“…and that guy was Dando” Photo credit: Leslie Torre
Going to a Lemonheads show is like seeing your favorite local band when you were in high school. They arrive on stage and just play through the set list-one song right after the other-with hardly any crowd banter or interaction. The audience, not as female-dominated as it used to be in the band’s heyday (i.e. Dando’s heartthrob-status days), did not seem to mind the no-nonsense approach. Lemonheads fans are pretty diehard and seem to just enjoy hearing the songs of their youth. The crowd at the Bowery Ballroom was ready for a trip back in time, and that trip was all about the music.
The show opened with a jangly version of “The Great Big No,” a poppy, yet emotionally complex, song from the 1993 album Come On Feel the Lemonheads. The next hour was filled with a mix of 1990s staples, including “Into Your Arms,” “It’s a Shame About Ray,” and “If I Could Talk I’d Tell You.” The end of the show was rounded out by a solo acoustic set featuring just Dando and his guitar, which seems to be a trend of the band’s recent shows.
While the set list of this show was pretty predictable (and like listening to a greatest hits album), it was still a fun time, full of energy and just enough teenaged sentimentality. Whether it be nostaligia or just plain talent, after all these years, the crowd still loves Evan Dando and his Lemonheads.
Allison DeMatteo & Leslie Torre
