It’s a Friday night, and there is incredible live music everywhere. Some of your all-time favorite musicians are playing at the same time all over the area. What show do you choose to go to?
Some choose an arena show, others like the intimacy of a small music venue, like the Keswick Theater in Glenside, where they can sit down and listen to their favorite Big Star songs performed by members of their other favorite bands.
Big Star Quintet | photo by Lisa Schaffer for WXPN
The Big Star Quintet is made up of Big Star’s only original member Jody Stephens, Mike Mills (R.E.M.), Jon Auer (The Posies), Chris Stamey (The dB’s), and Pat Sansone (Wilco). Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Big Star’s sophomore album, Radio City, the band played songs from all of the band’s albums, switched instruments throughout, and played just enough cowbell.
This five-piece rock band has dedicated fans that listened to every word, every guitar riff, and every story being told to them. They were so quiet between songs, that the band commented how “it was so quiet you could hear a cheesesteak drop.”
Big Star Quintet | photo by Lisa Schaffer for WXPN
The band members told stories about how they were not just fans of the Big Star songs, past band members that have passed, but they had so much admiration for each other. This collaboration was “the highlight of their careers” and they were honored to keep these songs alive.
The whole night felt warm and fuzzy, and the quiet crowd stood on their feet clapping and cheering after every song. See photos from the show below; their tour continues across the U.S. into the fall, before the Quintet heads across the pond for some European dates. Find their full schedule here.