Big Star

With the Posies' Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow standing in, on Stephens' recommendation, for the uninterested Hummel and the deceased Bell, the foursome run through a collection mostly drawn from #1 Record and Radio City. Chilton's in good voice throughout, the blend of sweetness and melancholia of the band's original days present and fine as ever. As a band, the quartet don't let the legacy down a whit, from "Don't Lie to Me" and its full passion to the bemused regret of "September Gurls." Everyone else gets at least one vocal turn as well, a nice way of signaling the group effort that went into the show. Stephens handles "Way Out West" and "For You," Auer sings Bell's solo single "I Am the Cosmos," while Stringfellow takes over on no less than three songs, "Back of a Car," "Daisy Glaze," and a smashing rip on "Feel." A few interesting surprises are thrown in along the way, though anyone familiar with Chilton's way around unexpected covers in performance won't be too taken off guard. T. Rex's "Baby Strange" gets a straightforward take, glam sass fully intact and suiting the band perfectly, while Todd Rundgren's "Slut" closes out the set with a final appropriate blast. Not the end of the world, just a great show from a legendary group. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide