If you’ve been waiting to see it, the Big Star documentary “Nothing Can Hurt Me” is on Netflix now. Really well done, although the parts of the story I know well got glossed-over a bit. When the “reunited” Big Star were rehearsing for their first gig in 20 years in Columbia MO in 1993, there were about 12 of us who got to sit and watch Jon Auer, Ken Stringfellow, and Jody Stephens run through their set at a warehouse practice space that belonged to local band Ditch Witch. First time through the set list, no one sang on the majority of the songs where Alex would take lead vocals. After doing that once, Jody opined that he keyed some of his drum work off the vocals, so they did the set again with Jon and Ken singing. It was perfect and amazing and I damn sure wish I’d had a video recorder for that.
Also: while the Posies were always in consideration for taking part in the gig (at Jody’s suggestion, apparently, according to old roommate Mike, who set the show up), there were others asked. Particularly Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake and Gerry Love, who had to regretfully decline due to their own tour schedule. Matthew Sweet was asked and didn’t believe the show would ever come off and declined. Ditto for folks like Mike Mills and Mitch Easter and Chris Stamey, who all seemed doubtful the reunion would happen.
BTW, Mike got the idea to try to reform Big Star because he was a fan, and GM of our college radio station–so that was first. In 1992, though, I gather his family moved to New Orleans (from Pittsburgh, so it was a complete relocation) while Mike was in college at Mizzou, and so it was a bit of culture shock for him over winter break that year. Apparently, though, he’d run into a guy who knew Alex Chilton in New Orleans (I think it was a co-worker), and the guy gave Chilton’s phone number to Mike. Mike asked about reuniting the band, and everyone (including me) told him “It’ll never EVER happen.” Mike wondered if anyone had ever asked, or asked recently. “I’m sure they have” (Apparently they hadn’t.) He’d also gotten in touch with Jody Stephens by this point, and Jody–always enthusiastic and at this point running Ardent Records–said he was in, “But you’ll never convince Alex.”
Mike called Alex. Alex said he might do it. He wanted pay assurances (which ended up causing a financial scandal at the radio station later on, but whatevs). He also wanted to make sure that Jody would do it. He wanted to make sure whomever was enlisted as sidemen knew what they were doing. Finally–as a guy who’d played dozens of shows in CoMO, he wanted to make sure the local guitar boutique would indeed rent him the '60’s vintage blond Fender amp he loved so much. Alex let on, as I remember Mike telling it, that no one had really asked in years and he’d been willing to do something for a while in the right situation. They rounded up the money and the amp, and called Stephens back. Jody was stunned, and then I guess fairly quickly suggested The Posies as the sidemen. He’d heard their version of “I Am The Cosmos” and was blown away.
And so that’s pretty much how that happened.
BTW, Mike–who has a propensity to ask “Has anyone ever tried this before?” and then making those things happen, is an executive VP at a major network now. Dude can talk anyone into damn near anything. This was no fluke. He might’ve been one of about 10 people on the planet who could’ve gotten Big Star together.
