I have been fascinated by the coverage of, and reaction to, last weekend’s NYC performance of the Chris Stamey organized Stroke It, Noel: A Fully Orchestrated Performance of Big Star’s Third/Sister Lovers. Especially, really, the reaction of strangers; NYC is a world away to me, and Stroke It, Noel still, four months later, still feels so closely personal to me. So much my own grief for Alex, and my joy and gratitude for our scene here. The personnel changed in NYC, although not entirely, and looking at it from a distance, it isn’t the same thing that I saw in December. But it is, at the same time, and I bet it was gorgeous.

If you saw it in NYC, or you wanted to, or you live somewhere that isn’t here and love Big Star, I recommend reading some of coverage done by people who were participants, writing about the experience: the always brilliant Django Haskins for the Independent Weekly, and power popster extraordinaire Brett Harris for Paste Magazine. Both highly recommended pieces on the power Alex Chilton and Big Star’s music still have.

(I shot and wrote about the NC performances here, and I am also a little lustful with jealousy over not seeing it in New York, as well.)