Music

Despite projectile beer, Pavement deliver at Osheaga

by Michael Joffe

A few songs into Pavement, it remained uncertain if the sparse crowd would become much bigger. With so many bands playing five stage areas, there’s heavy competition, even for the legendary Pavement. Soon, more people joined in as the band began playing their seminal hit, Cut  Your Hair.

When we spoke with Pavement’s Bob Nastanovich, he told us that this tour would be “no complains, all compliments” describing the vibe as ““A lot more relaxing than Pavement tours in the past in that we’re obviously not promoting an album. The shows are nearly two hours long, which I’m just concerned with people getting bored really. I have a hard time watching a band for more than 90 minutes myself.”

Indeed, the vibe on stage during Pavement’s set at Osheaga was relaxed and loose, interrupted only by a projectile beer bite which sailed over the photo pit striking Malkmus directly in the chest (not in the head as other’s have reported). The beer in question was tossed from far within the crowd, drenching Malkmus who was visibly shaken by the senseless attack. The crowd was left wondering what just happened, while other band members asked them  to single out the culprit. In a moment which seemed to ease the tension, which could have gone either way at that point, Malkmus tasted his shirt and declared that the beer was “Labatts”. Do you recognize beer throwing headband bro, in the photo below?

Photos by: Jeff Jewiss, AUX TV