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Bob Nastanovich Biography

bob-nastanovich
  • Born:
  • Member of: Silver Jews
  • Genre: Rock & Alternative

Bob Nastanovich was nearly as essential a leader as Stephen Malkmus to the overall persona of the seminal indie rock band Pavement. His role can best be described as "utility man," although he sometimes served as second drummer or added bizarre keyboard accents. Primarily, however, he was a force of nature, adding the strange rants, harmonies, and musical accents that helped characterize the uncanny sound of Pavement. (He was also known for carrying on curious on-stage dialogues with drummer Steve West.) Reportedly, Nastanovich's live vocal stylings inspired the "whoo-hoo" chorus in Blur's memorable 1997 hit "Song 2." Nastanovich was born in Rochester, NY, in 1967 and raised in Richmond, VA, where he met future Pavement drummer Steve West in high school. In the mid-'80s, he attended the University of Virginia, where he befriended Stephen Malkmus. It wasn't until well after the two graduated from college in the early '90s that Malkmus brought Nastanovich into Pavement, a group he had formed back home in Stockton, CA, with childhood friend Scott Kannberg (aka Spiral Stairs). The group came to an end when Malkmus released his debut solo album in 2001. In the latter days of the band, Nastanovich, a horse racing enthusiast, moved to Louisville, KY, where he owns several thoroughbreds. Nastanovich has also performed with the Silver Jews, Pale Horse Riders, and Ectoslavia. ~ Erik Hage, Rovi

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