Big Star's Radio City (50th Anniversary) @ White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ 8/22/24

Bill:  Big Star's Radio City (50th Anniversary)

Venue: White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ

Date: 8/22/24

Door: $38

8pm: Big Star Quintet featuring Jody Stephens with Mike Mills (R.E.M.), Jon Auer (The Posies), Pat Sansone (Wilco), and Chris Stamey (The dB's)

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The 50th anniversary show of Big Star's second album Radio City was as good a tribute to Alex Chilton and Chris Bell as you can get.  Drummer Jody Stephens, the final surviving member led a group full of musicians from known entities that were influenced by Big Star.   Although Mills was the oldest, turning 72 this October, Chris Stamey is only a couple years younger and Mike Mills was also born later in the 50's.  The young'uns were Sansone of Wilco and Auer of the Posies both born in '69.

Any Big Star fan would have enjoyed this two set, 30 song tribute.  You also got bonus performances of Chris Bell's only single released in his lifetime: "I Am The Cosmos" and the first encore, "You and Your Sister."  Interestingly, Stephens didn't drum on Cosmos and the flipside was drumless. Chilton however contributed background vocals to Sister on that record.

Stephens was great, often coming up front to sing a song and tell a story.  It was a fun laid back affair, but not a one-off as the band has some tour dates pending with this line-up.

FOR FURTHER REVIEW:

A Little Big Star (1992)