“What’s that on the ceiling? Maybe I’ll stare at it for the entirety of my set!” Photos by .
In , I emphasized that he did not break between songs for his entire set, and never addressed the audience. Then, it was apt. Introspection and disconnect are part of Buckner’s shtick. On the other hand, you’d think Evan Dando, frontman of the ever-embraceable , would have something to share. After a few early ’90s albums that put a sunny, melodic spin on grunge (earning him a place among People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful), he went away for awhile due to a crack cocaine addiction. He survived his addiction, a period of cobwebs and false starts and the Bush era.
This week, the Lemonheads release their second post-hiatus album, In this era of celebrity perseverance, this comeback rates a memoir, or a reality show.
Dando had nothing to say about all that, or anything, Tuesday at the .
Like Buckner, Dando didn’t speak to the audience, or look much past the edge of the stage. Unlike Buckner, he frequently stared at the ceiling, as if the 2nd floor toilet was leaking on him (a not-unimaginable occurence, given the venue).
That said, Dando and his latest Lemonheads incarnation sizzled at times, particularly during the setap first half hour, and allowed longtime fans to rediscover a band that deserved better.
Opening with “Style,” a pulsing, ambivalent drug song, Dando and band came out throwing fastballs toward the audience’s sweet spot, showcasing the band’s two most successful albums, “Itap a Shame About Ray” (1992) and “Come On, Feel the Lemonheads” (1993).
Though as tuneful as ever, they took the glaze off sugary songs such as “Into Your Arms” and rocked them out. (The Lemonheads were originally a punk band: the band’s primetime sound was cauterized for radio, but Dando’s natural inclination is to let it bleed.)
After 30 minutes of solid, seamless rock, the Lemonheads left the stage abruptly. Given Dando’s history, there were gurgles about “slippage”: perhaps they wouldn’t be back. After five long minutes, Dando returned sans band for that old standby, the “sensitive solo sub-set.” Oh.
Nothing against the songs he played — they were as good as they had been the first time around. But here, some personal connection with the audience might have been nice. Plus, he dumped his (unintroduced) band backstage for 20 minutes with no explanation, for no gain. (These songs had been just fine on record with full band — albeit, one with different members. Not to detract from the newbies’ competence and spirit. They did the legacy of the Lemonheads proud.)
The full band resumed eventually and did a few more, including “Rudderless” — a landmark Lemonheads song also referencing drugs. (Why didn’t Dando’s friends just stage an intervention on his behalf after the “Itap a Shame About Ray” lyric sheet got out?) Then they were done, 65 minutes in, no encore.
You’d think the Lemonheads would have featured their brand-new covers album, “Varshons,” or their superb 2006 self-titled comeback album, but they didn’t. We’re left to wonder why.
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Jeremy Simon is a Lafayette freelance writer and regular contributor to Reverb.
Michael McGrath is a Denver area photographer. His work is available at . Visit .
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