The Replacements returned to the Hollywood Palladium April 15th for the first time in 24 years as part of their “Back By Unpopular Demand” tour. The first of two nights at the venue began with the legendary Josh Freese thumping on drums as front man Paul Westerberg emerged from a tent that was set up on stage followed by original bassist Tommy Stinson and touring guitarist Dave Minehan.
While the audience was a healthy mix of new and veteran fans, it was clear that the bulk of their devotees had sifted through old boxes to find their retired punk t-shirts and came out ready to be brought back in time by the Minneapolis rock forefathers. Their line-up has changed over the years – original guitarist Bob Stinson was fired in ’86 and then passed away in ’95 to be replaced by Slim Dunlap who left in ’91, but The Replacements have still retained their original authenticity and came across as anything but rusty.
They opened their set with “Seen Your Video” from 1984’s “Let It Be” and without the frills of too much between-song banter, they pushed through “Takin A Ride” and “Favorite Thing”. Original bassist Stinson and Westerberg exchanged the occasional biting joke and despite their age, still seemed to carry an inherent sincerity that added to their matured punk fervor. Westerberg noted “Tommy says I don’t have any ass in these pants,” and Stinson retorted “When you ARE an ass, you don’t need an ass.” Minehan (also of The Neighborhoods) added a restless energy to their performance as he spread out for requisite rock stances. Wearing a white t-shirt with a glow-in-the-dark letter V on the front, Westerberg lit a cigarette and debated “Well we can play one that’s hard to sing or one that’s really hard to sing” then swiftly moved into “I’ll Be You”
The Replacements didn’t quite stick to their set list which was covered in question marks but the songs they did perform seemed to please their fans with a raw punk earnestness that still hasn’t left them after all these years. Punk-ballad “Valentine and the snide “Waitress In The Sky” were a very popular sing-alongs. The harmonica-tinged “White And Lazy” which was performed partially from inside the tent and the moody soul of “Whole Foods Blues” brought grins on the faces of every fan who was enjoying the throwback to their heyday. The hugest response came from the loud “Bastards Of Young” from 1985’s “Tim”. The first encore featured the popular “Left Of The Dial” as Westerberg poignantly sang “Read about your band in some local page/Didn’t mention your name” and “Alex Chilton” but as they left the stage, the night still felt anti-climactic.
They returned again for one more – “Never Mind” from 1987’s “Pleased To Meet Me”. The audience patiently stood around for longer than usual as the lights went up and the crew began to pack up in hopes that the band might make one more appearance. Ultimately, The Replacements have maintained their tag as alt-rock pioneers and with such a hefty catalog of adolescent tracks, their reverential energy, albeit a bit more predictable with age, is still a very relevant cog in the rock n roll machine.
The Replacements were supported by fellow seasoned rocker John Doe who co-founded the seminal punk outfit X. At the Palladium, he performed as the John Doe Band backed by four other musicians who helped create a well-preserved blues landscape.
Photographed by me for BUZZBANDS.LA
JOHN DOE BAND
