Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson have joined forces for three Replacement’s reunion concerts later this year. Riot Fest at Chicago (Sept. 13-15), but also for performances at the offshoot Riot Fests in Toronto (Aug. 24-25) and Denver (Sept. 20-21).
I am not a huge replacements fans but some very close friends swear by the band. I blame my indifference on two things:
1. An overabundancy of love for the first album, Hootenanny
and
2. Two lousy live performances that closed me down from the band.
And even to this day I can’t quite hear the band the way so many other people can. It is so strange and, by one of those musical coincidences that happen from time to time, that makes two magic cults I’ve written about in succession that I can’t quite hear (the other being Elliott Smith).
Paul and Tommy released the benefit EP for Slim Dunlap Songs For Slim , though that doesn’t entirely explain the two reuniting for three Riot Fest gigs in Chicago (Sept. 13-15), Toronto (Aug. 24-25) and Denver (Sept. 20-21). Chris Riemenschneider of Artcetera interviewed Riot Fest owner Mike Petryshyn:
“Honestly, I got a little teary when we finally got it done. It’s just been way too long for them not to finally do this,” he said.”
“We’re a completely independent festival run by real music lovers, not a mega-fest that follows trends or worries about album cycles”When they were mulling the offer, I highly recommended it,” Tommy Stinson’s manager Ben Perlstein said, “but by no means was the ‘Mats playing there my idea.”