Hear interviews with two of the men who played a role in the story of legendary Twin Cities rock band The Replacements.
Peter Jesperson
When you talk about the history of Twin Cities music, particularly from the late '70s through the '80s, eventually you get to talking about Peter Jesperson. Jesperson shaped the sound of music there — first as a record-store clerk at Oar Folkjokeopus, where he'd offer opinions on the new records, and then at night DJing in the clubs. In 1977, he formed the influential Twin/Tone Records to release Minneapolis music. Early on, Jesperson worked with Fingerprints and The Suburbs, but then he discovered The Replacements when Paul Westerberg walked in and dropped off a tape. Jesperson eventually became the band's manager and worked with The Replacements until he was fired in 1985. It's the stuff of Twin Cities music legend.
Tommy Stinson
With his spiked hair, bass player Tommy Stinson sure looked like a punk rocker when his brother Bob recruited him for his new band in 1979. That group ultimately became The Replacements. The only problem? Tommy Stinson couldn't play bass. Fortunately, that problem was solved over time, and he remained The Replacements' bassist (even after Bob Stinson was fired in 1985) until the group disbanded in 1993. Tommy Stinson has had many other projects over the years, including Bash & Pop, and even served for a while as the bassist for Guns N' Roses. His latest release is a solo EP, which includes a new song called "Breathing Room."
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