[Cover photo credit to Luis Troner]
50 years ago, Memphis Power Pop pioneers Big Star released Radio City, their sophomore album, which went on to become a cult classic. To celebrate the album’s legacy, an all-star collective of musicians, led by the band’s sole surviving original member, Jody Stephens, will perform Radio City in its entirety on both sides of the Atlantic.
Joining Stephens will be musicians who have been long associated with Big Star-related projects, including Mike Mills (R.E.M.), Jon Auer (The Posies), Pat Sansone (Wilco), and Chris Stamey (The dB’s). The festivities kick off in July at Cat’s Cradle in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on August 21, followed by shows across the East Coast in August and the West Coast in October.
After a special hometown show at Memphis’ Crosstown Theater on October 1, the group will head to Europe, with stops in Spain, Norway, and the UK.
Heavily influenced by the British Invasion, Big Star originally featured vocalists/guitarists Alex Chilton and Chris Bell, bassist Andy Hummel, and drummer Jody Stephens and emerged in the early ’70s.
The Memphis band combined jangly Pop, driving guitars, harmonies, and wistfulness. In 1971, Big Star made their debut with #1 Record. While the album garnered high marks from critics, however, it failed to make a commercial splash.
Bell departed the band soon after, leaving Chilton, Hummel, and Stephens to continue as a trio. In late 1973, Big Star returned to Ardent Studios to record their follow-up, with producer John Fry. Chilton stepped in as the band’s de facto leader. Released in 1974, Radio City (available via Stax Records/Craft Recordings) featured some of Big Star’s most beloved tracks. Once again, Radio City was met with critical acclaim but fell victim to distribution issues, selling less than 20,000 copies at the time.
50th Anniversary Full Performance of Big Star’s Radio City (& More):
August 21 – Cat’s Cradle, Chapel Hill, NC
August 22 – White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ
August 23 – Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA
August 24 – Union Stage, Washington, DC
Oct. 1 – Crosstown Theater, Memphis, TN
Oct. 4 – Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
Oct. 7 – The Lodge Room, Los Angeles, CA
Oct. 24 – Auditorio Mar de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
Oct. 26 – Sala Apolo, Barcelona, Spain
Oct. 27 – La Riviera, Madrid, Spain
Oct. 29 – Folketeateret, Oslo, Norway
Oct. 31 – Hackney Church, London, UK
The Big Star Quintet (with special guest John Stirratt [Wilco] subbing for Mike Mills) will also be hitting the road this July:
July 13 — FitzGerald’s, Chicago, IL
July 14 — Square Roots Festival, Chicago, IL
July 15 — Codfish Hollow Barnstormers, Maquoketa, IA
