Review: Evan Dando @ Maxwell’s
Phish became my favorite band in 1994 and since that time they’ve remained my favorite band, but just before I got into the world of jam my favorite band was The Lemonheads. Evan Dando’s power-pop outfit captured my attention with their quick and catchy tunes that resonated with this young kid from the Jersey suburbs. Last Friday night, I relived my youth when I caught Evan Dando at Maxwell’s in Hoboken, NJ.
Evan Dando @ Maxwell’s – Hannah and Gabi
My older sister got me into The Lemonheads and it was a thrill for me to take her to this concert the way she took me to Roseland in 1993 to see the band in their glory days. We got to the grungy club at 10:30 giving us a chance to see three songs by the opening band, The Candles. Led by lead singer Josh Lattanzi, The Candles seem to have picked up when The Lemonheads left off with jangly rock tunes that would be more radio-friendly if it was 1994. The Candles’ last tune, Here or Gone, was the best of the bunch and reminded me of The Strokes musically and Buffalo Tom lyrically.
Shortly after 11PM, Evan Dando took the stage wearing a construction helmet and a bulky winter coat. Mr. Dando hasn’t exactly aged well as you could see each of the past seventeen years on his face. What didn’t change was the music. Evan ran through many Lemonheads classics, a few solo numbers and a couple of fantastic covers over the course of the 70-minute set. As a jam fan, it was refreshing to see a bunch of three-minute tunes back-to-back; there were no seven-minute noodle jams at Maxwell’s.
READ ON for more from Scotty on Evan Dando @ Maxwell’s…
Dando’s voice remains strong and he put just as much passion into the Drug Buddy opener as he did when I saw The Lemonheads all those years ago. Evan knew the crowd of thirty-somethings wanted tunes from the ’90s and Dando delivered. Backed by no one, Evan tore through Favorite T, Rudderless, It’s A Shame About Ray, Confetti and fan-favorite Into Your Arms on his telecaster to the audience’s delight. There wasn’t too much in the way of banter, but we were just happy he didn’t leave the stage in a huff like he did at a previous Maxwell’s appearance according to the talkative jerk who was standing behind me.
Evan Dando @ Maxwell’s – Rudderless
Towards the end of the show, Dando started to strum something that sounded vaguely familiar and as he delivered the first verse it became clear what was happening. Evan was covering Beautiful by Christina Aguilera, a song he recorded for his Gibby Haynes-produced covers album, Varshons, last year. The crowd giggled and cooed as one-by-one each audience member realized what song he was strumming. Dando did a great job with the tune but he was unimpressed with himself exclaiming “we can’t end the show like that” after finishing the song. With that, Dando fired up the hearty Mallo Cup before sending folks on their way without an encore.
Evan Dando has never been an artist known for giving fans what they want all the way back to the days when he refused to play Mrs. Robinson with The Lemonheads after that tune brought massive success for the band, but age seems to have mellowed him out. Last Friday night he gave the audience just what they wanted and sent most home smiling. Dando’s tour with The Candles continues tonight in Philadelphia. The two acts will go coast-to-coast before ending the tour at The Mercury Lounge in NYC on March 6.
My Drug Buddy, The Outdoor Type, Confetti, Frying Pan, All My Life, Hospital, Hannah & Gabi, The Turnpike Down, Down About It, Favorite T, No Backbone, Different Drum [Linda Rondstadt], My Idea, It Looks Like You Left For Dead, You’re Home Is Where You’re Happy [Charles Manson], Into Your Arms, Pittsburgh, In The Grass All Wine Colored, Tenderfoot, Bit Part, It’s All The Same [Last Days of April], Rudderless, It’s a Shame About Ray, Beautiful, Mallo Cup [setlist via Evan Dando Forum]
debut, and more recently dropping their sophomore effort 
on January 12.
Friday, February 5, 2010 at 11:40 am
Still have that ’93 Roseland ticket stub. ‘Twas 17 years ago, wow…