Bassist and producer Tommy Stinson, whose career with bands such as The Replacements and Guns N’ Roses spans more than four decades, will offer fans a rare chance to experience an intimate house concert in Eugene.
Stinson’s latest album, Wronger, released in November 2023, highlights his collaboration with guitarist Chip Roberts. As a founding member of The Replacements, he helped shape the alternative rock scene before spending 16 years with Guns N’ Roses.
In addition, he has played with Soul Asylum, led Bash & Pop and Perfect, and collaborated with artists such as the Old 97’s.
“At 58 years old, I’m having a fucking ball at what I’m doing still, I love the process,” Stinson says. “Whether I’m playing in a fucking stadium or someone’s fucking private party, I just still dig it,” he continues. “I just want people to know I enjoyed it to the grave.”
The Eugene house concert is 7 pm Wednesday, Feb. 19, with the location details emailed to ticket holders on the day of the concert.
Discussing his approach to playing bass and its impact on his production work, Stinson points to one of his biggest influences.
“One of my favorite examples of melodic, perfect bass playing is Paul McCartney and The Beatles stuff,” he says. He noted how McCartney transformed the bass into a lead instrument, which became a source of inspiration for him.
The Replacements’ 1989 album Don’t Tell a Soul featured the song “I’ll Be You,” which topped Billboard’s Modern Rock chart.
Reflecting on his time in Guns N’ Roses and the complexities of working with a large group, Stinson describes his role within the band.
“My role with that early on was trying to get eight people kind of on the same page as you,” he says. “It’s hard to get eight guys with varying degrees of ego to play together and to come up with something and collaborate. I think I got good at that.” He notes that the most valuable lesson he learned “was how to collaborate.”
“I had to say, ‘Well, that’s cool, but how about this,’ and try to become sort of the mediator, if you will,” he continued. “I mean, the fact that he [Axl Rose] called me ‘the general’ is a pretty good indicator to me that he probably does agree with that.”
Stinson has been featured on 19 albums; he continues to work on various projects, including writing a book and a screenplay with no plans to stop making music. He remains actively engaged in producing and collaborating with emerging artists, mentoring young musicians and exploring new creative avenues. His passion for music extends beyond performance, as he seeks to contribute to the industry in meaningful ways.
The event takes place at a private residence. Tickets are priced starting at $25 and are available for purchase at TommyStinson.com. Stinson is joined by violinist and vocalist Karla Rose, who opens the show.