Pavement, a band that in the 1990's defined what is now referred to as "independent rock", played to a crowd of about 5,000 at Agganis Arena on Saturday night.
After breaking up in 1999, Pavement announced their reunion tour in late 2009, which brought them to Boston University last weekend.
Agganis Arena was filled with a mix of older fans of the band that followed the band in their first incarnation, and younger fans that had discovered the band in more recent years.
Pavement took the stage to thunderous applause, and proceeded to launch into a set that spanned their 20-year career, playing songs from each of their five albums.
The band started the night off with "Silence Kit", the opening song from their 1994 album, Crooked Rain Crooked Rain.
From the moment they took the stage, Pavement filled the arena with an incredible energy, leaving the crowd on their feet for the entirety of their hour and a half long set.
If there was any doubt in fans minds as to whether the band still had the same energy with which they delivered their live shows in their earlier years, the performance that was delivered on Saturday night put those fears to rest.
The band's set went through several distinguishable sections, intertwining into an extremely diverse slew of songs.
The first portion of the set was devoted to more pop-oriented sing-a-longs, and included Crooked Rain Crooked Rain's "Silence Kit", and "Two States" from 1991's Slanted and Enchanted.
Pavement then steered the set into more obscure territory, playing songs that were aimed to please their more diehard fans such as Slanted and Enchanted's "In the Mouth a Desert", and Crooked Rain Crooked Rain's "Stop Breathin."
The third segment of the band's set was devoted entirely to sing-a-longs such as "Gold Soundz" from Crooked Rain Crooked Rain, and "Loretta's Scars" and "Summer Babe (Winter Version)" from Slanted and Enchanted. The band closed the set with the song that they received the most mainstream attention for in their earlier years, "Cut Your Hair" from Crooked Rain Crooked Rain.
Coming back for two encores, Pavement treated their audience to an additional six songs, culminating with "Here" from 1995's Wowee Zowee.
College of Arts and Sciences junior Frank Devita was in attendance on Saturday night.
"The set had movement. It started out slow and then it got really rocking. They never stopped playing. It was a great set," DeVita said.
Not only did Pavement deliver their set with the veracity they had 10 years ago, but they seemed to be having a great time the whole time they were on stage.
The band never came across as tired, old, or like they were struggling through their reunion tour. All five members of the band seemed to be ecstatic to be playing music together again.
College of Arts and Sciences junior Brian Hanley was in attendance on Saturday.
"Fun was had by all," Hanley said.
Lead guitarist and singer Stephen Malkmus bantered with the audience after botching the lyrics to "Spit On a Stranger" from 1999's Terror Twilight.
"You should never drink beer before you sing that song," Malkmus said.
Berklee College of Music senior Eric Bolton was in attendance at Agganis Arena for Pavement's set.
"I've been waiting to see this band since the first time I ever listened to them.
They lived up to every expectation I had," Bolton said.
Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley opened for Pavement with her new band Jenny and Johnny.Lewis delivered a 45 minute set of average, feel-good pop music. Dancing around the stage, Lewis played all new songs from her bands forthcoming record, I'm Having Fun Now.
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