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The Lemonheads “It’s A Shame About Ray 30th Anniversary Tour” – O2 Ritz, Manchester, 8/10/22

• October 12, 2022
• International Concert Reviews , UK Concert Reviews
• by Paul Evans Photographer/Writer

“Tortured Genius Springs To Mind When I Think Of The Captivating Lemonhead Frontman, Evan Dando”

It’s 30 years since the release of former cult favourites, The Lemonheads’ seminal fifth album and tonight is my chance to hear the wonderful fusion of punk and Byrdsian jangle of “It’s A Shame About Ray” in full for the first time in 30 years. I mention former, as tonight’s gig at the O2 Ritz in Manchester is a sell-out. Not just any sell-out either, it’s bursting at the seams. It appears that everyone who has bought a ticket is here which is not always the case. Support tonight is from Oxford, Mississippi’s, Bass Drum of Death .

Formed in 2008, the three-piece Bass Drum of Death are back after a brief lull. Their modest blueprint of two guitars and drums deliver wave after wave of heavy distorted melodies haemorrhaging into polished heavy garage guitar and pounding drums. It’s a blistering set and the venue is already packed and responds well to the onslaught. There’s quite a few fans who know the band and are singing along, hands raised. Their new album “Say I Won’t” is out early next year and the echoes of the Jesus and Mary Chain , BRMC and the Ramones I hear tonight have placed it on my to buy list.

Tortured genius springs to mind when I think of the captivating Lemonhead frontman, Evan Dando. I’ll be honest, the last time I saw the band five or six years ago, the glorious songs shone through, but his voice was weak and I was disappointed.  The nineties heart throb strolls onto the dimly lit stage without his band and tunes up his acoustic guitar ready for a stripped back acoustic set. He’s lost none of his laid-back cool, but I’m wondering which version of the supremely talented Evan we’re going to see and hear tonight.

The frontman does like a cover version and there’s a few on show in the first part of the show. There’s the Michael Nesmith cover “Different Drum” , from The Lemonhead’s 1990s favourite “Spanish Dishes” ; The Smudge cover “Outdoor Type” from 1996 album “Car, Button, Cloth” ; The Misfits “Skulls”; Townes van Zandt’s “I’ll Be Here in the Morning” all interspersed with Dando originals such as “Ride With Me” from “Lovey” ; “Being Around” from “Come on feel the Lemonheads” and the haunting “Hard Drive” from his solo album “Baby I’m Bored” . There’s no need to worry as his smooth, powerful and sorrowful voice is back to its best, the crowd singing along in the darkness of the blue\purple lights to the mournful “The Outdoor Type” and reflective “Being Around” . He loses his jacket, swaps to a battered electric guitar and we’re straight into the tours billed full album.

“Right let’s do the album, thanks very much for coming out tonight” states the enigmatic frontman and he introduces his band of bass, Farley Glavin and drums, Mikey Jones (from Swervedriver ). To be fair, I’ve seen the band performing most of “It’s A Shame About Ray” plenty of times over the years and after hearing the quality of the acoustic set I’m well-up for a slice of nineties nostalgia tonight. Memorably, I can picture myself with long hair, wearing denim and a fake fur coat watching the Lemonheads joined by the album’s original bass player, Juliana Hatfield , in a muddy field somewhere in the 90s. Now that was a gig.

Up tempo album opener, “Rockin’ Stroll“ continues the frantic pace before the trio immediately launch into the chiming and addictive crowd favourite “Confetti” . The alluring harmonies and chugging, distortion of “Alison’s Starting to Happen” entice the now bouncing, throbbing crowd into a nostalgic singalong. I walk upstairs and it’s three deep on the balcony, something I’ve not seen for a long time. “Kitchen” is cool and intricately balances bruised and beaten fuzz with Evan’s beautiful vocal melodies perfectly. “Ceiling Fan” is effervescent, whilst “My Drug Buddy” is both dejected and triumphant. Many of the audience singing along to every word. All as it should be then. The biggest crowd singalong saved for album finale “Frank Mills” , from the musical “Hair” . The trio race through the album in less than half an hour. I’m guessing because of the early curfew. The melodic genius of each song shining through with the frontman still able to control a room with his deep baritone brogue and imposing presence.

The third set of the night is devoted to further Lemonhead classics and Evan reminding us even further of his gift for choosing  obscure cover versions. There’s Smudge ’ s “Tenderfoot” and John Prines “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness” , but there isn’t “Mrs Robinson” . No surprise really, given Evan’s previous thoughts, but there is “Rick James Style” , “The Great Big No” and “Dawn Can’t Decide” from “Come on Feel The Lemonheads” , all fitting and brilliantly performed replacements, the bands stunning performance on offer tonight perfectly capturing the irresistible nostalgic allure of the songs.

The band leave Evan standing alone on the stage before the crowd have had a chance to cheer as the final song finishes and he bizarrely performs the allegedly cursed Hungarian Suicide Song ‘Gloomy Sunday’ Acapella. Famously covered by Billie Holiday and the Associates on their album Sulk there is something truly dark and beautiful about this song, but it is a bizarre ending to a glorious gig. I guess I wouldn’t have The Lemonheads any other way though. 

1/ The Outdoor Type

2/ Being Around

3/ Hard Drive

4/ I’ll Be Here in the Morning

5/ Different Drum

7/ Ride With Me

8/ Rockin’ Stroll

9/ Confetti

10/ It’s a Shame About Ray

11/ Rudderless

12/ My Drug Buddy

13/ The Turnpike Down

14/ Bit Part

15/ Alison’s Starting to Happen

16/ Hannah & Gabi

17/ Kitchen

18/ Ceiling Fan in My Spoon

19/Frank Mills

2/ Hospital

3/ Break Me

4/ Tenderfoot 

5/ Speed of the Sound of Loneliness 

6/ It Looks Like You 

7/ Rick James Style

8/ The Great Big No

9/ Dawn Can’t Decide

10/ Gloomy Sunday

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The Lemonheads review — Evan Dando and Courtney Love take us back to the Nineties

Challenge yourself with today’s puzzles.

★★★☆☆ Evan Dando should be sick of playing It’s a Shame About Ray , the Lemonheads’ breakthrough album, which turned 30 this year. Every significant anniversary, the grunge-era pin-up takes it on tour, playing mostly to misty-eyed fans who recall its original release.

To be fair, demand hasn’t diminished. The queue to enter the Roundhouse still stretched down the street when Dando, the Lemonheads’ sole constant member, sneaked almost unnoticed on stage for a shambolic solo acoustic set, a familiar warm-up for the main event.

In a dowdy shacket and jeans, his once bright blond hair now dark, he looked little like the surfer dude of his youth. But then he hasn’t since destroying his career with drugs decades back. Now 55, he stuck to

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The Lemonheads: O2 Institute, Birmingham – live review

The Lemonheads put in a rich, raw and riveting performance of their high-water mark It’s A Shame About Ray, alongside a typically brilliant Evan Dando acoustic set and choice selections from the band’s back catalogue. Sam Lambeth reviews

Evan Dando hunches across the stage dressed like a trucker that’s just truncated his long drive with a stop at a greasy spoon. If his jacket is wonderfully ragged, his voice is anything but – he spoons smooth, sorrowful baritone over the doleful The Outdoor Type and wistful Being Around.

Playing solo acoustic before a full band set, this is Dando’s bread and butter. Able to turn the likes of Skulls by Misfits into a delicate ditty and Into Your Arms into a lilting lullaby, his hangdog croon and carefree strumming just need a barbecue and a hot dog to complete the full effect. It’s almost a shame – if you pardon the pun – that the rest of the band have to join him. Almost. While Dando has dedicated most of his live career to performing most of It’s A Shame About Ray, tonight is a chance to hear The Lemonheads’ classic 1992 album in toto (minus Mrs Robinson, natch).

Ably backed by bassist Farley Glavin and Swervedriver drummer Mikey Jones, the trio intricately balance crunchy fuzz with beautiful restraint, something that made …Ray both a stellar example and an amazing outsider of the grunge movement it was released in. The beauty of the It’s A Shame About Ray is its deceptiveness – rarely has an album delivered such succinct, arresting vignettes that possess both sweet abandon and deeper resonance. The chiming Confetti spins sugary melodies while allegedly being about Dando’s parents divorcing. The sauntering, almost elegiac My Drug Buddy (“I’m too much with myself, I wanna be someone else”) feels sad and celebratory. The suitably fleeting Bit Part is a hymn of frustration and ignorance.

The bulk of …Ray was written in Australia and although tonight takes place on a rainy night in Birmingham, you can feel the sun-kissed pavements over the contemplative The Turnpike Down and the lazy afternoons of Hannah & Gabi. The latter half of …Ray is powerful, irresistible harmonies and chugging distortion making the punk rush of Alison’s Starting to Happen, the groovy Kitchen and the rollicking Ceiling Fan In My Spoon as strong a closing salvo as you will find.

The band leave the stage and Dando gets his biggest singalong of the night with Frank Mills, a song taken from the musical Hair that is perhaps now better known as a Lemonheads staple. A snapshot of a story over a strummed acoustic, it’s poetic, funny – Dando, for reasons unknown, says Frank resembles the drummer from “Shed Seven” as opposed to The Beatles – and heart-wrenching. The Lemonheads in a nutshell. The rest of the set is dedicated to choice cuts from Dando’s remarkably consistent, if disappointingly sporadic, back catalogue. Three songs aired from 1996’s Car Button Cloth – Hospital, Break Me and Tenderfoot – are bruised and beaten but retain Dando’s ear for melody.

Stove, taken from 1990’s Lovey, was perhaps the first sign Dando was switching from punk thrash to more fertile, fragile territory, and remains one of the most heartbreaking pieces of prose written about a kitchen appliance. Closing with 1996’s brilliant If I Could Talk I’d Tell You, Dando and the band are offstage before people have barely had a chance to clap. Still wonderfully askew, still in possession of shampoo agnostic hair and still controlling a room with his deep drawl, Dando reminds us of his gift for spinning songs of unassuming but powerful beauty.

The Lemonheads are touring the UK. For full details, visit their website .

All words by Sam Lambeth.   Sam is a Birmingham-based journalist and musician. More of his work for Louder Than War is available on his  archive . He also runs his own  blog  and his music can be found on  Spotify .

Photo credit: Barry-Brecheisen – kindly provided by PR.

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On the edge with The Lemonheads in Brighton

THE LEMONHEADS + BASS DRUM OF DEATH + ALEX LIPINSKI – CHALK 10.10.22

Formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1986, alternative rock band The Lemonheads entered the wider public consciousness with their 1992 breakthrough album ‘It’s A Shame About Ray’. Its success was bolstered by a hit single, a brisk and punky cover of the Simon and Garfunkel classic ‘Mrs Robinson’, which reached the UK Top 20 and firmly established the band amongst the post-grunge scene of the early 1990s.

A vehicle for the talents of longtime singer and songwriter Evan Dando, the lineup has been fluid and constantly changing over the years. Despite a hiatus between 1997 and 2005, there have been ten studio albums, along with various collaborations and solo projects. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of their most celebrated release, the band are busy touring. We catch them at Chalk in Brighton, towards the end of the UK leg. Tonight’s show is eagerly anticipated, and long since sold out.

It’s an early start, so I need to get a shift on to catch tonight’s support acts. I’m sorry to say I miss the beginning of the set for singer-songwriter Alex Lipinski , whose stage time is 6:15pm, slightly challenging for anyone coming here from work. The large room is filling slowly as I arrive, though there are still plenty of open spaces. I rather like what I do hear. He has a sweet tone, and his songs are poignant and wistfully reflective. He accompanies himself on guitar, switching between a left-handed Telecaster and an acoustic. The final number, ‘Closing Time’ is particularly impressive, with his voice really soaring. Alex is promoting his recent album , ‘For Everything Under The Sun’, which I’d be interested to check out.

Alex Lipinski setlist: ‘Coyote’ ‘Going Nowhere Fast’ ‘Dandelion Blues’ ‘Lonesome Train’ ‘When Will I Be Home’ ‘Closing Time’

alexlipinski.co.uk

Next up are Bass Drum of Death , who take the stage at 7pm. A three-piece from Oxford, Mississippi, they’ve been around since 2007 and have had some admirable success getting their energetically grungy songs placed on film, TV and video game soundtracks. A quick glance on Spotify confirms that ‘Crawling After You’, which featured on ‘Grand Theft Auto V’, has clocked a creditable ten million plays.

House right, John Barrett is the lead vocalist, shaking a shock of curly hair. He plays a fancy looking blue guitar, a vintage Greco, and seems to have his signal split between a Fender combo and a Bassman stack, giving him an absolutely massive sound. House left is John’s brother Jim, thrashing a Jazzmaster guitar and providing some impressive backing vocals, augmented with a bit of processing. Centre stage, drummer Ian Kirkpatrick is getting a vigorous workout thundering around the kit. First number ‘I Wanna Be Forgotten’ opens with a particularly lengthy and determined snare roll.

It’s lively stuff, as you might expect, although there are some surprisingly poppy melodies in amongst the fuzzy guitars. I’m impressed by the big riffing and insistent beat of ‘Left For Dead’, and Jim turns in a stunningly effective backing vocal on the recent single ‘Say Your Prayers’, aided and abetted by the electronic harmonies in the magic box at his feet. They close with ‘Crawling After You’, which sounds exactly like you’d imagine for the soundtrack of a high-adrenaline video game. If this is your sort of thing, Bass Drum of Death have a new album due out in 2023, and an extensive back catalogue to explore in the meantime.

Bass Drum of Death: John Barrett – vocals, guitar Jim Barrett – guitar, backing vocals Ian Kirkpatrick – drums

Bass Drum of Death setlist: ‘I Wanna Be Forgotten’ (from ‘Bass Drum of Death’ 2013) ‘Nerve Jamming’ (from ‘GB City’ 2011) ‘Just Business’ (from ‘Just Business’ 2018) ‘Velvet Itch’ (from ‘GB City’ 2011) ‘Head Change’ (unreleased, from forthcoming album ‘Say I Won’t’ ) ‘Left For Dead’ (from ‘Rip This’ 2014) ‘Say Your Prayers’ (single, 2022) ‘Shattered Me’ (from ‘Bass Drum of Death’ 2013) ‘Lose My Mind’ (from ‘Rip This’ 2014) ‘Get Found’ (from ‘GB City’ 2011) ‘Crawling After You’ (from ‘Bass Drum of Death’ 2013)

www.bassdrumofdeath.com

It’s approaching the 8pm stage time for the main act of this evening, The Lemonheads . I’m in my customary spot, leaning on the barrier at the front, and it has suddenly become a lot more crowded. The people around me are clearly devoted fans, and are very excited indeed. From reports of previous shows on the tour, we can expect a solo acoustic set from Evan Dando first, and sure enough he appears, toting a Gibson acoustic, to wild applause.

My first impression is that our hero is somewhat disinhibited tonight, to say the least. Something of a pin-up back in the day, he looks wild and dishevelled, and is clad in a not particularly flattering blue smock dress adorned with a floral decorative trim. Worryingly crazy eyes stare through the long, shampoo-averse hair plastered over his face. He seems in an exuberant mood though, singing along theatrically to the intro music, Ella Fitzgerald’s recording of Cole Porter’s ‘Miss Otis Regrets’.

The solo set starts promisingly, with the amusing lyric of ‘The Outdoor Type’ and the excellent ‘Hard Drive’ from the 2003 solo album ‘Baby I’m Bored’. It’s almost as though Evan has got bored playing it though, as it breaks down untidily, segueing to a few bars of Penetration’s ‘Don’t Dictate’. Maybe someone has reminded him that with the looming 10pm curfew he needs to hurry up, as ‘Being Around’ is performed at a wildly varied tempo with some comically fast strumming. He’s clearly in the mood for mischief, shaking his head in an exaggerated way so as to be singing away from the microphone during an otherwise well-executed cover of Richard Thompson’s ‘Dimming Of The Day’. This disregard for conventional mic technique must be frustrating for the audience further back, and it flares up again during ‘Favorite T’. Where I’m standing everyone is singing along anyway, though they need to be on their toes as Evan throws in a random acapella burst of The Smiths’ ‘This Charming Man’ for good measure.

A few more covers complete this section of the show, its conclusion announced with a big strum out by Evan and a rather impressive forward roll across the stage, thankfully completed without accident or injury. He switches to a venerably road-worn double cutaway Les Paul Junior, and is joined onstage by Farley Glavin, slinging a red Jaguar bass, and drummer Mikey Jones. Together they commence a playthrough of the classic ‘It’s A Shame About Ray’ album, in order, much to the delight of the crowd.

It starts well, with the addition of the band imposing a bit more structure to proceedings. Bassist Farley looks serious and focused, the Donald Ross Skinner to Evan’s Julian Cope. Mikey, in recent years also the drummer for Swervedriver, is fluid and powerful around the kit. It’s hard not to be moved by the languid melancholy of the album’s title track, which must be an all-time classic of the indie and alternative canon. ‘My Drug Buddy’ has a similar vibe, though a particularly loose attempt at a guitar solo did detract slightly from its beauty.

Evan addresses his audience between songs in an indistinct mumble. It’s probably as well, as he’s having a rant about Paul Simon in what sounds like rather uncomplimentary terms. I’m not sure what his beef is with the writer of the song that made The Lemonheads famous, although I remember at the time that Evan was miffed about the record company including ‘Mrs Robinson’ on subsequent re-pressings of the album. Evan’s happy to acknowledge Paul Simon’s work though, and gives us a quick burst of ‘April Come She Will’ by way of balance.

The highlight of the second half of the album comes with the big barre chords of the excellent ‘Alison’s Starting To Happen’. At its conclusion, some of the people around me are screaming for it to be played it again, but we move on down the track list. By the end of ‘Kitchen’, Evan seems to have got bored and wants to go off-piste again, much to the alarm of his bandmates. They leave him to it, and we get solo extracts from The Sex Pistols’ ‘Pretty Vacant’ and Johnny Thunders’ ‘One Track Mind’. We’re back on course with a lively rendition of ‘Ceiling Fan In My Spoon’, and the band leaves the stage briefly while Evan conducts a crowd singalong of ‘Frank Mills’, a cover from the musical ‘Hair’ that concludes the album.

One of the crowd has spotted me taking notes, and suspecting I’m a writer, is keen to convey his enthusiasm for the experience. “This is freedom. You don’t see this anymore. You’ve got to herald this. It’s on the edge and beyond the edge.” At this point Evan is behind the drum kit, accompanying himself on a solo rendition of The Eagles’ ‘Lyin’ Eyes’.

The band returns, augmented by the addition of Nick Saloman (The Bevis Frond) on a stunningly retro Burns Flyte guitar, shaped like a rocket. His amp rig features two Carlsboro Stingray heads, which make me feel very nostalgic indeed, and it quickly becomes apparent that he is an awesomely talented player. He completes three numbers as a special guest, including two covers of songs by The Bevis Frond, which I really enjoy. Leaving to warm applause, he receives a glowing tribute from Evan, describing him as having “…defined the late 80s psychedelic movement of England”.

Moving on as a three-piece again, Evan seems agitated during ‘Hospital’. He’s lost his guitar pick, and doesn’t seem to notice a whole row of them in a holder on his mic stand. A friend watching from the photographers’ pit directs him to it, and as a reward gets to strum the strings while Evan fingers the chords. There’s some vigorously applied wah wah on ‘Break Me’, whose title seems prescient. There’s a problem with the equipment, and Evan is quickly overtaken by what I imagine to be a mixture of paranoia and frustration, bizarrely thrashing his unplugged (and still live) lead against the stage and the kick drum head. There’s a buzzy hiatus, with much plugging and unplugging of effects, before the now desperate frontman manages to topple a Marshall stack whilst tugging to disentangle an alternative lead. It’s all a bit of a shambles, and there’s some booing from sections of the crowd.

Having watched Evan trash all his own gear, Nick Saloman comes on and gamely offers him use of the beautiful Burns Flyte. I’m concerned whether it’ll make it through unscathed, but Evan seems to have got it back together enough to play a few more songs. There’s a tasty wah solo on ‘Style’ and a lively romp through ‘Stove’. The 10pm curfew is looming, and somehow we’ve made it to the end. By popular demand, Evan leads a crowd singalong of ‘Big Gay Heart’, then drops the mic and disappears backstage.

It’s been an interesting evening. Some people are ecstatic, and some clearly disappointed. I meet my friends on the way out, one of whom is reading out tweets from patrons who have left early, grumbling that it’s the worst gig they’ve ever seen. Free thinking visionary? Misunderstood genius? Drug casualty in-waiting? I must admit I rather enjoyed the show. In a sometimes bland world of slickly presented entertainments, it was refreshing to revisit the chaotic spirit of grunge. And what a back catalogue!

The Lemonheads: Evan Dando – vocals, guitar Farley Glavin bass, vocals Mikey Jones – drums, vocals

Evan Dando acoustic set: ‘The Outdoor Type’ (Smudge cover) ‘Hard Drive’ (Evan Dando song, from ‘Baby I’m Bored’ 2003) ‘Being Around’ (from ‘Come On Feel The Lemonheads’ 1993) ‘Dimming Of The Day’ (Richard Thompson cover) ‘It’s About Time’ (from ‘Come On Feel The Lemonheads’ 1993) ‘Favorite T’ (from ‘Come On Feel The Lemonheads’ 1993) ‘ Backstreet Girl’ (Rolling Stones cover) ‘Your Home Is Where You’re Happy’ (Willie Nelson cover, from ‘Creator’ 1988) ‘Withered And Died’ (Richard Thompson cover)

‘It’s A Shame About Ray’ set – (all from ‘It’s A Shame about Ray’ 1992) ‘Rockin’ Stroll’ ‘Confetti’ ‘It’s A Shame About Ray’ ‘Rudderless’ ‘My Drug Buddy’ ‘The Turnpike Down’ ‘Bit Part’ ‘Alison’s Starting To Happen’ ‘Hannah & Gabi’ ‘Kitchen’ ‘Ceiling Fan In My Spoon’ ‘Frank Mills’ (cover from the musical ‘Hair’ )

Full band set: ‘Old Man Blank’ (featuring Nick Saloman – The Bevis Frond cover, from ‘Varshons 2’ 2019) ‘The Great Big No’ (featuring Nick Saloman – from ‘Come On Feel The Lemonheads’ 1993) ‘Lights Are Changing’ (featuring Nick Saloman – The Bevis Frond cover) ‘Hospital’ (from ‘Car Button Cloth’ 1996) ‘Break Me’ (from ‘Car Button Cloth’ 1996) ‘Into Your Arms’ (from ‘Come On Feel The Lemonheads’ 1993) ‘If I Could Talk I’d Tell You’ (from ‘Car Button Cloth’ 1996) ‘Style’ (from ‘Come On Feel The Lemonheads’ 1993) ‘Stove’ (from ‘Lovey’ 1990) ‘Big Gay Heart’ (from ‘Come On Feel The Lemonheads’ 1993)

www.thelemonheads.net

The Smiths track was “What Difference Does It Make?”…and it was the white SG he started the full band but with, switching to the Les Paul later. He also tried Pretty Vacant but the band wasn’t having it 😂 other than that I’d say the review is bang on 👍🏻

Thanks for your comments Ennis.

Certainly a very fair and interesting review. Considering a lot of long-time fans who went thought he was just blind drunk and a berk, and it was all rather sad. But also, this really doesn’t happen in rock’n’roll anymore – everything is so fu***** slick and perfect. It’s almost refreshing to leave uncomfortable, if a little worried, for Evan.

Thanks for your interest Nick.

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Review: The Lemonheads perform bittersweet and brilliant Birmingham set

On friday 15th february, evan dando proved that he’s still slacking after all these years with a career-spanning set that shrugs and soars in equal measure..

[amazon bestseller=”Lemonheads vinyl”]

“It’ll sound good in tune,” laughs Heyrocco singer Nathan Merli. “This is support band shit.” Support band they may be, but there’s nothing shit about Heyrocco. The three-piece are the perfect appetiser for The Lemonheads – their songs encompass the aching adolescent longing and roughed-up melodies of not only the ‘Heads, but also alternative rock greats such as The Replacements and Nada Surf. The wonderfully titled ‘Mom Jeans’ and ‘Ashtray’ are bathed in bittersweet distortion and Merli’s sweeping vocals.

Evan Dando is surprisingly tall, unsurprisingly handsome and shockingly drowsy – throughout The Lemonheads ’ performance, Dando retains an admirably out-of-sorts aura that is only fleetingly broken by him kicking away an errant microphone and bashfully waving hi to the photographer. That shrugging shtick, however, is what gives The Lemonheads their everlasting currency – Dando permeates the purity and potency of a lazy day in the sun, his wistful drawl the perfect companion to a summer malaise.

Opening with the lilting shuffle ‘Speed of the Sound of Loneliness’, Dando and his three-piece backing band add grit and gristle to his hitherto tender anthems – the added crunch makes ‘Down About It’ zip, ‘The Turnpike Down’ soar and ‘Bit Part’ ache. Alongside his handy way with a melody, Dando has always had the unrivalled ability to craft compelling vignettes about the minutiae of life – arguably his greatest song, the blistering ‘Stove’ must be the only track in history to wring genuine emotion from the loss of a kitchen appliance. Meanwhile, you can feel the hazy Australian sun beam down through the fizzing ‘Hannah & Gabi’ and the breezy anthem ‘It’s A Shame About Ray’.

Dando is a genial host, even if his drawling quips are wonderfully inaudible. When his band depart, sans the dextrous fretwork of guitarist Chris Brokaw,  Dando showcases The Lemonheads’ mellower turf. His voice, a hangdog burr that sounds warm and weathered, remains in fine fettle, and his rendition of the melancholic ‘Hard Drive’ leaves the sold-out audience in spine-tingling silence. Contrarily, ‘Frank Mills’’ snapshot of dashed romanticism has the crowd singing back every word to a visibly moved Dando.

Here in support of Varshons II , the band’s latest collection of lovingly crafted covers, Dando and his band add bite to the country toe-tapper ‘I Just Can’t Take It Anymore’ (Gram Parsons) and the warped melodies of ‘Can’t Forget’ (Yo La Tengo), but it’s his originals – or the ones written with the likes of Tom Morgan and co – that draw the biggest cheers. ‘Tenderfoot’ remains a cautionary tale set to crunching fuzz, ‘My Drug Buddy’ is blanketed by bruised riffs and ‘Into Your Arms’ is bittersweet and beautiful.

Closing with the deceptively throwaway chug of ‘Confetti’, allegedly penned after Dando’s parents divorced, and the strung-out ‘Dawn Can’t Decide’, the audience is reminded that while it has been a whopping 13 years since The Lemonheads released any original material, Dando is still able to make his old songs shine…and other people’s, for that matter.

Photographs by Paul Reynolds

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Tied to the ’90s. I love anything with a good melody. Favourite acts include DIIV, Best Coast, Wavves, MBV, The Lemonheads, Bully, Pavement, Weezer, Wolf Alice, Mac DeMarco and Dinosaur Jr.

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Samuel Lambeth

Tied to the '90s. I love anything with a good melody. Favourite acts include DIIV, Best Coast, Wavves, MBV, The Lemonheads, Bully, Pavement, Weezer, Wolf Alice, Mac DeMarco and Dinosaur Jr.

Paul Bradshaw / 8 October 2022

The Lemonheads bring It’s A Shame About Ray to Rock City

Evan Dando is on fine unpredictable form in Nottingham for a trip back through grunge history

You don’t expect Evan Dando to cover Britney Spears. Then again, you really should have learned not to expect anything from The Lemonheads by now. 

Only a few years ago, Dando’s onstage behaviour was so notorious it became part of the draw. Now settling awkwardly into some kind of respectability, the sense of danger is still right there under the surface. 

Shuffling into Rock City looking like the ghost of Kurt Cobain, all bets were off as Dando hung his hair over an unplugged guitar with an audible sigh. The Roundhouse got a Courtney Love duet. Leeds got an abrupt ending after Dando stormed off in a huff. Luckily for Nottingham, The Lemonheads that showed up were on great form; a time capsule right back to 1992.  

Somehow packing almost 40 tracks into 90 minutes, Dando rattled through hits, covers and curios without really stopping. Opening with Smudge’s ‘Outdoor Type’ for an acoustic solo mini set (‘Being Around’, ‘Into Your Arms’, ‘Ride With Me’…), his voice sounded seasoned enough for country. 

“Right, let’s do the album”, he suddenly muttered, switching abruptly from Gram Parsons to grunge as the rest of the band walk out and almost blow the speakers with ‘Rockin’ Stroll’. This is the  It’s A   Shame About Ra y tour, and the next 12 tracks come from the band’s seminal 92 record in perfect order, and in perfect shape. 

Ending the album on ‘Frank Mills’, Dando flashes a rare grin as he hears the crowd singing all the words back – right before looking visibly pissed off during ‘The Ballad Of El Goodo’ when the noise from the bar threatens to take over. Pulling things back just in time (thankfully avoiding a repeat of the tantrum we saw at Stylus), the rest of the set goes pretty much wherever it wants to. 

There are Lemonheads classics (‘Hospital’, ‘Break Me’, ‘The Great Big No’…) alongside cover nods to John Prine (‘Speed Of The Sound of Loneliness’), Elvis Costello (‘Beyond Belief’) and Florida Georgia Line (‘Round Here’). And then things get weird. There’s no special guest for Nottingham but there is something better – Dando live busking on stage as he takes requests, forgets the chords to at least two songs and laughs through Britney’s ‘I’m Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman’, Whitney Houston’s ‘How Will I Know’ and, even odder, Duke Ellington’s ‘Solitude’. 

“Any other requests?” he asks. Everyone shouts back “Mrs. Robinson!” and he flips right back to looking disgruntled. “I’ll get the band back out for that one” he snaps. The band do reappear, but not for The Lemonheads’ biggest hit (barely played on this tour at all), instead closing on ‘Big Gay Heart’, ‘Stove’, ‘If I Could Talk I’d Tell You’ and ‘Luka’, apparently played for a friend in the front row. 

Who knows if any of that was actually written on the setlist, and who knows if Dando walked off feeling good or bad about any of it. It’s a fool’s game for any band to try and recapture the past, not least a band with as much history as The Lemonheads. But somehow this felt the way all album anniversary shows ought to feel – looking back from a very different place. Nostalgic. Slightly resentful. Just as dangerous as ever.

Find tickets for the remaining Lemonheads tour dates here .

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‘I hadn’t slept for 10 days’ – the Lemonheads on making It’s a Shame About Ray

‘The song made things happen – but it’s weird to be proud of something you did 30 years ago on drugs’

Evan Dando, singer, songwriter

The first time we toured in Australia I liked it so much that I asked my agent to get me back there as soon as possible. I went back on a solo tour, opening for Fugazi. It was a great time. On that trip I met Tom Morgan, who was the singer in a band called Smudge. We went through all the music we liked, such as Lou Reed and the Stooges. We just hit it off right away.

Over there at the time there was a whole culture of all these kids who were on the dole and just taking drugs and writing and playing rock’n’roll. I was swooning in envy, and the next time I was in Sydney I hooked up with Tom again. I hadn’t slept for 10 days but I was young and OK. It caught up with me later.

We came across a newspaper story about a kid called Ray who kept getting kicked out of every school he went to. In the article a priest was quoted saying “It’s a shame about Ray”, which became the title of the first song we wrote together. I already had the chord progression and the rest happened quickly, like the best songs often do. We worked up the lyrics in 20 or 30 minutes.

I was trying to create the kind of music I liked to listen to – a bit Byrds, a bit psychedelic. Lyrically the track is very cryptic. It keeps you guessing, but to me the line “in the stone above the dust, his name is still engraved” suggests that Ray has died. It’s a song that can mean lots of stuff or nothing, but it was fun to sing.

When I got back to Los Angeles I decided I wanted to look after things myself, so I fired my management. I wanted to pick the band up, practice for an hour a day for a month and then make an album, which is exactly what we did. The song It’s a Shame About Ray was recorded very quickly, with Juliana Hatfield on bass and David Ryan playing drums. It was the era of: “Phew, we’ve got another one finished.”

Winona Ryder was a Lemonheads fan and she made a tape of our songs for Johnny Depp. He liked the stuff and said to us: “Come and live in my house.” We didn’t exactly go and live in his house, but we made the video there , with Johnny in it. It was our first song to chart in the UK. Back then I was under a lot of pressure to deliver hits, but I still like the song. We never got the drum beat together or worked on the arrangement but sometimes the least thought out songs are the best.

Tom Morgan, songwriter

Smudge had just released our first single when we supported Evan at Sydney’s Annandale Hotel . I’d met him briefly before on a Lemonheads tour, but then on his acoustic tour we both got up and did a few of his songs with [subsequent Lemonheads bassist] Nic Dalton on drums. Evan stayed in Sydney for a while and we just started hanging out.

Being up for 10 days sounds like the sort of thing they do to torture someone. Evan may have been up for that long but it was two days for me. We’d been at my girlfriend Nicole’s house taking speed, playing music and walking around. The Sunday papers had just come out so they were in a bundle on a street corner: we grabbed one and took it back to the house. We laughed at the last line of the article: “It’s a shame about Ray.”

We ended up back at my sister’s house, really early in the morning. Evan wrote Rockin’ Stroll and Confetti , then we started writing together. The opening line came from something I’d said earlier – “I’ve never been too good with names” – then when we got to the chorus he said: “I know … ‘It’s a shame about Ray!’ The line fitted perfectly. After we’d finished that and Bit Part, he went back to the US and six months later Nic and Evan were playing It’s a Shame About Ray on the David Letterman show .

It’s weird to be proud of something you did 30 years ago on drugs, but I’m glad the song made things happen for Evan and I’m glad I could help him with Bit Part and a bunch of other songs. I’m very happy that after 30 years we’re still great friends.

The 30th anniversary deluxe edition of the album It’s a Shame About Ray is out now on Fire Records

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The lemonheads: o2 institute, birmingham – live review.

The Lemonheads Birmingham O2 Institute Monday 27th September  The Lemonheads put in a rich, raw and riveting performance of their high-water mark It’s A Shame About Ray, alongside a typically brilliant Evan Dando acoustic set and choice selections from the band’s back catalogue. Sam Lambeth reviews Evan Dando hunches across the stage dressed like a […]

The post The Lemonheads: O2 Institute, Birmingham – live review appeared first on Louder Than War .

The Lemonheads put in a rich, raw and riveting performance of their high-water mark It’s A Shame About Ray, alongside a typically brilliant Evan Dando acoustic set and choice selections from the band’s back catalogue. Sam Lambeth reviews

Evan Dando hunches across the stage dressed like a trucker that’s just truncated his long drive with a stop at a greasy spoon. If his jacket is wonderfully ragged, his voice is anything but – he spoons smooth, sorrowful baritone over the doleful The Outdoor Type and wistful Being Around.

Playing solo acoustic before a full band set, this is Dando’s bread and butter. Able to turn the likes of Skulls by Misfits into a delicate ditty and Into Your Arms into a lilting lullaby, his hangdog croon and carefree strumming just need a barbecue and a hot dog to complete the full effect. It’s almost a shame – if you pardon the pun – that the rest of the band have to join him. Almost. While Dando has dedicated most of his live career to performing most of It’s A Shame About Ray, tonight is a chance to hear The Lemonheads’ classic 1992 album in toto (minus Mrs Robinson, natch).

Ably backed by bassist Farley Glavin and Swervedriver drummer Mikey Jones, the trio intricately balance crunchy fuzz with beautiful restraint, something that made …Ray both a stellar example and an amazing outsider of the grunge movement it was released in. The beauty of the It’s A Shame About Ray is its deceptiveness – rarely has an album delivered such succinct, arresting vignettes that possess both sweet abandon and deeper resonance. The chiming Confetti spins sugary melodies while allegedly being about Dando’s parents divorcing. The sauntering, almost elegiac My Drug Buddy (“I’m too much with myself, I wanna be someone else”) feels sad and celebratory. The suitably fleeting Bit Part is a hymn of frustration and ignorance.

The bulk of …Ray was written in Australia and although tonight takes place on a rainy night in Birmingham, you can feel the sun-kissed pavements over the contemplative The Turnpike Down and the lazy afternoons of Hannah & Gabi. The latter half of …Ray is powerful, irresistible harmonies and chugging distortion making the punk rush of Alison’s Starting to Happen, the groovy Kitchen and the rollicking Ceiling Fan In My Spoon as strong a closing salvo as you will find.

The band leave the stage and Dando gets his biggest singalong of the night with Frank Mills, a song taken from the musical Hair that is perhaps now better known as a Lemonheads staple. A snapshot of a story over a strummed acoustic, it’s poetic, funny – Dando, for reasons unknown, says Frank resembles the drummer from “Shed Seven” as opposed to The Beatles – and heart-wrenching. The Lemonheads in a nutshell. The rest of the set is dedicated to choice cuts from Dando’s remarkably consistent, if disappointingly sporadic, back catalogue. Three songs aired from 1996’s Car Button Cloth – Hospital, Break Me and Tenderfoot – are bruised and beaten but retain Dando’s ear for melody.

Stove, taken from 1990’s Lovey, was perhaps the first sign Dando was switching from punk thrash to more fertile, fragile territory, and remains one of the most heartbreaking pieces of prose written about a kitchen appliance. Closing with 1996’s brilliant If I Could Talk I’d Tell You, Dando and the band are offstage before people have barely had a chance to clap. Still wonderfully askew, still in possession of shampoo agnostic hair and still controlling a room with his deep drawl, Dando reminds us of his gift for spinning songs of unassuming but powerful beauty.

The Lemonheads are touring the UK. For full details, visit their website .

All words by Sam Lambeth.   Sam is a Birmingham-based journalist and musician. More of his work for Louder Than War is available on his  archive . He also runs his own  blog  and his music can be found on  Spotify .

Photo credit: Barry-Brecheisen – kindly provided by PR.

Source: louderthanwar.com

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See: the kundalini genie unveil explosive video for the thunderous shoegaze track ‘half in, half out’, title track for the new album due out in november., live review: the lemonheads / bass drum of death / alex lipinski – chalk, brighton 10.10.2022.

The Lemonheads after all these later come and play some special shows in the UK to mark the 30 th Anniversary of their acclaimed record ‘It’s a shame about Ray’. For tonight’s show, the audience is in for a treat with the array of the band’s back catalogue of indie punk fusion

The Lemonheads formed in Boston in 1986 playing songs to the tune of Midwest Husker Du with some romance songwriting. Evan Dando split his songwriting duties with Ben Deiily to deliver their aggressive punk riffs! Back in 1989 the band signed to Atlantic Records and had a productive period, delivering four albums in four Years. The cover version of ‘Mrs Robinson’ brought them into the top 20 charts and established them in the Grunge scene in the early ’90s

With an early start at Chalk in Brighton Alex Lipinski starts the evening off with his solo guitar set. Lipinski is a Weston Super Mare songwriter who fronted ‘Phoneys & the Freaks’ with ex Oasis guitarist Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs. Tonight he was promoting his new album ‘For everything under the sun’ and a clear influence in 60’s sounds with a dash 90’s recantation can be heard throughout his songs!

A grungier and acoustically lively feel came from ‘Bass Drum of Death’ with their long riffs and fuzzy guitars. The three piece band from the Mississippi are best known for the song ‘Crawling After You’ which features in the Videogame Grand Theft Auto V! Lead singer John Barret’s energy does not run out through his vagarious guitar playing set.

Evan Dando, not too soon after, appears on stage like a crazy man on fire, who throw-out the evening had been mingling with the early comers to the venue and dancing amongst the audience. He is dressed in a robe dress and starts to play his acoustic guitar for a solo set.

Rather chaotic and wildly played as to the time limitation the set starts with ‘The Outdoor type’ and the melodic ‘Hard Drive’ With a tightly packed chalk venue the crowd watches enthusiastically as Dando addresses the audience to a welcome. Tonight Dando seemed in a mischievous mood with him controversially rolling across the stage playing out cover versions.

A more structured set continues when band members Farley Glavin and drummer Mickey Jones play out the pleasing ‘It’s a shame about Ray’ But halfway through, Off the track, Evan Dando gets behind the drum kit to play a rendition of The Eagles song ‘Lyin Eyes’ while the band members leave him briefly to it.  ‘Alison Starting to Happen’ sparks an audience singalong. Soon after Nick Soloman joined the band members on stage to rip through cover versions from The Bevis Fond band to the delight of everyone watching!

Towards the end with a bit of dismay, there is a problem with the Amp and guitar and Evan gets frustrated whilst knocking down the marshal amp and trying to figure out which entangled cables should be used and plugged in. Nick Solomon comes to the rescue and lends him his guitar. Tonight was a lively romp which is what a grunge show is all about with the spirit of the live entertainment and apart from a few stage mishaps, was to the delight of everyone a memorable run-through of the classic ‘it’s a Shame About Ray’.

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Craig Young

North East England Writer/photographer for Backseat Mafia. Photography portfolio can be found at www.craigsuperstaryoung.co.uk

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Coming out of Boston, Massachusetts, US, The Lemonheads are an alternative rock band, finding popularity in the 90s following the grunge explosion, re-emerging in 2005 to critical acclaim.

Led by Evan Dando, The Lemonheads moved their early sound of Hüsker-Dü influenced punk rock towards catchy, lo-fi rock full of pop sensibilities, also displaying Dando's love of country-rock in its tone. They have become cult figures in the world of alternative rock, building a loyal following of fans, alongside respect from fellow illuminates like Dinosaur Jr.'s J. Mascis.

In the late 80s, The Lemonheads released a number of recordings on various independent labels, focussing on a hardcore punk sound but didn't gain any substantial success outside of their cult following. It was after joining Atlantic Records in 1990 that the band were to find widespread acclaim, through their album, "Lovey," a more melodic and dynamic record than what had come previously. This was followed by 1992's "It's a Shame About Ray," their breakthrough album, which gained significant momentum through their cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs Robinson," with the Lemonheads being tipped for big things following its release. Dando had become a minor celebrity after this success, with his personal life and battle with drug addiction becoming widely publicised.

After recovering from addiction, "Car Button Cloth" was released in 1995, featuring a new lineup, including former members of Dinosaur Jr. The album received mixed reviews and the band were unable to generate the success they had with previous efforts, which led to an indefinite hiatus.

However, Dando reunited The Lemonheads, releasing their self-titled album in 2005, which reignited enthusiasm for the band. The Lemonheads embarked on several tours following this, finding a resurgence of popularity in the music world. In 2009, they released "Varshons" an album of covers including tracks by Gram Parsons, Wire, Christina Aguilera and GG Allin, which was released to positive critical acclaim.

Live reviews

Seeing The Lemonheads live will take you back to a place in time where ripped, faded jeans were in style and music about youthful angst and the slacker’s boredom filled the airwaves of the college radio station.

Although some of The Lemonheads’ songs might harp on the topic of teenage boredom, they are far from boring live. The band rolls through their setlist at a rapid pace, playing through hit after hit. This intense speed of performance allows them to cram in all our favorite tunes into the setlist.

Main songwriter and lead singer, Evan Dando, still performs his classic grungey, alternative rock music we love so much with the same amount of vigor he always has. The band’s performance is usually simple and straight forward, using very little theatrics, but their strong-suit is their catchy songwriting, and any additive substance of theatrics would take away from their raw, sincere performance. The music always has an energetic feel with Dando’s ever changing chord progressions and blaring guitar solos. The setlist spans across their whole career, but after having celebrated their 20th anniversary of the critically acclaimed album, It’s a Shame About Ray, they have been recently including a larger selection from this hit record.

The band’s short and sweet style of performing is what makes them so great. They have a direct way of performing their music and they don’t need superfluous instrumentation or theatrics to get their energy across. You can expect to have a great time rocking out to classics such as “My Drug Buddy” or you might even here the unique, fast-paced rendition of “Mrs. Robinson”.

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The Lemonheads last night, St. Andrews Hall, Detroit. Really, this is Evan Dando's band and Evan Dando's voice is as smooth a tenor as there is, has not lost a bit of its evocative, (with a touch of melancholy), power...always with that hint of country and Graham Parsons sitting on his shoulder. This touring band is skilled, a 27 song assault that had no small talk to bridge what was effectively one song melting into the other in a stream of consciousness set. "It's a Shame About Ray" was the centerpiece album sampled, but this is a guy, Evan, and a band that has made covers of other material as strong as their own, Suzanne Vega's 'Luka' and the punked up version of Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson", which was not played. When others describe the Lemonheads, you hear words like, punk-rock, power rock, alternative rock, power pop and "college radio darlings". What they do is distill feelings, and not explain them to you. When I read about who Evan Dando 'spiritually' hangs out with; Juliana Hatfield, Oasis, Yo La Tengo, Lucinda Williams, Graham Parsons, The Dandy Warhols, and that several years ago, (for Detroit fans), he sang lead vocals on an MC5 tour, you realize this is a complex guy who sings in a voice that runs up and down your spine. He hit a road bump in the 90's with drugs, but there was no evidence of that last night. What was evident, as the audience filled in as harmony on the third encore song, "Into Your Arms", The Lemonheads are a compelling show, with perfect execution of songs, and the heart of Evan Dando is shrouded outside of giving you what you came for.....

Here are my thoughts on the show:

- We’ve been to the Underground a number of times now. I’m not convinced their sound system is the best, but there were no noticeable issues. It still sounds a little off to me though.

-The band is what you can come to expect of one that’s main draw is music it originally released over two decades ago. I assume everyone else is there like me, to hear music they loved in their youth, with no expectations that it be performed to the level that it once was. All in all it was pretty good.

-Anytime you see a show where the average age of the concert goers ticks up close to 40 or more (I’m 44), it really becomes a crap shoot as to what you might get. Crowd behavior wasn’t too bad at this show, but there were still a few people who obviously don’t get out of the house much in this way. For whatever reason, one guy was absolutely obsessed with a walk way where they ask you not to stand. He was really bothered by this. Also, there always seems to be that one couple who get really drunk and then try to reclaim their youth by dancing around quite wildly into everyone else’s space. There’s one at every show.

Oh lucky me, Lemonheads shows last year three.

Early - Polished and wholesome affair

Mid - Functional shindig, thanks Nick Saloman

Late - Total mess, as expected. Soothing. Felt sorry for most of the audience, Mikey and Farley.

It's easy to enjoy the music of someone that has their ups and downs when the downs don't make the album, but harder when they're in your face and you've paid good money for a ticket. If you're going to a show then recognize it's a bit of a gamble, and take comfort that you're not the type to go and see an endlessly reliable act.

That third show was f-ing awful though.

Show was good, lots of different songs from different albums. Concert cut short though when a crowd member threw a T-shirt up on stage (didnt hit anyone). Evan stomped off 7 songs short of a full set. Disapointing anti-climax ending which kinda made the whole show suck. Whole band was in good form though. Very upbeat. Felt like a Lemonheads concert and not Evans backing band. But as always with him, the shows are very unpredictable. Which is great when he is in a good mood. Last time he played Copenhagen we got a 3 hour set. An element of risk is always to be expected.

I thought this was quite a small venue for a big-ish band, but then I guess their appeal may be "more selective" than a few years back.

The Limelight was packed out and the band shuffled on in their lo-fi way, starting off with Hospital and a "best of" set, Rudderless, Into your arms, It's a shame about Ray etc.; also a couple of Evan's solo tracks.

Great singalong to Frank Mills in the middle of it too.

They did Teenage Kicks with big smiles on the faces before the encore.

They seemed to enjoy themselves and so did we!

This was the second time in two years that I have tried to see Evan/Lemonheads.

Both times the show was cancelled.

This time I drove 4 hours to see the show and it is cancelled due to "food poisoning" 1 hour after Tommy Stinson finished his warm up "set". What a joke.

People were throwing beers at the stage after they announced that the show was cancelled. Aura is an amazing venue, I was impressed the facility. Too bad the artists were a no show.

Great is not the word, that has to be used her. To meet The Lemonheads after all these years ( I am a big fan from 1987) was like a time travelling and...I think it was like the same for Evan Dando too. I love him, his music, his poetry, his talent, and his honesty to be always the man, that he really is and not just a rockstar. I hope...that somehow will be possible to see Lemonheads at least one more time live. Thank you, Evan! Love you!

* 1 af 5 * Vanvittig dårlig og uengageret performance. Der må være behov for enhver håndøre og de to musikere klarede 45 minutter inden hovedmanden tog de sidste 12 minutter alene på scenen, ironisk nok noget af det bedste lydmæssigt. Lyden var også jævnt ringe og mudret og om det var musikerne eller mixerne eller begge der fejlede?

I saw them back in 1996 or 1997 it was a top gig the band was on fire for halloween and so were we!Dando was disguise in a beautiful spiceman with all thoes little pots of spices ducktaped to his shirt and pants.we spiced up the night later on..but thats another story..hope to see them again someday!

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The Lemonheads to Celebrate ‘It’s a Shame About Ray’ 30th Anniversary on Fall Tour

By Jon Blistein

Jon Blistein

Boston alt-rock stalwarts the Lemonheads will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their hit album, It’s a Shame About Ray , with a North American tour this fall.

The Lemonheads will be performing the album in its entirety throughout the trek. Released in 1992, It’s a Shame About Ray marked the band’s fifth album, and its title track became a rock hit in the U.S., the U.K., and Australia. The band also garnered a ton of success with their cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson,” which was added to later pressings of the album.  

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The 30th anniversary tour for It’s a Shame About Ray will kick off Nov. 17 at Mickey’s Black Box in Litiz, Pennsylvania and wrap Dec. 17 with a homecoming show at Paradise in Boston. The Lemonheads will receive support from Bass Drum of Death, On Being an Angel, former bandmate Juliana Hatfield, and Rusty, the Nils, on select dates. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, Aug. 12, with complete information on the Lemonheads’ website .  

Along with the fall tour, the Lemonheads released a special 30th anniversary edition of It’s a Shame About Ray earlier this year. The record houses a handful of extras including an unreleased version of “My Drug Buddy” recorded at the radio station KCRW in 1992 with Hatfield, as well as demos being released for the first time on vinyl.

The Lemonheads Tour Dates

November 17 – Lititz, PA @ Mickey’s Black Box November 18 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Theatre (with Rusty, the Nils) November 19 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop November 20 – Bloomington, IL @ The Castle Theater November 21 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room November 23 – Billings, MT @ Pub Station November 25 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel) November 26 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel) November 28 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel) November 29 – Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel) December 1 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel) December 2 – Santa Ana, CA @ Observatory (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel) December 3 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel) December 4 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel) December 5 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel) December 7 – Kansas City, MO @ Madrid Theatre (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel) December 9 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue (with Bass Drum of Death and On Being an Angel) December 10 – Chicago, IL @ Metro (with Juliana Hatfield, On Being an Angel) December 11 – Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrew’s Hall (with Juliana Hatfield, On Being an Angel) December 12 – Washington, D.C. @ 9.30 Club (with Juliana Hatfield, On Being an Angel) December 14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer (with Juliana Hatfield, On Being an Angel) December 15 – New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge (with Juliana Hatfield, On Being an Angel) December 16 – New Jersey, NJ @ White Eagle Hall (with Juliana Hatfield, On Being an Angel) December 17 – Boston, MA @ Paradise (with Juliana Hatfield, On Being an Angel)

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Live Review: The Lemonheads w/ Juliana Hatfield @ 9:30 Club — 12/12/22

Evan Dando fronts The Lemonheads at 9:30 Club on Dec. 12, 2022. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

Thirty years ago, The Lemonheads released their most successful album, It’s A Shame About Ray . On Monday evening, they rolled into the 9:30 Club on the album’s anniversary tour, with support from longtime indie singer-songwriter (and sometime Lemonhead) Juliana Hatfield and the young band On Being An Angel.

The sold-out show was a smashing success by any measure!

Formed in the late 1980s, The Lemonheads came under the leadership of Evan Dando. With Evan at the helm, they created a mix of radio-friendly pop, punk, and country-rock. Many of the band’s biggest hits were offbeat covers. At 9:30 Club on Dec. 12, the band opened with “Into Your Arms,” (which was actually on the following year’s Come On Feel The Lemonheads ), written by Robyn St. Clare. This song speaks to how conspicuous The Lemonheads were in the early-mid 90s; I wasn’t very aware of current music at that point in my life, and I remember hearing this song. Early in the set, they also covered the John Prine classic “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness,” which was recorded for their most recent release, 2019’s Varshons 2 .

The first half, roughly, of the set drew from across their career, with covers of Gram Parsons (“I Just Can’t Take It Anymore”) and Smudge (“Tenderfoot,” which was recorded for 1996’s Car Button Cloth ). The second number of the evening, “Hard Drive,” written by Ben Lee, appeared on Evan’s 2003 solo LP, Baby I’m Bored . Come on Feel The Lemonheads got a fair amount of play in this part of the show: “Great Big No,” “Down About It,” “It’s About Time,” and “Dawn Can’t Decide,” in addition to the aforementioned “Into Your Arms.” In addition to the Smudge cover, they played “Hospital” and “If I Could Talk I’d Tell You.”

In the second half of the set, The Lemonheads played It’s A Shame About Ray in the order the songs appear on the album. They didn’t play “Mrs. Robinson,” a cover of the Simon & Garfunkel classic that appeared as a bonus track — so technically, it’s fair to say it’s not really part of the album. (The track was added several months after the initial release of the record.)

The show ended with Evan playing solo electric on Townes Van Zandt’s “Snow Don’t Fall,” “Being Around,” and another Smudge cover, “The Outdoor Type.” The last song of the night was Kalmar Pal’s “Gloomy Sunday.”

Stream Kalmar Pal’s “Gloomy Sunday” by The Lemonheads on YouTube:

Before The Lemonheads took the stage, Juliana Hatfield played a 45-minute solo electric set. Hatfield, whose career began with the alternative band The Blake Babies in the late ’80s, has been consistently turning out great music for 35 years. While she flirted with major labels in the mid-’90s, during the explosion of grunge and alternative, she’s been independently releasing music for the last 25 years. Her biggest hit, “My Sister,” came, understandably enough, during her major label period, appearing on the Juliana Hatfield Three’s 1993 release, Become What You Are .

The house was absolutely packed on Monday night — the show was a sellout — but, particularly during Hatfield’s set, the venue felt smaller and more intimate. The audience had a lot of serious music fans, and they were really locked into the music, getting just about silent and giving the songs the attention they deserve. And make no mistake: Hatfield’s songs absolutely deserve that attention. Hatfield is a distinctive and talented musician, capable of blending smart, emotional, incisive lyrics with both alternative and pop sounds. She’s not afraid to wear her heart on the sleeve, or to show her passion for her influences, as she does on recent cover albums Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton John and Juliana Hatfield Sings The Police .

Hatfield’s set drew from across her career, opening with “Everyone Loves Me But You,” from 1992 solo debut, Hey Babe . The next song, “Candy Wrappers,” was recorded nearly 20 years on later, for 2011’s crowdfunded  There’s Always Another Girl . “Somebody Is Waiting For Me,” another song about relationships, first appeared on Juliana’s Y2K album Beautiful Creature. (I first heard it upon its release on 2007’s The White Broken Line , a collection of live recordings.)

Stream a short live set, including “Wonder Why,” by Juliana Hatfield for KEXP on YouTube:

After “Wonder Why,” she reflected on her history with the venue, saying “We love the 9:30 Club, past and present.” Hatfield has been playing there since its previous, smaller incarnation. “Someone requested this,” she said of “Slow Motion.” She continued, “I don’t know if they’re here tonight, but they put it in my mind.” Before “My Sister,” she thanked Evan for bringing her along on the last 10 dates of their tour. The rest of her set included “Backseat,” “Everything’s For Sale,” and “Feelin’ Massachusetts,” ending with “I Got No Idols.”

This was my second time seeing Hatfield live, and she never disappoints. If you haven’t gotten into her work yet, there’s a lot of places you can dive in — she’s quite prolific, having released six albums since 2015, all of which are well worth listening to. There’s a reason Hatfield was picked to play on the (now sadly missed) Full Frontal With Samantha Bee : she makes truly outstanding music with a very personal, decidedly female and decidedly feminist perspective.

As a big plus, Juliana Hatfield joined The Lemonheads on stage for three of the songs during the It’s a Shame About Ray set — the title track, “Rudderless,” and “My Drug Buddy.” Witnessing those three tunes in performance alone as worth the price of admission.

This was a pretty long night for a Monday, with The Lemonheads playing more than 25 songs in their own set, plus the two supporting acts. For as long as it was, the crowd stayed engaged throughout, making this a fun show and a really great experience.

Here are some photos of Juliana Hatfield performing at 9:30 Club on Dec. 12, 2022, by Mickey McCarter.

And here are some photos of The Lemonheads performing at 9:30 Club on Dec. 12, 2022, thanks to Mickey McCarter!

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The Lemonheads announce It’s A Shame About Ray reissue, tour dates

The Lemonheads are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their landmark album It’s A Shame About Ray in 2022. In March, the band plans to reissue the album on double vinyl and CD formats with bonus tracks—including b-sides, demos and covers—via Fire Records . The label also plans to reissue the band’s subsequent albums, Come on Feel the Lemonheads and Car Button Cloth , along with live albums. Last year, Fire reissued the band’s 1990 album, Lovey .

The Lemonheads are also touring this fall. Check out those dates below.

The Lemonheads tour dates:

10/7: Masonic Lodge, Hollywood Forever Cemetery – Los Angeles, CA (Evan Dando solo) 11/5: The Grey Eagle – Asheville, NC 11/6: Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC 11/7: Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA   11/8: Basement East – Nashville, TN   11/10: The Bluebird – Bloomington, IN    11/11: Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL 11/12: Red Flag – St. Louis, MO   11/13: The Waiting Room – Omaha, NE 11/15: Fine Line Music Cafe – Minneapolis, MN 11/16: Majestic Theatre – Madison, WI 11/18: The Athenaeum Theatres – Columbus, OH 11/19: Mr. Smalls Theatre – Pittsburgh, PA 11/20: Lee’s Palace – Toronto, ON 11/22: Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH    11/24: Underground Arts – Philadelphia, PA   11/26: Baltimore Soundstage – Baltimore, MD   11/27: House Of Blues – Boston, MA w/ Dinosaur Jr

The Lemonheads’ It’s a Shame About Ray is featured on our list of 10 Essential Boston Albums.

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