The Replacements were known to slip a few covers into their wild and messy sets back in the day, and the band is staying true to its legend on the recent reunion run. The group recently took over Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, N.Y., and added a cover of The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" to its setlist.
Although The Mats only play the tune for about a minute, it's enough of a taste for younger fans who have only heard stories of the band's stage antics. Frontman Paul Westerberg seems to really enjoy singing the tune in the fan footage below while Tommy Stinson snarls as he wails on his bass. According to the Brooklyn Vegan's review of the show, Westerberg commented that the band was proud of themselves for learning the funky riff. "And oh yeah, the band's cover of the Jackson 5's 'I Want You Back' has improved, though it's still a drunk-punk sh*tshow," Charles Aaron wrote for Rolling Stone.
The Mats only has a few more dates scheduled, stopping in Arizona later this month before its back-to-back weekend shows at Austin City Limits in October. Prior to the New York gig, the band went home to Minnesota to rock a crowd in St. Paul.
In 2012, Westerberg talked to RS about the idea of touring with the group again. "I've had offers to play with them, or without them, that are becoming stupidly ridiculous, to the point where someone thinks I'm playing hard to get," he said. "And it's not like I'm wealthy. I'm getting by. It was never about making money. If we can have a lot of fun, and make a lot of people happy, and make a lot of money - which means making a lot of other people money - then okay, I guess that's spiritually and economically sound."
