That time Big Star played five nights in Lansing

Back when I was still researching information for my oral-history book, “There Was A Light: The Cosmic History of Chris Bell & the Rise of Big Star,” much of my time was centered on Big Star’s home town of Memphis, Tennessee.  
 
However, during my digging, I discovered a strong local connection between the cult band and Lansing. Back in 1974, the Memphians performed six nights in a row at The Brewery — the midsized venue that later became The Silver Dollar. It was demolished in 2009.  
 
While in its initial time as a band (1971-1975), Big Star played very few live concerts. So it’s fairly odd its longest run of gigs happened on the border of Lansing and East Lansing, where a Biggby and PNC Bank now sits.  
 
From April 9-14, the band performed not only cuts from their albums, “#1 Record” and “Radio City,” the group — led by legendary vocalist/guitarist Alex Chilton — also peppered in some covers, like “Candy Says” and “Sweet Jane.” Big Star also performed “The Letter,” the 1967 No. 1 hit Chilton sung with his first band, The Box Tops. In fact, this was Chilton’s second time performing at The Brewery. Back in the summer of ’69, he’d gigged there with The Box Tops. 
 
When Big Star arrived at The Brewery in 1974, they’d just played in Cambridge, MA with Badfinger (another now-legendary outfit). There, Big Star had all of their equipment stolen. Perhaps that’s why many people remember Chilton being in a grouchy, rather sarcastic mood. While the other band members—Jody Stephens (drums) and John Lightman (bass) — delivered solid performances, Chilton delivered a few purposely sloppy sets. After the first night, the low attendance paired with the bad attitude caused the band to be fired.  
 
Michigan musician Mark Boone recalls a not-so fun time warming up the stage for Big Star.  

“I played in the opening act. We were called Uprising,” Boone said. “Alex Chilton was a rude, arrogant ass. His performance was lame and his attitude caused them to get fired by the club … I’ve also opened for Johnny Thunders, who had an attitude, but nowhere like Alex’s.” 
 
Lightman, a then new addition to Big Star following the departure of founding members Chris Bell (guitar) and Andy Hummel (bass), said he felt Chilton had become jaded.  
 

Just last week, Rolling Stone’s updated list of “The 500 Best Albums of All Time” included “Third” at No. 285. It went on to influence countless alt-rock icons, like R.E.M., Beck and Elliot Smith. Rolling Stone called it “a record of gorgeous, disjointed heartbreak ballads.” Strange to think the relationship saga that inspired it all started here in Lansing.  
 
“I flew up to Lansing with the guitar to join him on the tour,” Aldridge recalled. “We had a lot of fun in the station wagon with all the equipment. It was an unusual way to quickly get to know somebody. From there, Alex and I stayed together for seven years. The rest of my life was just jumping in — sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll. No boundaries and all that.”