Following heightened speculation, it finally emerged yesterday that a reunion of cult 90s rock group Pavement is official.
The news was first reported by American website Brooklyn Vegan, who claimed the band would reunited to play a tour in 2010, including dates in New York's Central Park and Coachella festival. To even their surprise, they turned out to be right.
The news became official after the band's label, Matador, made a post on their website entitled 'Pavement : Coming To A Town Near You (If You Live Near A Big Town) In 2010', which reads, 'After years of speculation, the most important American band of the 1990’s is returning to the stage, with the lineup of Mark Ibold, Scott “Spiral Stairs” Kannberg, Stephen Malkmus, Bob Nastanovich and Steve West reuniting for dates around the world in 2010. Please be advised this tour is not a prelude to additional jaunts and/or a permanent reunion.'
Guitarist Scott Kannberg also spoke to Rolling Stone magazine about the reunion.
'Steve [Malkmus] and I just had a conversation on the phone, and we'd never talked about it before at all. We've talked over the years, but the subject never came up. Then our agent asked us about these New York shows, so we went around to everybody in the band, and they said, 'Yeah, the time is right if everybody’s ready to do it, then we'll do it and see what happens.' There was no real impetus-- it just kind of happened naturally.'
Only one show of the intended World Tour has been announced so far, at New York's Rumsey Playfield in Central Park on September 21st 2010.