Back by Unpopular Demand

Back by Unpopular Demand was a concert tour by alternative rock band the Replacements.[1][2] It marks the first tour for the band since they broke up in 1991.

Back by Unpopular Demand
Tour by The Replacements
The Replacements performing in Toronto 2013
Start dateAugust 25, 2013
End dateJune 5, 2015
Legs4
No. of shows
  • 29 in North America
  • 5 in Europe
  • 34 total

History

edit

In late 2011, rumors began to circulate that the Replacements were considering to reunite. Tommy Stinson mentioned in an interview that year "if a reunion happens, it happens. If the planets align and the oceans don't swallow up the earth first.".[3] On October 3, 2012, it was announced that the Replacements had reformed and that Westerberg and Tommy Stinson were in the studio recording an EP containing song cover versions. Titled Songs for Slim, the EP was sold in a 250-copy edition of 10" vinyl and auctioned online to benefit former bandmate Dunlap, who had suffered a stroke.[4]

On June 13, 2013, Riot Fest announced that the Replacements would be headlining the three incarnations of the fest in Toronto, Chicago, and Denver.[5] Dave Minehan, guitarist/vocalist of Boston-based band The Neighborhoods, and drummer Josh Freese rounded out the line-up for these shows.[6][7]

Festival appearances were announced throughout 2014, including performances at Coachella, Osheaga, and Austin City Limits[8][9][10] As well as solo headlining shows at Saint Paul's Midway Stadium and New York City's Forest Hills Stadium.[11][12] The Midway Stadium concert sold out within minutes.[13]

On February 9, 2015 the band announced a spring tour of the United States and Europe,[2][14] including headlining performances at the Primavera Sound festival in Spain and Portugal[15] on May 28 and June 5, 2015,[16] the band's first show in Portugal. On this tour, they debuted several unreleased songs. Westerberg announced on stage in Porto that it was the group's final live performance on June 5, 2015.[17]

Critical reception

edit

The tour received overwhelmingly positive reviews from many critics and newsletters. Caryn Rose of Jukebox Graduate wrote "It has been so long since you heard it live, since you got to sing it next to other people who love this song as much as you do. Even if you never stopped listening to the Replacements, or caring about this music, what was missing was being in the same place with other people who felt the same way about it as you did. The audience tonight was filled with people I know or am on nodding acquaintance with from seeing them at other shows by other bands, and it's not accidental or surprising that they all converged here tonight."[18]

Opening acts

edit

Tour dates

edit
Date City Country Venue
Leg 1: Riot Fest
August 25, 2013 Toronto Canada Fort York
September 15, 2013 Chicago United States Humboldt Park
September 21, 2013 Byers May Farms
Leg 2: North American Festival Tour
April 11, 2014 Indio United States Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
April 18, 2014
May 10, 2014 Atlanta Shaky Knees
July 20, 2014 Louisville Forecastle Festival
August 3, 2014 Montreal Canada Osheaga Festival
August 31, 2014 Seattle United States Bumbershoot
September 7, 2014 Boston Boston Calling
September 13, 2014 Saint Paul Midway Stadium
September 19, 2014 New York City Forest Hills Stadium
September 27, 2014 Tempe Marquee Theatre | Summer Ends Festival
October 5, 2014 Austin Austin City Limits
October 12, 2014
Leg 3: Back By Unpopular Demand Spring Tour
April 9, 2015 Seattle United States The Paramount Theatre
April 10, 2015 Portland Crystal Ballroom
April 13, 2015 San Francisco Nob Hill Masonic Center
April 15, 2015 Los Angeles Hollywood Palladium
April 16, 2015
April 19, 2015 Denver Fillmore Auditorium
April 27, 2015 Cambridge The Sinclair
April 29, 2015 Chicago Riviera Theatre
April 30, 2015
May 2, 2015 Milwaukee The Eagles Ballroom
May 3, 2015 Detroit The Fillmore
May 8, 2015 Washington, D.C. Echostage
May 9, 2015 Philadelphia Penn's Landing
Leg 4: Europe
May 28, 2015 Barcelona Spain Primavera Sound
May 30, 2015 Amsterdam Netherlands Paradiso
June 2, 2015 London England Roundhouse
June 3, 2015
June 5, 2015 Porto Portugal NOS Primavera Sound

Cancelled Tour dates

edit
Date City Country Venue
North America
May 5, 2015 Pittsburgh[19] United States Stage AE
May 6, 2015 Columbus[20] Lifestyle Communities Pavilion

References

edit
  1. ^ "The Replacements Reunite for Three Riot Fest Shows". Rolling Stone. 13 June 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Official Facebook page". Facebook.
  3. ^ "Replacements Members Consider Reuniting". Rolling Stone. 22 August 2011.
  4. ^ "The Replacements Reunite for Covers EP". Rolling Stone. 3 October 2012.
  5. ^ "RIOT FEST & CARNIVAL 3RD HEADLINER ANNOUNCED". 12 June 2013.
  6. ^ Danton (August 17, 2013). "Replacements Round Out Lineup With Westerberg Collaborators". Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  7. ^ Bliss, Karen (August 26, 2013). "Replacements Make Up for Lost Time at First Show in 22 Years". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  8. ^ "Coachella 2014 Lineup Announced". Billboard.
  9. ^ "Osheaga 2014 lineup announced".
  10. ^ "2014 Austin City Limits Music Festival Line-up".
  11. ^ "The Replacements (finally) bring it back home for crowd-pleasing Midway Stadium show".
  12. ^ "The Replacements announce New York show".
  13. ^ "You lose! Replacements tickets sold out in minutes". Star Tribune.
  14. ^ "Replacements Europe tour dates". 3 February 2015.
  15. ^ "Primavera Sound 2015 lineup". Archived from the original on 2015-03-31.
  16. ^ "NOS Primavera Sound 2015 lineup". Archived from the original on 2015-02-16.
  17. ^ "Paul Westerberg Says the Replacements Just Played Their Final Show". Pitchfork. 5 June 2015.
  18. ^ "Concert Review: The Replacements, West Side Tennis Club, Forest Hills, Queens, 9-19-14".
  19. ^ "Tonight's Replacements concert at Stage AE postponed".
  20. ^ "The Replacements cancel sold-out LC Pavilion concert".