Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks performed a lively and loose set Thursday night at the Bottom Lounge. Having already toured on last year’s Real Emotional Trash, this run of shows has allowed the band to work out some new tunes in front of a live audience.

An obviously relaxed Malkmus took the stage to a jam packed club and though the doorman stated the show was not technically sold-out, I could hardly imagine many more bodies fitting into that crowded room. The group wasted no time in breaking out the new material by starting the hour and a half long set with two new songs that mixed the familiar syncopated rhythms with intricate and quirky lyrics for which the former Pavement frontman is known.

The whimsical “Hopscotch Willie” from Real Emotional Trash followed and garnered loud cheers from those in attendance. Between songs, Malkmus took every opportunity to banter with the audience, carrying on about seemingly random things for minutes at a time, which grew a bit tiresome as the evening went on and the room got more crowded and warm.

Mid-set came the highlight “It Kills” from the 2005 release Face the Truth, which featured an extended guitar solo from Malkus and great interplay between bassist Joanna Bolme and drummer Janet Weiss. The rhythm section provided a solid backbone throughout the night and both also deserve high praise for the lovely backing vocals they lent to most songs. Multi-instrumentalist Mike Clark provided layers of synthesizers and handled the keyboard duties when he wasn’t trading guitar licks with Malkmus like on the moody new tune “Expressway”.

The quartet closed out the encore with catchy rocker “Dragonfly Pie,” the opening track from Real Emotional Trash, which was well received by the attentive audience. At the end of the night, Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks had delivered a solid show mixing up old and new songs with a heavy does of chatter that made for a laid-back and cheerful-yet-crowded atmosphere.

Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks - “Bill Fay” - Live at the Bottom Lounge July 2, 2009