In a star-studded tribute concert to the profoundly influential rock band Big Star, Mike Mills of R.E.M., Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo, Chris Stamey of dB’s and many more performed in the band’s honor. The concert was hosted in the St. Ann & and the Holy Trinity Church in Brooklyn, New York. The artists combined with the original drummer of the band Jody Stephens to perform some of Big Star’s greatest hits, including “September Gurls,” “Back Of A Car” and “In The Street.” In the historic church setting, a limited number of fans were able to view the tributary performance. Many of these artists also collaborated when they did a series of concerts in tribute to the never-released third album of Big Star.

Big Star was a force in the 1970s and although they never quite received the commercial success that many other rock bands of the day did, they went on to become cult classics, partially due to their 18-year disbandment. They went on to inspire countless contemporary musicians with their distinctive alternative rock sound.

While R.E.M. has been retired from making music for a while now, they still are involved in the music scene, as in 2020 they spoke up about political parties using their music without proper licensing or their consent. Yo La Tengo is still quite active in the music scene, and recently announced a tour taking place throughout fall 2021. The dB’s have also been out of the music headlines for quite a while now, but released an album in 2012 and were one of the 1980s rock bands inspired by Big Star. Together, all these artists share an appreciation for their musical predecessors of Big Star, who helped pave the way for their acts to flourish.