The Replacements Announce Plans for Reunion Shows

80’s alt-rock favourites The Replacements have announced plans to reunite for 3 shows this summer. The Minneapolis band will play RiotFest  in Chicago, Toronto and Denver. Most fans had long given up on a reunion due to Bobby Stinson’s (founding member and guitarist) death in 1995, and his replacement (no pun intended) Slim Dunlap suffering a recent stroke. However it would seem that Slim’s stroke was the catalyst to get Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson back together and record a covers EP in 2012 to help raise funds to cover Dunlap’s medical expenses.

Unfortunately participation of the ‘Mats original drummer Chris Mars is looking unlikely. Now a painter, he was not involved in the covers project last year, and last commented on his time in the band to the AV Club back in 2006: “That chapter of my life [in the Replacements] was kind of another life,”  “I’m not living in that space [any more]. I’m in another place.”

Despite this, we expect demand will be high to see a much loved band back onstage together again.