Tommy Stinson, former bassist for The Replacements, will perform a solo show at Used Kids Records Friday. Credit: Courtesy of Karla Rose
Two figures associated with The Replacements, a seminal band in alternative-rock history, will make public appearances in Columbus Friday.
Tommy Stinson, former bassist for The Replacements, will be joined by author and band manager Peter Jesperson — who managed the band from 1980-86 — for a free discussion and book signing of Jesperson’s memoir, “Euphoric Recall: A Half Century as a Music Fan, Producer, DJ, Record Executive, and Tastemaker,” Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the Lennox Barnes & Noble located at 1739 Olentangy River Rd.
The event will be moderated by local writer and former concert promoter Curtis Schieber, who also helped organize Stinson and Jesperson’s appearances. Additionally, a live solo concert from Stinson will be held at Used Kids Records — located at 2500 Summit St. — at 8 p.m.
Tara Ryan-Gallagher, Used Kids’ marketing, communications and booking manager, said she expects Stinson’s performance to be very intimate, yet energetic.
“There’s only a couple tickets left, so I think it’ll fill out,” Ryan-Gallagher said. “He’s been here before, so I think he’s pretty comfortable with the smaller stage and the crowd. He’s been in Columbus many times. I’m sure he’ll be excited to be back.”
Jesperson said he originally signed The Replacements to Twin/Tone Records — a Minneapolis-based, indie record label he co-founded — back in 1980. He said he feels particularly excited for the book tour’s Columbus stop due to The Replacements’ long-standing history with the city.
“We always had to drive relatively near Columbus going east from Minneapolis,” Jesperson said. “If we were doing dates going to New York, you work your way out and you work your way back, so we would find ourselves in Columbus a lot.”
Schieber, who works at both Barnes & Noble and Used Kids Records, said his relationship with Jesperson and Stinson goes back to 1983 when The Replacements first began touring. He said at the time, he was promoting concerts as a co-owner of Schoolkids Records, the predecessor of Used Kids which closed in 1988.
Schieber said he booked shows through the record store for various Columbus venues — from Newport Music Hall to since-shuttered spots like Stache’s, Crazy Mama’s and Little Brother’s — throughout the ‘80s, with The Replacements being one of the first groups he ever booked.
“It’s in Peter’s book somewhere, but there was a time where they were playing a gig in Akron, and their van broke down, so I drove and rescued them and they stayed at my house,” Schieber said. “While the van was getting repaired, they found out John Lee Hooker was playing at Stache’s — the same bar they’d usually play at — so they decided to stay in Columbus one more night just to see him. It was pretty fun. That’s kind of how it got started.”
Jesperson said The Replacements often played in Columbus specifically because they were close with Schieber, who would let them crash at his house when they were playing nearby shows.
“The Replacements were pretty volatile and didn’t always mind their manners, and yet, he always invited us to stay at his house when we came through Columbus,” Jesperson said. “I was like, ‘Are you sure you know what you’re getting into here?’ But Curt was always a great ally and a great resource for us, and a great friend too.”
Jesperson said he’s excited to talk about his book — which follows his time as The Replacements’ band manager and his experiences working for record labels Twin/Tone Records and New West Records — with Stinson and Schieber, but also to speak with fans of The Replacements. Moreover, Jesperson said he’s grateful for the response his book has received from the people he’s met on tour thus far.
“When Tommy and I are signing the books, they’ll come up to us and talk about how a song, an album, a show they played saved their life, and I can relate to that,” Jesperson said. “That’s what music has done for me as well, which is so incredibly gratifying.”
More information about Stinson’s Used Kids Records live solo performance — including available tickets, which cost $25 a person — can be found on Eventbrite’s website. More information about Jesperson’s book discussion and Q&A event can be found on the event listing on Facebook.
