Pavement is an American indie rock band that formed in Stockton, California in 1989. For most of their career, the group consisted of vocalist and guitarist Stephen Malkmus, guitarist and vocalist Scott Kannberg, bassist Mark Ibold, drummer Steve West and vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Bob Nastanovich. 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 a more polished band, Pavement recorded five full-length albums and ten EPs over the course of a decade, though the group disbanded with some acrimony in 1999 as the members moved on to other projects. In 2010, Pavement 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 were 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. Pavement have often been described as one of the most influential bands to emerge from the American underground in the 1990s. Some prominent music critics, such as Robert Christgau and Stephen Thomas Erlewine, called them the best band of the 1990s. Pavement has achieved a cult following.
