POP MUSIC REVIEW : Stinson’s Bash & Pop Recalls Its Replacements Roots

If Tommy Stinson hopes to steal the thunder from his former Replacements bandmate Paul Westerberg by beginning his new band’s maiden tour the same week that Westerberg’s eagerly awaited solo album comes out, he’d better come up with something more diverting than what Bash & Pop presented on Monday at Bogart’s.

If, however, the timing of the tour is coincidental and Stinson aspires to nothing more than playing fun, early-Replacements-style rock, the show was a sloppy success.

Given that Stinson grew up playing bass for the Replacements--he was 12 when the group formed in 1980--it’s not surprising that the onomatopoeic Bash & Pop draws its inspiration from the loose style of the Minneapolis rockers.

Now playing guitar, Stinson led the quartet with shy authority, dashing through songs from its debut album as well as a couple of relatively obscure numbers he wrote for what he called “that (expletive) other band.” The new “Tiny Pieces” clicked particularly well, capturing the appealingly mellow feel of “Angie”-era Stones.

But when Stinson complained that the generally enthusiastic audience wasn’t having fun, he betrayed how spoiled he’s been by the adoration of Replacements fans. Unless Bash & Pop (which also plays tonight at the Whisky) comes up with something more unusual, he’ll wait a long time for such a reception.