The Big Star Quintet at the Codfish Hollow Barn -- July 15.
Monday, July 15, 8 p.m.
Codfish Hollow Barn, 5013 288th Avenue, Maquoketa IA
With the star-studded ensemble composed of Jon Auer (The Posies), Chris Stamey (The dB's), Pat Sansone and John Stirratt (Wilco), and original Big Star member Jody Stephens, the Big Star Quintet headlines a special July 15 concert event at Maquoketa's Codfish Hollow Barn, 2024 marking the 50th anniversary of Radio City, the legendary sophomore release from the highly influential Memphis band Big Star.
To celebrate the golden anniversary of Radio City, an iconic collective of musicians (led by the band’s sole surviving original member Stephens) will perform selections from that album, along with other great songs from the band’s rich legacy, Released in 1974, Radio City has long been a coveted classic, beloved by alt-rockers, pop fans, and everyone in between. Influenced by the sounds of the British Invasion, yet strikingly original, Big Star’s debut #1 Record combined guitar-fueled hooks, sweet harmonies, jangly pop, and wistful melancholia for a sound that was years ahead of its time. Today, in conjunction with the earlier recording and the subsequent Third/Sister Lovers, it is considered to be a seminal title in the power pop canon – a genre that, for better or worse, wouldn’t truly take off until the end of the decade.
While Big Star (originally comprised of vocalist/guitarist/pianist Alex Chilton, vocalist/guitarist Chris Bell, bassist Andy Hummel, and drummer Jody Stephens) officially formed in 1971, #1 Record began to take shape several years earlier, when Chilton and Bell (both teenagers at the time) started writing together, finding inspiration from the John Lennon/Paul McCartney songwriting partnership. Bell left the band after that first release, and Alex, Jody, and Andy marshaled their forces as a trio to create Radio City. Working with Ardent Records’ founder and engineer John Fry, Chilton and Hummel laid down guitar, bass and keys tracks to match Stephens’ explosive, invigorated drumming, and the passion they put into the performances lifted the already masterful songwriting to a new level. Its many beloved songs, including “O My Soul,” “Way Out West,” and “Daisy Glaze” were led by the astonishing pop perfection of “September Gurls,” later covered by the Bangles.
Radio City was voted number 319 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums in 2000. In 2003 and 2012, the album was ranked number 405 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, as well as at number 359 in the 2020 edition. Rolling Stone also ranked the song "September Gurls" as number 178 on its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, while Sound & Vision ranked it number 43 on its Top 50 Albums of All Time list. As famed rock critic Richard Meltzer stated, Big Star "is the means through which most bands today who are influenced by the Beatles get their dose of the British Invasion."
The Big Star Quintet takes the stage in Maquoketa on July 15 with the guests artists of Tripmaster Monkey, admission to the 8 p.m. concert event is $55, and more information and tickets are available by visiting CodfishHollowBarnstormers.com.
