Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks

Last time Stephen Malkmus stopped in Milwaukee, he gave a completely unexpected, one-off set of 18 Pavement songs played in chronological order. Fans can almost certainly expect a very different kind of show this time around. Malkmus’ newest album, Real Emotional Trash, is the least Pavement-like album he’s ever recorded, a collection of warped guitar jams that frequently stretch past the six-minute mark. Much of the newfound heaviness is the result of his new, celebrity drummer. Malkmus swapped fellow Portlander John Moen, now a Decemberist, for fellow Portlander Janet Weiss, formerly a Sleater Kinney. Tonight Stephen Malkmus and his band, the Jicks headline an 8 p.m. Pabst Theater bill with singer-songwriter John Vanderslice, who writes lush folk songs seeped in Iraq-war angst.