Kevin Bronson on April 12th, 2014

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Who: The Replacements at the Outdoor Theatre
In 3 or Fewer Words: Half-assed hootenanny
Memorable Because: Critically celebrated rock reunions had better get used to playing to thin crowds under the stars. Following in the footsteps of recent Main-Stagers Pavement and the Stone Roses, The ’Mats from Minneapolis played for a meager following of zealots. “I never thought I’d see this” was murmured like a koan before, during and after. Objectively, the set was uneven, perhaps by design; it’s tough to tell if Paul Westerberg didn’t care to remember his lyrics for half the songs, or if it was a bit of Kaufman-esque trickery before a sterling parade of hits that included “Left of the Dial,” “Bastards of Young,” and “Alex Chilton.” With half the original band replaced by stand-ins, this felt like a cash grab more so than usual. It didn’t matter. Replacements fans (who did remember all the words) were never going to feel “Unsatisfied” (nope, didn’t play that one), and when it was good, it was tremendous. Westerberg and Tommy Stinson should host the Late Late Show. A crowd sing-a-long of “Androgynous” was a lifetime memory.
What I’d Tell My Friend Who Was At Girl Talk: You ain’t nothin’ but a waitress in the sky.
– Ben “Mouse” McShane (Concert photography by Scott Dudelson)