Friday’s show by The Replacements in Washington was kind of a miracle — for fans who thought the band would never tour again, of course. But also in terms of the modest tour itself — the two previous nights of the “Back by Unpopular Demand” tour in Pittsburgh and Columbus had to be postponed by illness of the lead singer and songwriter Paul Westerberg.
He seemed back to 100 percent Friday on stage, though he still looks like he could eat a bit more and his voice is as raspy as ever. That roughness though only adds to the drive of the band, whose only original member, Tommy Stinson, looks kind of malnourished as well.
The idea that the Replacements are only a half band with two members, like the Who or the Beatles (one who is touring, one not) is misguided. Toward the end of their real life of a band there had been two, well, replacements.
And joining them this time around are Dave Minehan of the Boston band the Neighborhoods, who does all the fancier solos. Are they too fancy? Westerberg chided him halfway through the show Friday saying, “You’ve been practicing!”
On the drums is Josh Freese, who’s banged on them as needed since they started playing their first shows in 22 years two years ago.
For fans, it’s a blast of pure nostalgia of course and there’s just one new song among them, a weird little “Whole Food Blues” about the grocery chain, done in a slower 12-bar blues style that’s honestly a good change of pace for the show. But either the song is unfinished or Westerberg ran out of interest as he stopped it when saying “I’m bored.”
The show was heavy on a lot of early stuff, from more than 30 years ago: “Takin a Ride” and “I’m in Trouble” from “Sorry Ma,” “Favorite Thing” from “Let it Be,” “Take Me Down to the Hospital” and, later, “Treatment Bound” from “Hootenanny.”
But things made way for the sure fire anthems from the middle of their career, “Kiss Me on the Bus,” “I Will Dare,” “Color Me Impressed,” “I’ll Be You,” “Can’t Hardly Wait.” Even “Merry Go Round,” which sounded rote when it was recorded, seemed triumphant.
It would have been great to have some of the covers from their last show, in Detroit: from the Only Ones’ “Another Girl, Another Planet” to Chuck Berry’s “Maybellene” to Alice Cooper’s “Be My Lover” and a T Rex medley. Instead, there was just the one goofy “My Boy Lollipop” coda to “Bastards of Young.”
But to have this band thrash anew on such undeniable anthems — any of them — was just great.
Westerberg didn’t seem diminished either by age (55) or recent illness, grabbing a harmonica mid-set for some stab at the blues. (In a sartorial note, he’s been wearing cheap V neck T shirts for the tour, with a different letter on the front and back each night, spelling out some cryptic message for the most devoted followers, with a V in front, he’s moving toward love in a message others have figured out so far as: I HAVE ALWAYS LOV / NOW I MUST WHORE )
At the end, following the rush of “Left of the Dial” and “Alex Chilton,” when all were certainly satisfied with a 25 song set, here were two more, apparently asked for earlier. “A promise is a promise,” said Westerberg, before diving into two from “Pleased to Meet Me,” “Never Mind” and “I.O.U.”
There is something to be said for the name of the cavernous venue in Northeast D.C. Echostage had some of the worst sound in town, its heavy bass destroying a lot of the blast of the highs.
Washington has devoted ‘Mats fans; the 6,000 venue sold out in a flash.But why diminish the experience by tacking on a mediocre band with nothing in common with the headliners. J. Roddy Walston and the Business, a hair ‘n’ boogie Baltimore outfit with the night off are easily the worst opening band on a tour that had previously seen the Replacements matched with Young Fresh Fellows, John Doe and the Smoking Popes (with Superchunk in Philly Saturday).
Tacking on just any band to support of the greats is just another indignity the Replacements and their fans have put up with for decades.