Nothing Can Hurt Me Now—The Big Star Documentary

By Jack Brummet, American Music Ed.

I watched "Nothing Can Hurt Me Now" last night. It was moving, informative, and wonderful. Since I discovered them in the early 90's, they have been in my top ten bands of all time. If you love rock and roll, you should watch this documentary--buy it, stream it, do whatever it takes. I feel lucky to have seen them four times when they reformed with Ken Stringfellow AndJonathan Paul Auer a/k/a The Posies. Thank you Jody, Alex, Chris, Andy, and Jon and Ken for the great music that has fueled the soundtrack of my life for the last 20+ years. 

If you haven't heard Big Star, it's time. Probably the most moving part of this film is the number of people—across the music industry—that revered them and were inspired by them. And it wasn't about the money for once; they didn't make any, no one one made any.  It was a losing proposition all around except for the magnificent music that influenced so many great singers, bands, and songwriters. Big Star reverberates all around us now in a crazy lineage, filtered through succeeding rock generations down to current indie bands through bands like REM, Cheap Trick, Teenage Fanclub, The Replacements, The Posies, and all the rest.



And a video from The Tonight Show, not after Big Star reformed during the 1990's:

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Big Star's first show with The Posies in the band

In 1993, the legendary Big Star reconvened to play a show in Columbia, Missouri. They brought in The Posies Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer to sing and play guitars. They've been together, off and on, ever since, with the Posies still pursuing their own efforts and the occasional Posies tour and record. Big Star, with Jon and Ken, released their first record in decades a few years ago. This video is from Jay Leno's show the day before that first show in Columbia. I've seen them three times since they tarted up, but not recently.


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Big Star videos: In The Street and The Ballad of El Goodo

Big Star, the legendary band from the 70's, has been comprised, since about 1992, of 50% Big Star and 50% Posies: Jody Stephens, Ken Stringfellow, Jon Auer, and the legendary Alex Chilton.



Here are videos of In The Street and The Ballad of El Goodo. In The Street served for several years as the theme of The 70'show - I hope Alex still had a chunk of the action! I have seen Big Star three times, and The Posies about eight times over the last many years...






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Big Star video: September Gurls - with lyrics

Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer of The Posies have been members, now, of Big Star for over a decade. Here is a video of one of Alex Chilton's greatest songs from Stockholm on a recent tour. On drums, Jody Stephens, of course.




September Gurls


September gurls do so much
I was your butch and you were touched
I loved you well never mind
I've been crying all the time
December boys got it bad.
September gurls I don't know why
how can I deny what's inside
even thought I keep away
maybe we'll love all our days.
When I get to bed
late at night
that's the time
she makes things right
ooh when she makes luv to me.
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