That Thing You Do!‘s The Wonders Announce Online Reunion To Benefit COVID-19 Relief Fund
The coronavirus pandemic has already left its mark on all aspects of our lives, including the music world. As the industry itself grinds to a halt, we’ve also already lost several musicians to the disease, from John Prine to Fountains Of Wayne’s beloved songwriter Adam Schlesinger. To the general public, there was “Stacy’s Mom,” but beyond that and a career littered with lesser-appreciated gems, Schlesinger’s work could also be heard in a whole lot of pop culture moments where people might not have even realized. One of those places was in Tom Hanks’ 1996 film That Thing You Do!.
Set in the ’60s, the movie focuses on a band called the Wonders, and Schlesinger was the man behind their big song, the song you’re supposed to hear in the movie and recognize as something that had the power to become a pop hit in the early rock years. Now, the fictional band is reuniting for the first time in 20 years. Later this week, the stars of the movie — Liv Tyler, alongside the band themselves, Tom Everett Scott, Jonathon Schaech, Ethan Embry, and Steve Zahn — are getting together for a livestream via the band’s new YouTube channel.
Like many such events these days, there’s a charitable aim — the group will be raising funds for the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, which helps musicians and music industry employees currently unable to work during the pandemic. Fittingly, the event will also be in tribute to Schlesinger. You can watch it this Friday, 4/17, at 4PM EST/7PM EST.