tracks not previously released on albums. In 2002, in an interview with Rolling Stone , Westerberg mentioned that the Replacements had been considering a reunion. He said, "We'll get together again one day. It will take a while, or it might take a few legal swipes of the pen, but we ain't over." A partial reunion nearly occurred in March 2002, when Tommy Stinson planned to join Westerberg on
3978-592: The Warner Bros. Records subsidiary Sire Records , eventually signed the Replacements. The band admired the label head, Seymour Stein , who had managed the Ramones , and Stein recruited Tommy Ramone as producer for their first major-label album, Tim , released by Sire in October 1985. For the rest of 1985 and the first half of 1986 the band toured behind Tim . In mid-January 1986 the Replacements received
4095-521: The handcuffs attached to his microphone stand "represent what it's like being in a band all these years." A bonus disc with a complete concert in Seattle, Washington , from the early part of the Terror Twilight tour was included on the second disc, as well as several songs from their penultimate show. 2004 saw the publication of Perfect Sound Forever: The Story of Pavement , a biography on
4212-405: The lo-fi releases Slay Tracks: 1933–1969 , Demolition Plot J-7 , and Perfect Sound Forever . They were recorded at Louder Than You Think, the home studio of Stockton local and former hippie Gary Young who also played drums on the recordings. Upon first hearing the duo's songs, Young was quoted as saying, "this Malkmus idiot is a complete songwriting genius". During this time the band
4329-510: The 1995 Lollapallooza festival, where the incoherent performances received a hostile reaction from many audiences. Footage from Slow Century shows the band being pelted with mud and rocks. The band left the stage immediately and dubbed themselves "The Band That Ruined Lollapallooza". Wowee Zowee was followed up by the EP Pacific Trim , which was recorded with only Malkmus and drummers Nastanovich and Steve West. Their studio time
4446-593: The Bunnymen and "The Classical" by the Fall. Pavement embarked on a six-month world tour for Terror Twilight , during which time relationships within the group frayed, especially between Malkmus and the other members. After their show at the 1999 Coachella Festival , Malkmus told his bandmates he did not want to continue. During the final concert of the tour, at Brixton Academy in London on November 20, 1999, Malkmus had
4563-501: The Bunnymen , and R.E.M. as direct influences. Pavement would reference R.E.M. in the song "Unseen Power of The Picket Fence" featured on the compilation No Alternative and covered "Camera" which appeared as a B-side on the single of "Cut Your Hair". They have also covered Echo & the Bunnymen's " The Killing Moon " on the Major Leagues EP . In 2002, Slow Century , a documentary by Lance Bangs coupled with all of
4680-530: The Bus" while completely intoxicated. In a 2015 interview recorded for the Archive of American Television , G. E. Smith recalled that although the band had performed well for the early evening taped dress rehearsal performance, one of the band's crew then smuggled alcohol into their dressing room and they spent the next few hours drinking (with the guest host, Harry Dean Stanton ) and taking drugs. According to Smith, by
4797-545: The Chicago radio station WXRT . Several bootlegs are available on the Internet . After leaving the Replacements in 1986, Bob Stinson played in local Minneapolis bands such as Static Taxi and the Bleeding Hearts. After several years of drug and alcohol abuse, he died in 1995, at the age of 35. Tommy Stinson quickly followed his time in the Replacements with the short-lived bands Bash & Pop and Perfect . He
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4914-544: The Earth: A Tribute to The Replacements on October 3, 2006. The album contains twenty-three covers of The Replacements songs by various rock, punk, pop and country artists. On October 16, 2013, the band was announced as one of the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees, but they were not inducted. " Alex Chilton " appears as a playable song in Harmonix 's music videogame Rock Band 2 for all consoles. "Kids Don't Follow"
5031-721: The Jicks onstage at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles on March 28, 2014, for an encore performance of the Pavement song "Stereo". On October 1 and 2, 2016, Malkmus and the Jicks performed at Spiral Stairs' 50th birthday celebration at the Chapel in San Francisco. On the first night, Kannberg joined Malkmus and the Jicks for four songs. The following night, Kannberg played three more songs with the group, joined by Gary Young on
5148-695: The Replacements appeared as the musical guest on The Tonight Show , performing "Alex Chilton". On September 19, 2014, they played at Forest Hills Stadium . Monsoon rains cancelled the Summer Ends Music Festival in Tempe, Arizona , on September 27, 2014, resulting in their only indoor show of the tour when it was moved to the Marquee Theatre . On December 17, 2014, a 24-minute jazz improvisation track entitled "Poke Me in My Cage"
5265-595: The Replacements". The track remained unreleased for years. Westerberg realized his toughest audience was the band itself, later saying, "If it doesn't rock enough, Bob will scoff at it, and if it isn't catchy enough, Chris won't like it, and if it isn't modern enough, Tommy won't like it." With some new songs, the Replacements entered a warehouse in Roseville, Minnesota to record their next album; Twin/Tone co-owner Stark engineered. Westerberg wrote songs in stops and starts, so it took several sessions of recording to finish
5382-538: The Replacements. Band morale was low and Westerberg later said, "We'd much rather play for fifty people who know us than a thousand who don't care." For the recording of their next studio album, the Replacements decided to return to Blackberry Way Studios in late 1983. The band considered R.E.M.'s guitarist Peter Buck as producer, but when they met him in Athens, Georgia , they did not have enough material to begin recording. Instead, Jesperson and Steve Fjelstad co-produced
5499-627: The Twin/Tone and Sire-Reprise years and including two new songs, "Pool & Dive" and "Message to the Boys". The new songs were written by Westerberg and recorded by the band (Westerberg, Tommy Stinson, and Mars) at Flowers Studio in Minneapolis. Session musician Josh Freese (the Vandals , ex- A Perfect Circle , and ex- Guns N' Roses ) played drums on the two tracks; Mars contributed backing vocals. Neither Slim Dunlap nor Steve Foley participated in
5616-636: The aging hippie character in the song. Later live versions of the track had Malkmus substituting " the Spice Girls ", " Counting Crows ", or others for "Stone Temple Pilots". In response, Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan threatened to drop his band from their slot headlining the 1994 Lollapalooza Festival if Pavement was allowed to play. Corgan and Malkmus traded barbs in the press for several years afterwards. The next album, Wowee Zowee , recorded in Memphis and released April 11, 1995, covered
5733-423: The agreement of Stark and the rest of the band, the Replacements signed with Twin/Tone Records in 1980. Jesperson's support of the band was welcomed and they asked him to be their manager after their second show. Later in the summer they played at the Longhorn on a Wednesday "New Band Night". They also played several club gigs to almost empty rooms. When they finished a song, apart from the low hum of conversation,
5850-470: The album an A+, and the Seattle Rocket critic Bruce Pavitt called Let It Be "mature diverse rock that could well shoot these regional boys into the national mainstream". In 1989, Let It Be was ranked number 12 on Spin magazine's list of the "25 Greatest Albums of All Time" and number 15 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Albums of the 1980s". Let It Be attracted
5967-507: The album during a trip to the United States. As Pavement were still unknown at the time, people erroneously grew to believe that Pavement's original recording was the cover. The Wedding Present frontman David Gedge gave a Pavement EP to John Peel , who quickly became one of Pavement's biggest fans. Around 1992, Pavement became a full-time band, with Malkmus, Kannberg, Young, Nastanovich, and bassist Mark Ibold , who had been one of
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#17327944926106084-412: The album received widespread acclaim, including being listed on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time . The lyrics from another single from the album, "Range Life", criticized alternative rock stars the Smashing Pumpkins and the Stone Temple Pilots . Malkmus has insisted over the years that the line is meant to be light-hearted and is sung from the point of view of
6201-416: The album's many guest players and Mars' quick departure from the band following the album's release led many to wonder about the band's future. They also received a nomination for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album . Steve Foley was recruited as Mars's replacement in 1990, and the band toured with Elvis Costello in June 1991, the final show being at Madison Square Garden . The band embarked on
6318-541: The album. By that time, the Replacements had grown tired of playing loud and fast exclusively; Westerberg said, "Now we're softening a little where we can do something that's a little more sincere without being afraid that someone's not going to like it or the punks aren't going to be able to dance to it." The new material placed more of a focus on songwriting, and the music was influenced by heavy metal , arena rock and Chicago blues . Instruments such as piano , twelve-string guitar and mandolin were featured throughout
6435-413: The album. The new album included songs such as " I Will Dare ", which featured Buck playing lead guitar; " Androgynous ", with Westerberg on piano; and " Unsatisfied " in which, according to writer Michael Azerrad, Westerberg "had hit upon a moving new way to declare that he can't get no satisfaction ." The band's album Let It Be was released in October 1984 to critical acclaim. Robert Christgau gave
6552-476: The album. Stark's meticulous approach to recording contrasted with that of the Replacements, often frustrating the band. In one session, Mars and Westerberg switched instruments and the band began to improvise, with Westerberg repeatedly shouting, "It's a hootenanny." The band declared it to be "side one, track one" of the new album. According to Stark, the recording "was a complete joke from their point of view—they did not care what they delivered". Hootenanny ,
6669-421: The attention of major record labels, and by late 1984 several had expressed an interest in signing the Replacements. Financially, the band was not doing well; they were not selling enough records to recoup their expenses, and money from shows went to recording costs, hotels, travel, food and instrument repairs. Bob Stinson worked a day job as a pizza chef. Twin/Tone was not being paid reliably by distributors, and
6786-441: The band had no clout there, time spent in the studio was intermittent, and it took about six months to record the album. Although not important at the time, Twin/Tone could not afford to release the album until August 1981. Because they were suspicious of the music business in general, the Replacements had not signed a written contract with Twin/Tone Records. Before settling on a title for the band's debut album, Westerberg considered
6903-423: The band has not ruled out touring or recording a new album. The band played two sets at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival , on April 11 and 18, 2014; Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong joined the band onstage on the second date. The band was also announced as one of the headliners of the September 2014 Boston Calling Music Festival , along with Lorde and the National . On September 9, 2014,
7020-418: The band members discovered first-generation English punk bands like the Clash , the Jam , the Damned , and the Buzzcocks , Dogbreath changed its name to the Impediments and played a drunken performance without Tommy Stinson at a church hall gig in June 1980. After being banned from the venue for disorderly behavior, they changed the name to the Replacements. In an unpublished memoir, Mars later explained
7137-457: The band which he had founded, or he chose to leave, or a little of both. In any case, it was due to creative and personal differences between Stinson and the remainder of the band, aggravated by Stinson's alcohol and drug abuse issues. They also fired Jesperson the same year. "It was like being thrown out of a club that you helped start," Jesperson later commented. "Everybody was drinking and doing more drugs than they needed to." Stinson preferred
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#17327944926107254-484: The band would hear Jesperson's loud whistle and fast clapping. "His enthusiasm kept us going at times, definitely," Mars later said. "His vision, his faith in the band was a binding force." After the Replacements signed with Twin/Tone, Westerberg began to write new songs and soon had a whole album's worth of material. Mere weeks after their live debut, the band felt ready to record the album. Jesperson chose Blackberry Way, an eight-track home studio in Minneapolis. However, as
7371-404: The band written by Rob Jovanovic . Reviews for the book were mixed, with some saying that it contained much of the same information as the Slow Century DVD and expanded very little on it, while others called it a "fond retrospection". Slanted! Enchanted! A Pavement Musical , a play consisting of songs from the Pavement discography and following a Stephen Malkmus–like protagonist, opened with
7488-567: The band's "last show for a long time". Malkmus' new supergroup, The Hard Quartet , released their debut album on October 4, 2024. Categorized as an indie rock band, Pavement were known for their "fractured" song structures and lo-fidelity production values. Heather Phares of AllMusic said, "Standing detached from the tumult of grunge , Pavement seemed laconic, sometimes lazy, as they threaded their love of underground American rock and British post-punk , dressing their winding melodies with squalls of feedback and shambolic rhythms." Pavement
7605-726: The band's best known singles in "Stereo" and "Shady Lane". It was the only Pavement album to include a lyric sheet except Slanted and Enchanted and sold better than its predecessors. Despite increased success, the band continued to fragment, with its members focusing more on other musical projects or on raising families. In 1998, Pavement began work on their final album, Terror Twilight . The band originally planned to self-produce Terror Twilight , renting out Jackpot! Studios in Portland, Oregon . The group stalled though, with Malkmus, Ibold, Nastanovich, and Jackpot! employee and future Jicks bassist Joanna Bolme usually opting to play Scrabble over getting any sort of work accomplished. Kannberg
7722-405: The band's choice of name: "Like maybe the main act doesn't show, and instead the crowd has to settle for an earful of us dirtbags... It seemed to sit just right with us, accurately describing our collective 'secondary' social esteem". The band recorded a four-song demo tape in Mars's basement; Westerberg handed it to Peter Jesperson in May 1980. Jesperson was the manager of Oar Folkjokeopus ,
7839-421: The band's earliest fans. They played their first show at punk club The Court Tavern in New Brunswick, New Jersey . Their debut album, Slanted and Enchanted , was released commercially in 1992 after copies had been circulated on cassette tape for nearly a year. Though the percussive influence of the Fall was still pervasive, as was that of English post-punk band Swell Maps , many of the songs also exhibited
7956-434: The band's first single, " I'm in Trouble ", Westerberg's "first truly good song". Sorry Ma included the song "Somethin to Dü", a homage to another Twin Cities punk band, Hüsker Dü . The Replacements had a friendly rivalry with the band, which began when Twin/Tone chose the Replacements over Hüsker Dü. Hüsker Dü landed an opening slot at a Johnny Thunders gig that the Replacements had wanted. Hüsker Dü also influenced
8073-436: The band's music videos, was released as a 2 DVD set. Included was extensive footage, both professionally shot and taped by fans on camcorders, from the band's earliest shows in 1989 forward. The three final songs from the band's final concert ("Stop Breathin'", "Conduit for Sale" and "Here") are presented at the end of the documentary. Also on the DVD is a hidden easter egg clip from the same show, wherein Malkmus talks about how
8190-534: The band's music, and the Replacements began playing faster and becoming more influenced by hardcore punk . Despite that the band did not feel part of the hardcore scene. As Mars later said, "We were confused about what we were." Sometime in late 1981, the Replacements played a song called "Kids Don't Follow". Jesperson was convinced the song sounded like a hit and pleaded with the Twin/Tone co-owners Stark and Hallman, "I will do anything to get this out. I will hand-stamp jackets if I have to." The partners agreed to fund
8307-405: The band's second studio album, was released in April 1983. On Hootenanny Westerberg expanded his songwriting capabilities, in songs such as "Willpower", with echoed vocals and a sparse arrangement, and "Within Your Reach", which features Westerberg on all instruments, he revealed a more sensitive side. It was a more mature album than Stink and Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash . Hootenanny
8424-431: The band, Dogbreath often drank and took various drugs during rehearsals, playing songs as an afterthought. In contrast to the rest of the band, the relatively disciplined Westerberg appeared at rehearsals in neat clothes and insisted on practicing songs until he was happy with them. "They didn't even know what punk was. They didn't like punk. Chris had hair down to his shoulders," Westerberg told an interviewer. But after
8541-403: The band...'Keep the beat going if Gary passes out.'" In 1993, Malkmus unsuccessfully attempted to record some songs at Young's studio. He later said, "We kind of wanted to not record with him anymore, but we were too nice to fire people or even really talk about it... We tried to record there, but it wasn't sounding good and he didn't have his studio ready and he was also in a drinking funk." At
8658-491: The beautiful sloppiness of other Pavement records". The group began work in Sonic Youth 's studio in lower Manhattan, New York. Godrich found the studio limiting, so they moved to RPM Studios near Washington Square Park . According to Nastanovich, Godrich struggled with the band's casual approach, and called for more takes than they were used to. Though Nastanovich said Godrich took on a "substantial challenge" and "did
8775-417: The best band of the 1990s. They have achieved a cult following . Pavement officially formed in Stockton, California , in January 1989 as a studio project of guitarists and vocalists Stephen Malkmus and Scott Kannberg , known originally only as "S.M." and "Spiral Stairs". Kannberg had previously started a band of the same name and played one show in 1987 before quickly disbanding. Their debut EPs were
8892-570: The conclusion of a 1993 tour of Australia, Japan, and Europe, the group held a meeting in a hotel room in Copenhagen . Malkmus, Kannberg, and Ibold remained silent while Nastanovich, Young's best friend at the time, argued with Young. Young agreed to leave the band. He was replaced by Steve West , who had been a fellow museum security guard at the Whitney Museum of American Art along with Malkmus and David Berman . West's debut performance
9009-474: The door of the venue, perform handstands , drunkenly fall off his drum stool, and run around the venue while the band was playing. The band only understood how severe Young's drinking problem was after Pavement's first few tours. Malkmus later told Tape Op , "We knew that he was like a hippie and kinda flaky, but we didn't know he had such a bad drinking problem. We found out on that tour, because he really got sick from being nervous... That's why I let Bob be in
9126-480: The few musicians to be honored with multiple stars on the mural. The Goo Goo Dolls ' vocalist and guitarist Johnny Rzeznik cites Paul Westerberg as an "obvious influence" on his music. The Goo Goo Dolls toured in support for The Replacements' final tour. They also co-wrote the song " We Are the Normal " with Westerberg for their 1993 album Superstar Car Wash . Members of The Cribs have cited The Replacements as
9243-530: The final two. On June 1, 2019, Pavement announced that they would reunite to perform two 30th-anniversary shows at the 2020 Primavera Sound festivals in Barcelona and Porto . Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the festival was rescheduled for June 2021. In March 2021, the festival was delayed to 2022. In September 2021, Pavement announced a European tour for late 2022, their first in 12 years, and announced
9360-739: The first quarter of 2023. While in Australia, the band appeared at the Mona Foma festival in Hobart alongside Angel Olsen and Jockstrap . The band then scheduled additional shows in Salt Lake City , Reykjavík , and Galway . That summer, the band was referenced in the film Barbie . Original drummer Gary Young died on August 17, 2023, at the age of 70. A documentary on Young's life, Louder Than You Think , had premiered earlier that year at SXSW . The band performed their final show of
9477-734: The first time in Spain and Portugal at the Primavera Sound festival on May 28, 2015, and June 5, 2015, respectively as part of a brief European tour. On June 5, 2015, Westerberg announced onstage at the Primavera Sound festival in Porto, Portugal , that it was the band's final show. T-shirts Westerberg had worn to previous shows had hinted at this outcome: each shirt had two letters on it (one each on front and back) spelling out, "I have always loved you. Now I must whore my past." In
9594-452: The hardcore punk scene after the release of Stink . "We write songs rather than riffs with statements," Westerberg later stated. Inspired by other rock subgenres, he had been writing songs that incorporated a wide range of musical styles. He even wrote an acoustic ballad, "You're Getting Married One Night", but when he played it to the rest of the band, it was met with silence. "Save that for your solo album, Paul," Bob Stinson said. "That ain't
9711-447: The late-night live broadcast, SNL producer Lorne Michaels banned them from ever returning to the show (although Westerberg returned as a solo artist in 1993, and was even allowed to play a Replacements song.) After playing an out-of-tune " Bastards of Young " (during which Westerberg audibly called out "Come on f__" just off-mic) the band returned to stage wearing mismatched iterations of each other's clothing and performed "Kiss Me on
9828-459: The louder, faster style of the band's early music, while Westerberg was exploring new territory in ballads like "Here Comes a Regular" and "Swingin' Party". The remaining Replacements carried on as a trio for Pleased to Meet Me (1987), recorded in Memphis with Big Star producer Jim Dickinson . Minneapolis guitarist Slim Dunlap took over on lead guitar for the subsequent tour and soon became
9945-401: The mystique of The Replacements was the fact that the audience never knew until the start of a concert if the band would be sober enough to play. It was not uncommon for the group to play entire sets of cover versions , ranging anywhere from Bryan Adams 's " Summer of '69 " to Dusty Springfield 's " The Look of Love " to Led Zeppelin 's " Black Dog ". The band has been honored with a star on
10062-509: The names Unsuitable for Airplay and Power Trash. When the band's first album, Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash , was released in August 1981, it received positive reviews in local fanzines. Option 's Blake Gumprecht wrote, "Westerberg has the ability to make you feel like you're right in the car with him, alongside him at the door, drinking from the same bottle." The album contained
10179-406: The outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue , recognizing performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue. Receiving a star "might be the most prestigious public honor an artist can receive in Minneapolis," according to journalist Steve Marsh. Westerberg also has a star for his solo work; he is one of
10296-490: The recording, but Jesperson and virtually everyone he knew had to hand-stamp ten thousand white record jackets. The band recorded eight tracks within a week, with Jesperson as producer. Their "balls-to-the-wall hardcore punk attempt", their first EP Stink , containing "Kids Don't Follow" and seven other songs, was released in June 1982, six months after a show in Chicago . The Replacements began to distance themselves from
10413-481: The release of the Stink EP in 1982. As their stylistic repertoire began to expand with the writing and recording of Hootenanny the following year, the band's increasingly antagonistic stage show left them with a reputation for their rowdy, often drunken live shows. The band frequently went on stage too intoxicated to play. They were famously permanently banned from Saturday Night Live after performing drunk before
10530-428: The role although he has detested the term himself. Nastanovich also served as a second drummer during their live performances and served as lead vocalist on select songs that required screaming to prevent strain on Malkmus' voice. Early in their career, Pavement were influenced by the Fall . Influences cited by Kannberg include the Replacements and Swell Maps . The band has also listed Sonic Youth , Echo &
10647-468: The sales of Let It Be were not high enough to justify extra promotion. "It was time for a major label to take over," according to the label's co-owner Stark. The band was close to a major-label contract but often alienated label representatives by intentionally performing badly in concert; their 1985 live album, The Shit Hits the Fans , was an example of their concert performances at the time. One label,
10764-440: The sessions. On April 22, 2008, Rhino released remastered deluxe editions of the band's four Twin/Tone albums with rare bonus tracks. On September 24, 2008, Rhino similarly released the four Sire albums in deluxe editions. Material recorded with Tom Waits in 1988 was released on the Westerberg solo album 3oclockreep in 2008. Foley died in 2008 from an accidental overdose of a prescription medication. On October 3, 2012, it
10881-497: The short-lived ABC program International Rock Awards , for which they performed a typically energetic version of "Talent Show" and caused a minor controversy when Westerberg responded to the network's censoring of the "feeling good from the pills we took" line by inserting an uncensored "It's too late to take pills, here we go" at the end of the song. The band appeared on the cover of Musician magazine in February 1989, in which it
10998-540: The song is very similar to that of the "Major Leagues" demo, so it could be safe to assume that the singer recorded this track alone as well. (One CD version contains the information that both these songs were recorded "in vista st. clair by s.m.", Malkmus' alias). Covers of Echo & the Bunnymen 's "The Killing Moon" and The Fall 's "The Classical" from a 1997 BBC session. The latter is introduced as "an old family favorite." All tracks are written by Stephen Malkmus except where noted Pavement (band) Pavement
11115-453: The style of punk rock , they became one of the main pioneers of alternative rock with their acclaimed albums Let It Be and Tim . Bob Stinson was kicked out of the band in 1986, and Slim Dunlap joined as lead guitarist. Steve Foley replaced Mars in 1990. Towards the end of the band's career, Westerberg exerted more control over its creative output. The group disbanded in 1991 and the members eventually found various projects. A reunion
11232-467: The tape on, only to run away as soon as the first song, "Raised in the City", played. Jesperson played the song again and again. "If I've ever had a magic moment in my life, it was popping that tape in", said Jesperson. "I didn't even get through the first song before I thought my head was going to explode". Jesperson called Westerberg the next day, asking, "So do you want to do a single or an album?" With
11349-584: The time of the late-night live broadcast they were so intoxicated that on their way to the stage to perform, Bob Stinson tripped in the corridor, fell over onto his guitar and broke it, and Smith had to hurriedly loan him one of the SNL house band's spare instruments. A few weeks later, on February 4, 1986, the band returned to the New York City area to perform at Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey . The show
11466-676: The year at Smale Park in Cincinnati at the National 's Homecoming festival on September 16, 2023. Kannberg and Malkmus hinted that it would be the band's last show for a while, but the band then announced a new performance at São Paulo 's C6 Festival on May 19, 2024. In conjunction with the New York Film Festival premier of Pavements , a film about the band, Pavement played a one-off show on October 1, 2024 at New York City 's Sony Hall , which Nastanovich said would be
11583-416: Was New York City , where they played at Gerde's Folk City ; they also performed at Maxwell's , in Hoboken, New Jersey . The Replacements returned to New York in June 1983, playing at CBGB . The gig was a failure; the band were almost refused entry. Bob Stinson was thrown out as soon as he walked in the door, and the Replacements were the last of five bands, which meant they played in the early morning on
11700-502: Was a successful indie rock band. Rather than signing with a major label as many of their 1980s forebears had done, they remained signed to independent labels throughout their career, including Flying Nun and Matador . They have often been described as one of the most influential bands to emerge from the American underground in the '90s. Some prominent music critics, such as Robert Christgau and Stephen Thomas Erlewine , called them
11817-520: Was announced on October 3, 2012. Fans affectionately refer to the band as the 'Mats, a nickname which originated as a truncation of "The Placemats". The Replacements' music was influenced by rock artists such as the Rolling Stones , the Beatles , Faces , Big Star , Slade , Badfinger , Creedence Clearwater Revival , and Bob Dylan as well as punk rock bands including the Ramones ,
11934-459: Was announced that the Replacements had re-formed and that Westerberg and Tommy Stinson were in the studio recording an EP containing song cover versions. Titled Songs for Slim , the EP was sold in a 250-copy edition of 10" vinyl and auctioned online to benefit former bandmate Dunlap, who had suffered a stroke. In November 2012, the documentary filmmaker Gorman Bechard released Color Me Obsessed ,
12051-414: Was characterized as "half-sung, half-spoken". Pavement was noted for their heavy use of heavy guitar distortion , and for having no designated rhythm and lead guitar player. Malkmus and Kannberg switched roles frequently although Malkmus played lead for the majority of their career. The band was also noted for their use of a foil , or a 'hype-man' usually present in hip hop groups. Bob Nastanovich filled
12168-552: Was described as "the last, best band of the 80s". Trouble in the band began following a disastrous tour opening for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers . Westerberg recorded a new album largely with session musicians but was persuaded to release it as a Replacements album. All Shook Down won critical praise and more mainstream attention and its debut single " Merry Go Round " again topped the Modern Rock charts. However,
12285-511: Was drafted to replace Young. However, after just one tour and a handful of recording sessions, when it became apparent that Turner and Malkmus did not get along, Young was reinstated. Malkmus later described Turner as "this depressed guy who might assassinate me one day... He's very competitive." Around the same time, Bob Nastanovich was incorporated into the live Pavement band as an auxiliary percussionist. Malkmus had been roommates with Nastanovich in New York City. Pavement's first performance
12402-472: Was especially frustrated over the sessions, particularly at Malkmus's refusal to include any of Kannberg's songs on the album. Fan favorite "For Sale: The Preston School of Industry" and one other song penned by Kannberg were briefly worked on during the sessions, but abandoned. Nigel Godrich , known for his work with Radiohead and Beck , was hired to produce. He wanted to make an album that "stood up straighter" and would "reach people who were turned off by
12519-629: Was in 1993 at a Drag City festival in Chicago. Also that year, the band contributed to the AIDS-Benefit Album No Alternative produced by the Red Hot Organization with their song "Unseen Power of the Picket Fence". Pavement's second album Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain was released in 1994. The record was more indebted to the classic rock tradition than their debut. The single " Cut Your Hair "
12636-406: Was often compared to English rock band the Fall . Kannberg stated in a 1992 interview that he preferred Minneapolis rock band the Replacements . The Fall singer Mark E. Smith claimed that Pavement were a "rip-off" and that they did not "have an original idea in their heads"; other members of the Fall have been more positive. After the release of Slay Tracks , a new drummer, Jason Turner,
12753-582: Was on December 14, 1989, on their local college radio station KDVS-FM in Davis , with Malkmus, Kannberg, and Turner. In 1990, Pavement embarked on their first tour, with a third guitarist, Rob Chamberlin, who left to join a band called Sugartime before Ibold joined the group. British indie rock band the Wedding Present covered the Slay Tracks song "Box Elder" after their bassist discovered
12870-568: Was originally reserved for a Silver Jews recording, but frontman David Berman walked out in frustration and the trio decided not to waste prepaid recording time. Brighten the Corners , released in 1997 and produced by Mitch Easter , was a shorter, more conventional record than Wowee Zowee . Malkmus said on the Slow Century DVD that the album was an attempt to show audiences that Pavement had more mainstream and classic rock influences than it had previously portrayed. The album contained two of
12987-487: Was played on over two hundred radio stations across the country, with critics giving the album acclaim. Robert Christgau , writing in the Village Voice , deemed it to be "the most critically independent album of 1983". With Hootenanny 's release, the Replacements had begun to attract a following outside of Minneapolis. The band embarked on its first tour of the United States in April 1983, joined by Bill Sullivan,
13104-408: Was professionally recorded by a crew hired by the band's label Sire Records , for use in a possible live album. Over 30 years later, the recordings were released as the double album For Sale: Live at Maxwell's 1986 . The tour ended abruptly in June 1986 because Westerberg injured his finger during a show at The Ritz in New York City. In August 1986, the Replacements either fired Bob Stinson from
13221-601: Was released in September 2004, marking a return to the melodic low-fi of the Replacements. Dunlap kept a low national profile but remained active in the Twin Cities music scene until suffering a massive stroke in 2012, which left him without the ability to move or eat. Mars primarily works as a visual artist. In 1997, Reprise Records released the two CD set All for Nothing / Nothing for All . The All for Nothing disc collected cuts from Tim through All Shook Down ;
13338-398: Was the bass guitarist for Guns N' Roses beginning in 1998, replacing Duff McKagan from the band's "classic lineup" until leaving the band in 2016. In 2004, he released a solo CD, Village Gorilla Head , followed in 2011 by One Man Mutiny . Westerberg is a successful singer-songwriter signed to Vagrant Records and, under his alias Grandpaboy, to Fat Possum Records . His album Folker
13455-428: Was the most successful song, and briefly enjoyed airplay on alternative rock radio and MTV . Pavement performed the song on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno . Additionally, the video aired on "Career Day", a season five episode of Beavis and Butt-head , who termed it "buttwipe music" and also wanted the band to "try harder." The song was also featured briefly in the movie A Very Brady Sequel . Like its predecessor,
13572-474: Was too much exhaustion for heavy emotion". On September 15, 2009, Brooklyn Vegan reported that Pavement were scheduled to perform multiple benefit show dates in New York City's Central Park from September 21, 2010. Official statements by the band, label, venue and promoter were released on September 17, 2009, confirming the reunion. The announcement included one concert in Central Park and the promise of
13689-544: Was uploaded to the band's SoundCloud account. On February 9, 2015, the band announced a spring tour of the United States . On this tour, they debuted a new song called "Whole Foods Blues", and according to their co-manager Darren Hill, the band has "laid down seven or eight" for a possible new album. Towards the end of the tour, two shows in Columbus, Ohio and Pittsburgh were initially postponed for medical reasons, but were later canceled. The Replacements performed for
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