Remembering Chris Bell of Big Star on his birthday

Raising a glass to singer/songwriter Chris Bell with both sides of his brilliant "I Am The Cosmos" single and more. 

That time Alex Chilton played Velvet Slego in Rimini, Italy in 1988

Since today would've been Alex Chilton's 75th birthday, here's a 1988 performance at Rimini's Velvet Slego from 1988. 

Happy Birthday Jody Stephens of Big Star!

Celebrating the birthday of Jody Stephens (Big Star, Those Pretty Wrongs) with an interview and some performance clips.   

R.I.P. Terry Manning, 1947-2025

Sadly, legendary audio engineer Terry Manning – who worked with Led Zep, Staple Singers, ZZ Top, Big Star, etc –  has passed away. He'll be greatly missed.

Remembering Alex Chilton on his birthday

Raising a glass to singer/songwriter Alex Chilton with a couple of performances and interviews worth checking. 

The Jayhawks, Dave Rave @ The Great Hall, Thursday & Friday

Gary Louris and his Jayhawks crew return for two nights at The Great Hall with Dave Rave of Teenage Head opening at 7 pm.

If you happen to be in Minneapolis, Golden Smog are playing First Avenue Nov 15. Get tickets right here. 

Celebrate 50 years of Chris Bell's "I Am The Cosmos" in Memphis, June 8

The 50th Anniversary salute to Chris Bell, "I Am The Cosmos" happens at the Maria Montessori Amphitheatre in Memphis.  

Here's the scoop...

"I Am The Cosmos" single from 1978.

Step into the timeless universe of Chris Bell's musical legacy at our tribute concert featuring his iconic "I Am the Cosmos," alongside tracks from Big Star's "#1 Record" album and Chris Bell's "Looking Forward" compilation released by Omnivore Recordings in 2017.

Prepare to be mesmerized as talented musicians breathe new life into the ethereal melodies and poetic lyrics of "I Am the Cosmos," capturing the essence of Bell's visionary genius. Join us for an unforgettable evening where we honour Chris Bell's contributions to music, showcasing not only the brilliance of "I Am the Cosmos" but also the timeless classics from Big Star's groundbreaking "#1 Record" album. 

The River Series is a fundraiser for the Maria Montessori School (MMS). We host shows at our on-campus amphitheatre (740 Harbor Bend Road, Memphis) every spring and fall, bringing an eclectic mix of local and touring acts together for performances at a truly special place in Downtown Memphis. This Spring series is sponsored by Wiseacre Brewing, Cordelia's Market, WYXR, Tom Martin Design and Goner Records and produced by a collection of MMS parents. 

Tickets are $20 for adults and $8 for kids. Tickets will also be available at the door the day of the show. All proceeds go to support the Maria Montessori School. Doors open at 4pm. There will be Wiseacre beer available for a donation and the ChiPhi food truck will be on site! Get tickets right here. 

Remembering Big Star's Andy Hummel on his birthday

Thinking of Big Star bassist Andy Hummel today with some 1971 studio footage and a few alternate versions of songs he co-wrote.

Mike Mills & The Lemon Twigs highlight all-star salute to Big Star

Mike Mills joined in the 50th Anniversary celebration of Big Star's No. 1 Record at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, CA. Photos: Cary Baker

Big Star's Jody Stephens & Terry Manning talk about No. 1 Record

Listen to the Life Of The Record podcast with Jody Stephens, Terry Manning and Alex Chilton biographer Holly George-Warren.

Happy Birthday Alex Chilton!

Remembering Alex Chilton on his birthday with the trailer for the documentary "Why Should I Care?" and a couple of clips. 

One For The Weekend: Big Star

Can't think of a better song to start the month than this Alex Chilton-penned gem from Big Star's Radio City. 

Happy Birthday Alex Chilton

Remembering the amazing Alex Chilton on his day with a short doc and a performance of "Alligator Man" 

Art Fein chats with Jim Dickinson & Huey P. Meaux in 1990

Here's the unedited footage of Art's backyard chat with legendary producers Jim Dickinson & Huey P. Meaux in Austin.  

Big Star "Live On WLIR" due in January

Big Star's Live On WLIR is slated for release on CD and 2LP by Omnivore on January 25. 

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — In 1973 Big Star recorded its second album, Radio City, as a trio, after the departure of founding member Chris Bell. When the time came to tour, original bassist Andy Hummel decided to return to school to pursue his engineering education. With this departure, Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens recruited fellow Memphis native John Lightman to take over on bass, and the band readied its live set.

That set was preserved, as Big Star recorded a radio session at Ultrasonic Studios in New York for broadcast on the city’s preeminent modern rock station WLIR-FM. Nearly two decades later, those recordings were issued as Live in 1992. Omnivore Recordings will reintroduce them, restored and remastered from the original tapes, as Live on WLIR, on CD and in its first official release on double LP. Street date is January 25.

The 15-track set features material from the band’s first two albums, as well as a cover of “Motel Blues” by Loudon Wainwright III (which originally appeared on his 1971 sophomore release, Album II).

With new, updated liner notes from Memphis writer/filmmaker Robert Gordon (who won a Grammy® for his essay in 2010’s Big Star box set Keep an Eye on the Sky) and an interview with John Lightman by Chris Bell biographer Rich Tupica (There Was a Light: The Cosmic History of Big Star Founder Chris Bell), Live on WLIR enters the Big Star canon in the form it deserves.

As Gordon observes in his liners: “Alex is, in this trio, playing all the guitar and singing lead, and he’s giving it about all he’s got. The road and the march of time eventually wore down that Alex, as time wears on all of us. But this recording is a clear window into the impenetrable past, making it a thrill today to hear Alex so young and enthusiastic.”

Pre-order a copy of Big Star's Live On WLIR right here.

Track list:
1. September Gurls
2. Way Out West
3. Mod Lang
4. Don’t Lie To Me
5. O My Soul
6. Interview
7. The Ballad Of El Goodo
8. Thirteen
9. I’m In Love With A Girl
10. Motel Blues
11. In The Street
12. You Get What You Deserve
13. Daisy Glaze
14. Back Of A Car
15. She’s A Mover

One For The Weekend: Terry Manning

Check out Terry's swank version of The Beatles' Savoy Truffle from his 1970 album Home Sweet Home (Enterprise).

Happy 75th Birthday William Eggleston!

Here's Michael Almereyda's salute to the father of colour photography, William Eggleston in the Real World.

Nicole Atkins sings Big Star w/Binky Griptite

Merry Big Star Christmas!

Big Star doc hits Toronto July 5th

BIG STAR: NOTHING CAN HURT ME is a feature-length documentary about the legendary Memphis band Big Star which opens at the IFC Center in New York on July 3 and will also be available that same day on iTunes and via most on demand video services. Big Star tribute concerts in Chicago and New York are taking place this weekend, featuring drummer Jody Stephens, the band's sole surviving original member, in anticipation of the film's release. The film has been scheduled for a brief run at Toronto's Cineplex Odeon Yonge & Dundas from Friday (July 5) through Wednesday (July 10), check the Cineplex site for times.

While mainstream success eluded them, Big Star's three albums have become critically lauded touchstones of the rock music canon. A seminal band in the history of alternative music, Big Star has been cited as an influence by artists including REM, The Replacements, Belle & Sebastian, The Velvet Crush and Teenage Fanclub, to name just a few. With never-before-seen footage and photos of the band, in-depth interviews and a rousing musical tribute by the bands they inspired, BIG STAR: NOTHING CAN HURT ME is a story of artistic and musical salvation.

Big Star, is widely regarded as one of the greatest bands in rock history by music critics and music fans who have more records than they know what to do with. Never experiencing popular success in their time; even today somewhat sadly, their greatest notoriety is from having their tune "In the Street" used as the theme song for That 70s Show, which isn't even Big Star's version – it's Cheap Trick's cover from the second season on.

Despite their unique distinction of being famous for not being famous, Big Star's influence can be heard in the music of many of your favourite artists. BIG STAR: NOTHING CAN HURT ME traces the origins and history of the legendary band from the late sixties with lead singer Alex Chilton sky-rocketing to stardom at the age of 16 with The Box Tops and their #1 hit, "The Letter" to the serendipitous meeting of Chilton and local Memphis singer-songwriter-guitarist,Chris Bell; through the tumultuous recording of the group's three landmark albums, #1 Record, Radio City and Third/Sister Lovers (Ardent Records); culminating with their implosion due to failed record sales, personal breakdowns and the tragic death of Chris Bell in 1978.

This film is a unique portrait of an incredibly talented group of musicians who crafted three albums now considered pop masterpieces (all of which charted on Rolling Stone's Top 500 albums of all time). The group had enormous aspirations but fell victim to the corporate stranglehold of the major record labels and radio stations who dominated the music business at that time. BIG STAR: NOTHING CAN HURT ME is seen as a cautionary tale of the growing corporatization in pop music in the 70's as great American independent labels like Memphis-based STAX (Ardent's distributor), were swallowed whole or marginalized by the music conglomerates.





A GUIDE TO UPCOMING BIG STAR EVENTS
06/28 Chicago, IL - The Vic Theater - A Tribute to Big Star's Third
06/30 New York, NY - Central Park Summer Stage: A Tribute to Big Star's Third
07/03 New York, NY - IFC Center - film opening *
07/05 to 07/10 Toronto, ON - Cineplex Odeon Yonge & Dundas+
07/10 Detroit, MI - Magic Bag - film opening
07/12 Memphis, TN - Ridgeway - film opening
07/12 Nashville, TN - The Belcourt - film opening
07/12 Minneapolis, MN - Lagoon Cinema - film opening
07/12 Pittsburgh, PA - Hollywood Theater - film opening
07/13 Montreal, QC - La Sala Rossa - film opening
07/13 & 07/17 Chicago, IL - Music Box - film opening
07/19 San Francisco, CA - Roxie - film opening
07/19 Phoenix, AZ - Valley Art - film opening
07/19 Seattle, WA - The Grand Illusion Cinema - film opening
07/19 Miami, FL - The O Theater - film opening
07/19 Cambridge, MA - The Brattle - film opening
07/20 Portland, OR - Hollywood Theater - film opening 07/21 & 07/22 Austin, TX - Alamo Ritz - film opening
07/25 Portland, ME - Space Gallery - film opening
07/26 Dallas, TX - Texas Theater - film opening
07/26 Denver, CO - Sie Film Center - film opening
07/30 New Orleans, LA - Contemporary Arts Center - film opening
08/03 Jacksonville, FL - The Sun-Ray - film opening %
08/09 Columbus, OH - Wexner Center for the Arts - film opening
08/10 Ooltewah, TN - The Barking Legs Theater - film opening

* = followed by Q&A w/ Jody Stephens & filmmakers 
# = followed by Q&A w/ Jody Stephens & filmmakers, plus live acoustic performance from Jody Stephens 
% = followed by Q&A w/ filmmakers 
+ = Friday showing canceled due to technical glitch