The Replacements Reunite In Toronto

posted in: Music News • Rock

It was the best of nights, it was the worst of nights. Depending on your perspective, of course.

For millions of thrilled/disappointed pop fans, the NSYNC reunion was the story of the evening, but for many rock and roll fans, the entire MTV VMAs event was an annoying mosquito hovering around their social media cochlea. Jabs at Lance Bass and heated exchanges about Billy Ray Cyrus‘ daughter clogged their feeds, as they searched for initial reports about the long-awaited first reunion show from Minneapolis college rock pioneers The Replacements.

Original members Paul Westerberg (guitar and vocals) and Tommy Stinson (bass and vocals) took the stage together as The Replacements for the first time in 22 years at Toronto’s Fort York during RiotFest. They were joined by sometime Westerberg guitarist Dave Minehan (formerly of The Neighborhoods) on guitar and Josh Freese (Stinson’s Guns N’ Roses bandmate) on drums. Original drummer Chris Mars begged off the reunion, while Bob Stinson, Tommy’s brother and the band’s original guitarist, parted ways with the band in 1986 and passed away in 1995. Slim Dunlap, who took Bob’s spot in ’86, has been ill – efforts to raise money for his medical care resulted in a new Replacements single and partially sparked discussions between Westerberg and Stinson about a reunion.

By all accounts, it was a rousing set delivered with enthusiasm from a band known for their unpredictable temperament and decades of tension. “Sorry we took so long,” Westerberg told the crowd, joking that a wardrobe disagreement was to blame for the decades-long break. For many, this reunion is a chance to revisit the glory days of underground rock, before Nirvana (one of many more successful bands heavily influenced by The Replacements) unleashed the alternative nation on the mainstream. For others, this is a chance, like The Pixies‘ relatively recent reunion, to see a legendary band they were too young (or too non-existant) to appreciate at the time. Check out some audience footage, below, of the band performing a searing version of their classic “Alex Chilton.” For more, check out Rolling Stone’s coverage.