Baseball meets rock ‘n’ roll Monday with musicians from R.E.M., The Dream Syndicate and Minus 5 collaborating with original music that embraces America’s favorite pastime at the Manship Theatre.
The Baseball Project is a baseball-obsessed, critically acclaimed rock group that includes Steve Wynn, singer, musician and songwriter known from the band The Dream Syndicate with his music recorded by R.E.M. and The Black Crowes; R.E.M.’s Peter Buck; Minus 5’s and R.E.M.’s Scott McCaughey; and drummer Linda Pitmon.
The show captures the past and present stories of baseball greats and the greatest moments of the sport. The Baseball Project has evolved into a critically acclaimed band with its debut album “Volume One: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails” and second album “Volume Two: High and Inside,” according to a Manship Theatre news release.
The show includes original songs by the group as well as songs from the original band’s catalogs, Wynn said.
“It’s a lot of good members from popular bands from the past 25 years collaborating on one stage,” Wynn said.
Audiences can enjoy the music even if they know nothing about baseball. Wynn said the songs are about historical incidents and human fables that anyone can appreciate.
Most people will recognize the popular musicians’ names and will want to check out their favorite artists, said Rachel Hanley, marketing director assistant at the Manship Theatre.
“There’s only a few hundred seats available, so people can listen to major musicians in the theater’s small, intimate setting,” Hanley said.
The Baseball Project was consummated after R.E.M. was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three years ago.
“We all have known each other for a long time and had a shared musical history to begin with,” Wynn said. “Scott McCaughey and I were discussing baseball at the after party and had the idea to do a record about baseball.”
Wynn said the show will be a good time even if fans of the bands do not share their passion for the sport.
“When we play together, it’s exciting, fun and spontaneous. We never know where the night’s going to go,” Wynn said. “No two shows we do are ever the same, so audiences are going to see something that’s going to exist one time and one time only.”
 
 
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Contact Jeanne Lyons at [email protected]