A set of bongos, an accordion, and a basketball were just a few of the instruments that made music in the Historic Playmakers Theatre last night.
Close to 30 musicians — many of them members of local bands — gathered on the theater’s small stage to pay tribute to the American power pop band Big Star.
The encore concert, which followed performances last December at Carrboro’s Cat’s Cradle, featured songs from the band’s album “Third/Sister Lovers.”
Lost in the Trees member Ari Picker, who sat on a stool perched on the edge of the crowded stage, conducted strings and winds sections that provided the music’s orchestral sound.
The ensemble supported the more traditional rock sound of the guitars and drums, and a few unusual instruments added to the musical diversity.
On one song, a member of the orchestra dribbled a basketball on the floor as a form of percussion.
“We’re sorry you guys aren’t at the basketball game tonight,” Chris Stamey said with a smile, guitar player and organizer of the show. “But we hope this helps.”
Local artists such as Matt McMichaels, Django Haskins, Sidney Dixon and Greg Humphries provided vocals for the majority of the songs.
During the second set, local band Mandolin Orange made an appearance to perform one of Big Star’s better known songs, “September Gurls.”
Cat’s Cradle owner Frank Heath, who attended the encore concert, said that hearing the songs of Big Star in the Historic Playmakers Theatre allowed listeners to better appreciate the music’s details.
“You get more texture, and you can hear the vocals and strings,” he said. “There’s a better sense of the interplay between the musicians and the instruments.”
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