Pavements: Alex Ross Perry’s genre-bending (and truth-bending) tribute to Pavement

As a gamer who’s spent countless hours immersed in the pixelated world of indie music trivia, I can hardly contain my excitement for Alex Ross Perry’s Pavements. Growing up with a Walkman full of cassette tapes, Pavement was one of those bands that resonated deeply – their lo-fi soundtrack to the angst of adolescence.


Alex Ross Perry’s long-awaited movie titled Pavements, influenced by the famed indie rock group Pavement, premiered at the Venice Film Festival. It has since been picked up by streaming platform MUBI. This intriguing production combines elements from biographical films, music movies, and documentaries to portray a mix of fictionalized and authentic accounts of the band’s past.

As a passionate Pavement enthusiast, I recently got a tantalizing glimpse into Joe Keery’s portrayal of Stephen Malkmus, the band’s frontman, thanks to a sneak peek released by Vanity Fair. To be honest, it feels like every Pavement movie I, as a fan, could ever dream of watching—or even love-to-hate-watch.

In this fictional sequence of events in the show, Keery’s character decides against participating in a Saturday Night Live performance that Quentin Tarantino was supposed to host. This scene mirrors several instances in Malkmus’ actual career where he rejected prominent opportunities. Later, Perry clarified in an interview with Vanity Fair that the creative team of Pavements combined historical facts and fictional elements, stating: “Every music biopic is a mix of history and imagination.

It is true: Every music biopic merges history and fiction to some degree. If you believe these scenes are all completely factual, you’re mistaken. The scene with Tarantino is a composite of several real instances where Malkmus turned down offers. They didn’t need to show all the actual events, so they combined them into one major scenario that never really happened. Get it? Got it? Good!

More about the film Pavements and the band Pavement

The movie also stars Jason Schwartzman and Tim Heidecker, who play the roles of actual Matador Records executives Chris Lombardi and Gerard Cosloy. These individuals played significant roles in Pavement’s career, as Matador was their label for a large part of their time together. Formed in 1989, Pavement is recognized as one of the iconic indie rock bands of the ’90s, although they are best known for their song “Cut Your Hair.

Through their low-fi tunes, clever verses, and relaxed style, they struck a chord with a particular generation, turning them into iconic figures of the underground music scene. Albums such as “Slanted and Enchanted” (1992) and “Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain” (1994) are often recognized as milestones in their genre, garnering a devoted fanbase even though they didn’t experience the mainstream fame that Nirvana did with “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Pavement has left an indelible mark on rock music by inspiring countless indie bands that came after them, making them an influential band in the realm of rock music.

Despite disbanding back in 1999, the band has reunited multiple times for tours, keeping their influence alive within indie music communities. Notably, the film Pavements will have its debut at Venice and is further scheduled to be screened at the New York Film Festival in early October (specifically on the 4th and 7th). A wider cinematic release is planned for the following year.

Does Pavement have a future?

While Pavements brings Pavement’s history to the screen, the real Stephen Malkmus continues to push forward in his musical career. Recently, Malkmus formed a new indie supergroup called The Hard Quartet, collaborating with renowned musicians Emmett Kelly, Matt Sweeney, and Jim White. The group’s debut, a self-titled album, is set for release on October 4th through Matador Records—the same label that helped bring Pavement to prominence, and they released a single, “Rio’s Song,” in advance.

The upcoming album will be showcased through concerts in significant cities such as Los Angeles, New York, and London. Although Pavement has recently taken the stage, it seems their time may be coming to an end; however, bands often say this only to reunite later on for various reasons.

The music of Pavement and Stephen Malkmus’ solo works have consistently displayed an element of surprise and cleverness, mirroring the unique blend of their band, Pavement, which strives to encapsulate not just their career trajectory but also the distinct spirit of their peculiar role in music history. As film critic Nicolas Rapold remarked: “This is a band that began an album with the line ‘Pigs, they tend to wiggle when they walk.’

Enthusiasts of Pavement and indie rock music will undoubtedly be intrigued to discover how this movie combines fact and fiction, providing a unique viewpoint on one of the genre’s most treasured bands. Alternatively, they might even choose to watch it with a critical eye, as the director himself has hinted at.

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2024-10-04 15:01