The Replacements

The Replacements' farewell performance (though it was not billed as such at the time) took place at Grant Park in Chicago on July 4, 1991, as part of radio station WXRT's free concert series. The final incarnation of the 'Mats (with the latest addition, drummer Steve Foley, in tow) had been touring together for six months and it shows, as the band plays a tight, energetic set. The new material, particularly "Merry Go Round," "Happy Town," and "Bent Out of Shape," all from 1990's All Shook Down, really comes to life here. It wouldn't be a Replacements concert without a couple of cover tunes, and the inclusion of the Only Ones' classic "Another Girl, Another Planet" is no surprise; the song became a standard in the band's live set in its later years. Nor is Hank Williams' "Hey, Good Lookin'" (a different live take originally appeared as a B-side), but the fact that Slim Dunlap handles the vocals and Paul Westerberg turns in a dissonant guitar solo proves that they were more than adept at both delighting and dumbfounding their audience.

The show ends in grand 'Mats tradition: the band members, who had already swapped instruments for "Hootenanny," pass along their gear to the road crew who, in essence, "replace" the Replacements. A fitting end to a sloppy, brilliant career. The show was aired live on WXRT and boasts the finest sound quality of any Replacements bootleg, though there are a few dropouts. What's missing is the stage introduction (alluded to in Tommy Stinson's opening comment) and the final feedback blare of "Hootenanny," followed by DJ commentary. (Essential for their historical significance, these missing pieces are easily available on most circulating cassette copies.) Instead, listeners are left with a couple of lo-fi recordings from an earlier gig, and while the version of the Dead Boys' "Sonic Reducer" is hot, it's difficult to tell through the sonic murk. ~ Bart Bealmear, All Music Guide