Big Star's Third featuring Mike Mills - Jesus Christ

Recorded live at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, California on April 27, 2016.

On stage: Jody Stephens, Chris Stamey, Dale Baker, Ralph Carney, Mitch Easter, Ken Stringfellow, Benmont Tench, Charles Cleaver, Skylar Gudasz, Brett Harris, Mike Mills and members of Kronos Quartet.

"Big Star leader Alex Chilton's passing on Wednesday [March 17, 2010] got this year's SXSW off to an unsettling start. (...) But even more heartbreaking was the fact that Chilton and the current incarnation of Big Star — featuring original drummer Jody Stephens and power-pop lifers Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer of The Posies — was set to close out Saturday night with a set at Antone's. Instead of canceling the gig altogether (which would've been entirely understandable), Stephens, Stringfellow, and Auer decided to pay tribute to their friend with a night of Big Star songs played by the trio along with a revolving door of special guests including 1970s Big Star member Andy Hummel, R.E.M.'s Mike Mills, M. Ward, Evan Dando, Sondre Lerche, John Doe, the Watson Twins, Chuck Prophet, the dB's Chris Stamey and Meat Puppets leader Curt Kirkwood."

(Ryan Dombal, Pitchfork, March of 2010)

"[Jody] Stephens admitted to me that this would be the final Big Star show [at SXSW Festival in 2010], although not his last with [Jon] Auer and [Kevin] Stringfellow. 'I can't see us going out as Big Star,” Stephens said. 'But I would hate to compound the loss of Alex by saying, 'That’s it' for Ken and Jon, too. I can't imagine not playing with them. There's so much fun — but an emotional bond there too."

(David Fricke, May of 2010)

"A celebration of the musical legacy of Memphis' best-known secret — Big Star — and their legendary 'Third' album. Performed by a collective featuring members of Big Star, the dB's, Let's Active, the Old Ceremony, The Posies, R.E.M., Semisonic, Wilco and Yo La Tengo with Kronos Quartet, Skylar Gudasz, Brett Harris, Robyn Hitchcock, Jessica Pratt, Luther Russell and others.

Following the untimely death of Alex Chilton two days ahead of Big Star's SXSW performance in 2010, famous friends and fans came from far and wide to play the gig in his honor. Much of that spontaneous ensemble, along with other musical titans, return to the stage [2016] in this triumphant film."

(Press release of "Thank You, Friends: Big Star's Third Live... and More" album, 2017)

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