When Stephen Malkmus played, the crowd listened, or at least stayed silent. It's hard not to. The former Pavement front man is a human metronome.

Planted in the middle of an empty stage illuminated only in blue light, the lanky singer sprouted out of the ground. He swayed side to side around a microphone as though a breeze was pushing him effortlessly in time with his music.

The crowd responded and slightly mimicked Malkmus during slower numbers. Though, they responded more whenever he would play a Pavement song, which was very often.

Alone with an acoustic guitar, Malkmus hypnotized the talkative crowd during a career spanning set Thursday night at a sold-out show at the Great American Music Hall.

Malkmus, who is known for his lyrical wit, set the show's pace starting with the Pavement crowd pleaser "Harness Your Hopes." The song seemed fitting under the constant questions about if Pavement will reunite. Malkmus' pop-whine vocals delivered the lyrics with his signature nonchalant attitude: "Show me/ A word that rhymes with Pavement/ And I will kill your parents/ And roast them on a spit."

Malkmus didn't stray too far from his early works. Unfortunately, he only played one song from his latest album, "Real Emotional Trash." The title track, an over 10 minute epic never got off the ground. Malkmus broke a guitar string during the opening verse and stopped the song mid-strum. Malkmus joked with the crowd while restringing his guitar, but it took longer than expected. He explained himself when the crowd got restless.

"What I did was put the wrong string on in my nervousness," Malkmus said. "I'm high! Your weed is way better than mine."

Following the incident, Malkmus steered clear of his newer songs, which seem impossible to play without the heavy-duty strings and tone of an electric guitar. He ended his first set with the early Pavement staple "Here." The soft vocals and reflective lyrics helped regain the audience's attention. Malkmus warned the audience about the emotion loaded into his closing number. He forced out the heart wrenching lines, "I was dressed for success/ But success it never comes/ And I'm the only one who laughs at your jokes when they are so bad/ And your jokes are always bad."

Other highlights came when Malkmus covered a couple interesting songs. Most notably was during the encore, which consisted of a semi-coherent three-song medley. Malkmus tore through songs by the O'Jays, Rolling Stones and Redbone. O'Jays' "Love Train" prompted a sing along from the audience and got the loudest applause.

Malkmus ended the encore and night with the early Pavement song "Summer Babe." His lyrics seem to hint again that this might be the closest anyone will get to watching Pavement perform live. Though the song was written over 15 years ago, some lyrics can drive an idea home. It's not a surprise that some of the last words Malkmus sung were: "I'll be waiting forever/ I'll wait and wait and wait..."

During the opening acts, the venue felt more like a corner street café rather than the rock club. Every act opted acoustic, which, in a room similar to an oversized ballroom, proved to be problematic. The chatter of the crowd easily echoed over the opening acts Goh Nakamura, Peggy Honeywell and Kelley Stoltz. The disinterested and noisy crowd especially frustrated Honeywell.

Throughout her beautifully crafted set, Honeywell was in a constant battle with the audience's averted attention. Her rhythmic finger picking and soft voice couldn't fill the room even when amplified. She pleaded with the crowd to quiet down.

"I don't play very often when I do I practice for five months prior," Honeywell said. "Please. Jesus!"

Despite the overall rudeness of the spectators, Honeywell ended her set with a thank you and a smile. Though she did have some parting words.

"I like ending this way," she joked. "Especially when you can here a pin drop."

The 17th Noise Pop music festival continues through Sunday and concludes with Les Savy Fav at the Mezzanine.