What’s crucial to consider about this reunion is how these aren’t only the biggest crowds Westerberg or The Replacements have faced in their 30+ year career, but their most devoted. That’s a sigh of relief for the band. Years back, while promoting Pleased to Meet Me, Westerberg once discussed the strange dichotomy of his rabid fanbase, observing: “The record is one thing. The live performance is a total other deal. That’s the way it’s always been, and that’s, I think, our basic problem. The people who love our records — the slow material, the quiet songs — are the ones who hide in the back. And the ones who come up front are the ones who like the loud, raucous stuff. But the ones we really like are the ones who are too afraid to come up and say hello.” Today, everyone’s fighting to get up front, not only to say hello, but to experience the records they’ve made part of their lives.As much as we all love The Replacements, it shouldn't be too hard for us to remember that their entire career was enveloped in the Amer-indie/post-pink/whatever chapter of American rock in which the whole scene was basically the equivalent of the record store clerk who chortled because you bought Document; getting to see them exhale a sigh of relief along with a crowd that is rooting for them after all these years is a breath of fresh air. Because the songs will live long after them, and long after us, and it's time we celebrated the songs along with them while we can.
If not then fuck it, click the link to hear about my gig cutting the goddam DMV grass.That's pretty awesome too.
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