Stephen Malkmus in Iowa City

It was a perfect storm: Friday night // Halloween // Stephen Malkmus // The Picador.

The night began at about 5pm. I called the Picador to ask about tickets. Only 20 left, I was told. I got in my car, bumped "Black Book," and rushed to the Iowa City staple.

Just as I entered, a man exited the bar, looking eerily like the guy in this video:



I bought my ticket at the bar and neurotically speedwalked up the street. I wanted to prove to myself that it was him. I knew if I didn't, I'd bore friends the rest of the night with my "I think I saw Malkmus, but man, I shoulda said something" stories.

Malkmus, whom I've written about before, wore thick glasses, a plaid shirt, and had a backpack strapped tight up against his back, like a real nerd. A quarter-block up the street he stopped to get something out of his bag. I walked past him and pretended to read a text-message. I was 90 percent sure it was him. I flipped my phone closed and took the ticket out of my shirt pocket. Then we had this exchange:

Me: "I think I just bought a ticket to see you."
Malkmus: "Oh, yeah? Thanks."
Me: "I'm really looking forward to it."
Malkmus: "It should be fun. All the kids'll be in costume."
Me: "Do you have a costume?"
Malkmus: "You know, not yet."
(pause)
Me: "But yeah, I think you guys are great."
Malkmus: "Thanks. You know, Blitzen Trapper's really good, too."
Me: "Yeah, I'm excited to see them, too. I hope you like Iowa City."
Malkmus: "Thanks. It should be a good night."

I can't imagine a better way to get pumped up before a show.

At the Picador, Malkmus performed songs from his four post-Pavement records -- Stephan Malkmus, Pig Lib, Face the Truth, and this year's Real Emotional Trash -- and one left-field cover. He shared the stage with his Jicks: Mike Clark, former Sleater-Kinney drummer Janet Weiss, and former Elliott-Smith-dater Joanna Bolme.

I can't provide a setlist because I didn't know every song they played, but I can tell you a few of the songs he definitely did play (highlights in bold):

Pencil Rot
Freeze the Saints
Church on White
Jenny and the Ess Dog
Hopscotch Willie
Dragon Fly Pie
Real Emotional Trash
Cold Son

And that left-field cover? Just picture Malkmus and the Jicks reemerging for their encore. Then picture the Blitzen Trapper gang trailing behind them. Then picture Malkmus, sans guitar, take the mic off the stand. From a crowded stage erupts a rendition of this:



Malkmus, who operated with relative restraint all evening, belted the lyrics to The James Gang's "Funk #49" while us kids went apeshit. He started busting out moves from the bravado rock 'n' roll playbook -- doing jump-kicks after each chorus, falling onto his back, singing on the floor, etc. It was perhaps the most over-the-top encore I've ever seen.

Exhausted with an uncontrollable grin, I left the bar and struck "Stephan Malkmus" from my list of artists to see before I die.