The cover of Big Star’s “Radio City” album.
Following a similar 50th anniversary tribute concert to Big Star’s #1 Record album in 2022, an all-star group of musicians — including the only surviving original member of the Memphis-based group, drummer Jody Stephens — will present a 50th anniversary tribute to Big Star’s Radio City album at White Eagle Hall in Jersey City, Aug. 22. Tickets will go on sale May 29 at 10 a.m.; visit whiteeaglehalljc.com.
The show will include Radio City in its entirety as well as other songs. Other performers will include Mike Mills of R.E.M., Jon Auer of The Posies, Pat Sansone of Wilco, and Chris Stamey of The dB’s.
Other Radio City tribute concert will include one at The Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania, Aug. 23.
Big Star had little commercial success with its three ’70s albums but became legendary after it broke up, and has been extremely influential on many indie-rock musicians from the ’80s on.
#1 Record songs included “September Gurls” (later covered by The Bangles), “O My Soul,” “Way Out West” and “Daisy Glaze.”
At the time of #1 Record, Stephens was joined in the group by singer-guitarist Alex Chilton and bassist Andy Hummel, though Chilton recorded three of the album’s 12 songs with bassist Danny Jones and drummer Richard Rosebrough. Chilton and Hummel both died in 2010.
Stephens, Mills, Auer, Sansone and Stamey all participated in the 2022 White Eagle Hall concert, along with The Lemon Twigs and James Mastro.
Listen here to the Radio City track, “September Gurls”:
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