Replacements co-founder, longtime Guns N' Roses bassist to perform in Pottsville

Oct. 11—Garage rocker Tommy Stinson is no stranger to small, crowded spaces, like Hucklebucks in Pottsville.

"I like any and all venues, but the smaller venues, for us, they end up being more fun," he said during a phone interview Monday.

A founding member of the rock band The Replacements and a longtime bassist for Guns N' Roses, Stinson, 56, has assumed several different roles in bands over the years.

On Oct. 18, he will bring his latest musical outfit, Cowboys in the Campfire, to Hucklebucks, where he will play a rousing, energetic set of original songs.

The venue will open at 5:30 p.m. and, at 7 p.m., three acoustic artists will open for Stinson's band.

A New York-based acoustic duo, Cowboys in the Campfire is Stinson's side project with longtime friend and collaborator Chip Roberts.

Twangier and more laid-back than Stinson's rock show, Cowboys in the Campfire features the two on acoustic guitar, with Stinson assuming lead vocal duties and Roberts on lap steel guitar.

The duo will tour in support of a debut album, "Wronger," which will be released early next year. Songs like "Fall Apart Together," "That's It" and the forthcoming single "Dream" are expected to appear on the setlist.

"We make a lot of racket for two guys," Stinson said, "and we have a lot of fun with it."

Compared with Stinson's previous projects, Cowboys in the Campfire is a much more stripped-down affair, although equally as loud and entertaining.

"We predicate a lot of our show on just having fun, having a good time," he said.

The Replacements, Guns N' Roses

Whether a sideman, a frontman, a bassist or a songwriter, Stinson knows his role in a band and always aims to be a team player.

He got his start in music early, co-founding the Minneapolis rock band The Replacements when he was 12. He and his older brother Bob Stinson, along with frontman Paul Westerberg and drummer Chris Mars, formed what would become one of the most influential bands of their era.

With records like "Let It Be" and "Tim," The Replacements defined a generation of rock music with their catchy hooks, surging riffs and heart-on-sleeve lyrics, producing a memorable decadelong run that ended with the 1990 album "All Shook Down."

"I'm grateful for it," Stinson said of his time with the band. "We had a part through all that we did that was a part of all of our youths. The music still manages to stay somewhat current."

After The Replacements, Stinson formed the bands Bash & Pop and Perfect and, in 1998, he joined Guns N' Roses after the departure of their original bassist, Duff McKagan.

Guns N' Roses represented perhaps the biggest shift to date from Stinson's bar band beginnings. With an ensemble that included Axl Rose and guitarist Richard Fortus, Stinson was now with a group of bona fide superstars, playing on the biggest stages and touring the world.

"That was a really good gig for me," he said.

Stinson is also an on-and-off solo artist, having released two albums under his name, "Village Gorilla Head" and "One Man Mutiny."

Return to Pottsville

Stinson, who performed a solo show at Hucklebuck's a few years ago, looks forward to returning to Pottsville and interacting with the audience.

"It never gets old writing songs and performing," he said. "You get something different out of each gig."

Starting at 7 p.m., three local musicians — Tyler Troutman, Ira Walton and Bill Whalen — will each play a 20-minute solo set to warm up the crowd for Cowboys in the Campfire.

Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased at Eventbrite.com. Attendees are encouraged to purchase their tickets online, as there will be few available at the venue on the day of the event.

"For me, personally, The Replacements were a big part of my life as a young lad," said Whalen, who helped book the concert. "I really liked and appreciated Tommy's (band), Bash & Pop. ... That was a big part of my youth, and inspiration for my own art."

After the concert, Stinson will be on hand to sign merchandise and mingle with fans.

"(Stinson) is totally accessible and just a regular dude," Whalen said. "Just the way that his music would lead you to believe he is."

Contact the writer: hlee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6085