Evan Dando: Not A Sour Note
Posted on Feb 02, 2010 @ 02:10PM - Add a comment
Jumping up on stage at New York’s Joe’s Pub on a chilly Saturday night in a puffy North Face down jacket and dark blue Levi’s, Head Lemon Evan Dando was only armed with his guitar — no backing band or tricks up his sleeve. Without a greeting of any sort, Evan went right into a perfect rendition of “Confetti”, the beautiful little ditty about unrequited love from the Lemonheads’ magnus opus, 1992’s It’s a Shame About Ray.
Evan, of course, is the only recognizable member of the Lemonheads, a band that has always been known for its constant revolving door; in fact, he is the Lemonheads. And seeing what he can do with just a guitar and his voice — still surprisingly sonorous despite a life roughly lived — churning out a memorable 22-song set in just an hour and 15 minutes, it’s clear that he’s always been a one-man show. Musicians Gibby Haynes and Joseph Arthur came out to support Evan, and half way through the set, he was joined on stage by guitarist Chris Brokaw, with whom he harmonized beautifully.
Fans will be pleased with the set list for this bare-bones 35-date tour, being that Evan gave us a nice mix of outtakes from his different albums, along with a few of his favored covers. From Ray he also played “Rudderless”, “Drug Buddy”, and “The Turnpike Down”; from 1993’s Come on Feel the Lemonheads he did “Down About It”, “Favorite T”, “The Great Big No” and “Style”; and from 1996’s Car Button Cloth he gave us “If I Could Talk”, “The Outdoor Type” and “Hospital.” There were other favorites like the B-side “Being Around,” and both “Hard Drive” and “All My Life” from his 2003 solo album, Baby I’m Bored. And from the Lemonheads’ 2009 covers album, Varhsons, Evan performed “Mexico” by Fuckemos and “Layin’ Up With Linda” by GG Allin. Noticeably absent were the Lemonheads’ two biggest radio hits, “It’s A Shame About Ray” and Simon and Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson.”
Barely speaking between songs, save for the occasional thank you, and hiding behind his signature scrappy hair, Evan delivered a moving, no-gimmick set that couldn’t help but remind you that despite all the glitz and glam and sensationalism in much of the current music scene, at the end of the day it’s really all about raw talent.
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Soundtrack Review: 500 Days Of Summer
Posted on Jul 18, 2009 @ 09:32AM - Add a comment
Being that Marc Webb is best known as a music video director for top-selling artists like Fergie and Miley Cyrus, and critical darlings like Regina Spector, it makes perfect sense that music is an integral part of his first feature film, the simply delightful 500 Days of Summer. In the vein of Garden State, this hipster love story uses music to illustrate the young protagonist’s moods, in this case, Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who has a pop-song philosophy on love that is executed in sonic perfection on screen. Unfortunately, the film’s soundtrack falls a bit short.
No Lemon: Lemonheads
Posted on Jun 16, 2009 @ 02:44PM - Add a comment
Though Evan Dando is a talented songwriter in his own right, you may recall the Lemonheads’ biggest hit was a cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson.” That paired with the fact that Evan’s a big fan of the dying art of creating mixtapes, it’s only fitting that the latest Lemonheads release is an eclectic selection of covers entitled Varshons, that features guest spots from friends Kate Moss and Liv Tyler. On the eve of the album release and accompanying tour, Evan Dando talks to RadarOnline.
