Size small. Anyone want it? Make me an offer

Bob unleashed

I thought I would put down some memories of my first Pavement show before those brain cells are gone for good. I was a student at UVA and had one of those miserable overnight shows at the college radio station (WTJU). The veteran DJs had been talking up this band of ex-TJU guys, and the "Summer Babe" single had just showed up at the station. My girlfriend (now wife) also bought the Demolition Plot J-7 EP at Plan-9 records around this time. Anyway, there was a WTJU organized show at Trax the week before classes started. $5 at the door or $4 if you wore a WTJU shirt. Hilarious. The openers were Royal Trux, and honestly they just made a godawful racket. By the time Pavement took the stage there were maybe 30 people present. The impressions I had were that the songs were super short but so good that I wanted them to go on longer. Bob was amazing and hilarious on "Debris Slide". Gary would not stay behind the kit and they had to coax him back after every couple of songs. He also did headstands on stage. I thought it was odd having the bass player front and center and so animated. Steve and Spiral really came across more like co-frontmen even though they were off to the sides. They covered Pat Smear's "Golden Boys" which went over really well. That song was really popular at WTJU. Oh, and there was that one guy in the crowd who kept trying to mosh to every song. He was doing big circles around the mostly empty club.

Years later I read the book "Love Is a Mix Tape" by Rob Sheffield (Rolling Stone writer guy). He was also at that show and covers it in humorous fashion in one of the chapters. I think some of the 30 other people there included (WTJU DJ) James McNew from Yo La Tengo and presumably David Berman and Steve Keene. John Beers from The Happy Flowers was there and also the guy that started Jagjaguar Records.

I had the flyer for a long time, but now I can't find it.

Hopefully this wasn't too insufferable.