It’s been ten years since Michael Azerrad dropped Our Band Could Be Your Life, now a proud member of the indie-rock-lit canon, and the occasion was celebrated last night at New York’s Bowery Ballroom in an appropriate fashion: with a bunch of today’s indie-rock all-stars playing the tunes of the book’s celebrated subject matter. Pitchfork’s got a bunch of highlights, but, as could have been predicted, the pairing of New Jersey anthem punks Titus Andronicus and the Replacements shines above the pack. Seen up top: admirably steady fan footage of Titus straight raging through “Kids Don’t Follow,†from 1982’s Stink. (By the way, Titus front man Patrick Stickles explained to Sound of the City that his crew went with a track from the Replacement’s early days not only because that’s the focus of the book but also because “the last four albums are trash compared to the first four. Tim, in particular, I never liked, for all that everyone says it is the best.†Bold!) The clip also boasts a very special intro assist from the Hold Steady’s Craig Finn, rocking a police uniform, toting a megaphone, and fully committing to stage diving. Because, honestly, is it really a Mats tribute without Craig Finn?
Also, here’s the O.G. take:
Report: Our Band Could Be Your Concert [Pitchfork]