Pavement: Slow Century

Directed by: Lance Bangs, Spike Jonze

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A thank-you note to anyone who sang a few bars of "Summer Babe" as if it was a call to arms, this two-disc set -- arriving in conjunction with a reissue of Pavement's low-fi landmark Slanted and Enchanted -- collects two of the band's final concerts, all of its music videos and a breezy documentary that follows the group from its origins in Stockton, California, through the release of its last album, Terror Twilight, in 1999. The discs reveal that the finest indie-rock band of the last decade never took itself too seriously.

Ever wonder what the guys did in their downtime? They played air guitar and talked shoes. Pavement were at their goofiest in their videos. A running commentary recorded after the release of Terror Twilight gives the stories behind their ridiculous outfits (Santa suits for "Gold Soundz," yellow rain slickers for "Spit on a Stranger") and marks the end of an era.

Watching an early concert video, frontman Stephen Malkmus says those in attendance "are all Chemical Brothers fans now." Will the band reunite down the line? Who knows? In the meantime, it's probably best to consider the sentiments of drummer Bob Nastanovich: You never knew what you were going to get with Pavement, he says, "but it was always fun."

LC SMITH
(Oct 17, 2002)