It has been one depressing year in the life of Big Star fans. First Alex Chilton died days before what was to be a celebratory gig at SXSW, which became a jubilant tribute in his honor. Then last week original bassist Andy Hummel died after a battle with cancer. Jody Stephens, please stay healthy.
I watched “Adventureland” for the first time a few days ago, and though it may not be an Oscar-winning piece of cinematic art, the movie and its soundtrack are one of the more successful depictions of early adulthood, albeit some twenty-odd years ago. While the story is somewhat stock, the ensemble cast balances the quirk of their comedy better than the majority of material released in the past few year since everyone started worshipping Judd Apatow, “The Office,” “30 Rock” and so on.
But what blew me away was how much the situations seemed similar to my ideal world: cut out the cell phones and reliance on new-fangled gadgets, drive until the sun comes up and listen to mixtapes that revolve around the Velvet Underground, Hüsker Dü and The Replacements.
The reason that Big Star plays into this involves a party scene where, for obvious effect, the protagonist has his foreshadowing “I love this girl” moment as “I’m in Love with a Girl” plays on the party host’s record deck, and the sleeve of “Radio City” is displayed prominently behind it. The movie was shot two full years before Chilton’s death, but having taken the film in while in a melange over another Big Star death, the reverential treatment given for the Memphian cult heroes in the scene scored huge points with me.
Having written a column to eulogize Chilton already, and given that Hummel spent the majority of his post-Big Star life as an aeronautical engineer (which though fascinating in theory, does not move a person like a song), there is no reason to get maudlin in writing. I will say that given the circumstances, however, this would be an excellent time to go out and pick up Big Star’s discography, absorb it and worship. Repeat the last two steps endlessly. Trust me on this.
