Lemonheads frontman EVAN DANDO will perform a run of intimate shows in Australia this May, including a stop off at Badlands on May 29 for what promises to be something special.
The scruffy, haphazard Peter Pan-like presence that is Evan Dando has achieved music-lover legend status down here in Australia. Possessing just the perfect knack for irony, barefaced talent and undeniable “screw it” likability, he’s long been an Antipodean favourite when it comes to songwriters. We like to flatter ourselves that he likes us too, having made so many trips down to ply his wares. This time around he’s joining us to mark the reissue of his very first solo LP, 2003’s Baby I’m Bored.
Absolutely one of the most iconic characters to intervene in the landscape of 90’s indie rock, Evan Dando and the Lemonheads have been mainstays for generations of grunge-loving aficionados. But Baby, I’m Bored saw Dando ditch his grunge label in favour of the heart-aching, deeply autobiographical almost alt-country sounds that have made it so beloved. These are songs of decline, and in keeping with that, our own Ben Lee even penned two of the tracks contained within. This tour will see Evan Dando mine his valuable and varied back-catalogue. Who knows what might happen when he hits the stage in the intimate confines of Badlands?
Remaining the only consistent member of the Lemonheads throughout countless line up changes, the band have sold millions of records. Solo or side-project adventures have seen him record and tour extensively with Juliana Hatfield, J Mascis, Bill Stephenson (Descendents), even Kate Moss and Liv Tyler. He briefly fronted MC5 on tour. In 2015 he was inducted into the Boston Music Awards Hall of Fame. It’s perhaps by virtue of this professional restlessness that Dando traverses genres and continents with the ease, confidence and true artistry that he does. Or perhaps it’s just luck. Either way, it’s mesmerising.
Tickets are on sale now for Evan Dando at Badlands, Perth on May 29.
