Project Description

The Lemonheads
+ The Restless Age + Paradise Club
@ Lion Arts Factory
5/12/19
(Live Review)

Review and Photos: Colin Reid

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Thursday night a small but appreciative audience dragged themselves away from Botanic Park’s offering of Elton John and instead went to the Lion Arts Factory to witness the return to Adelaide of cult US Alt-rockers The Lemonheads. Most people that I spoke to in the crowd had seen them before; generally at a festival too long ago for us to admit our age about. In fact “It’s a Shame About Ray” was one of the first albums that I ever bought on those new-fangled cd ‘things’ back in the day, they truely were part of the backbone of most people’s alt-rock indie collections during the 1990s with a string of classic albums. We were all keen to see what they were like now and to hear what we hoped would be an expanded and diverse set list; we wouldn’t be disappointed on either front!

Before The Lemonheads we were treated with two support bands. First up was local act Paradise Club, a Triple J Unearthed featured artist. They soldiered on through a few early technical difficulties and ended up delivering a really good albeit short set. Nicely crafted pop influenced indie songs were delivered to an appreciative audience that grew as the night went on. The band really hit their straps and they closed out on a high with their recent single “Above Me’.

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Next up were The Restless Age from New York State, they are supporting The Lemonheads across Australia.  An interesting, quirky 3 piece that defies categorisation. All members contribute songs, they all sing and the harmonies are quite fantastic. Indie rock with a synth piano and lots of harmonies. To be honest I hadn’t expected to like them but from the get go I was won over with a combination of their great songs, tight musicianship and wonderful vocals. They were great, I’ve never seen a band with 3 singers in synch like this before.  “Murky Water” was a stand out as was a track about lost love down Mexico way that I didn’t get the name of. Elton John wasn’t the only one in town tonight with a great keyboard! I sort of wondered if maybe in a previous era they could have been huge, maybe that alludes to the intergenerational comment on their website?

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The supports over it was now time for the main drawcard. Evan Dando effectively is The Lemonheads, there have been many contributors over the years but he really is the band. At 52 he is looking his age and maybe some more besides. He hadn’t come to look like a rock star; he had come to play a great selection of material. His long hair was unwashed and at times his eyes were barely able to open but he sang and played beautifully. He wore a crumpled blazer over a most unusual red top which later in the set was revealed for what it was “he is wearing my mum’s old blouse” one patron was heard to say. He just appeared to be having a genuinely great time ‘It is great to be back in Adelaide’ he said with warmth to open the show before launching into back to back numbers. It was loud, distortion pedals, tight aggressive guitar work – grunge has never ended and then he switched effortlessly to alt country. What a voice he has for country rock, I wonder if in another life he could have been a big star of that genre? Light and dark chords were mixed, alt – country at its best. A cover of Florida Georgia Line’s US billboard top 30 hit “Round Here’ was delivered in such a way that we believed every lyric was true “fireball whiskey” indeed!

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There was effortless change between songs and genres, some songs merging into the next one without a break. “It’s a Shame About Ray” had the crowd providing additional harmonies as best we could during the chorus before they switched back to country with a Lucinda Williams cover as Evan’s pale Gibson poured out a mournful wail.

Evan was now really beginning to enjoy himself. A roaring 2 minute steamroller of “Alison’s starting to Happen” was followed by his first departure from the set list to sing one of his solo numbers “Hard Drive”. “Rudderless”, “Hannah & Gabi” and then another big crowd sing along for “Big Gay Heart” all followed hard on each others heals. It was so good!

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After a triumphant 20 track set the rest of the band left the stage and Evan picked up the acoustic guitar for a mash up of Richard Thompson, Billie Holiday, Elvis Costello songs and the big Lemonheads song “Into Your Arms”. Evan then switched to the drums and sang another track before being rejoined by the band for “Waking Up”. He didn’t seem to want to stop playing. Someone from the crowd shouted “Mrs Robinson” there is no way they’ll play that I thought but they did! What a way to end but there was still more, Evan called the band back as he realised that in all his earlier departures from the set list “Drug Buddy” had been missed so the show went on!

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29 tracks – a mix of the expected standards, interesting covers and gems from the back catalogue, what a night! The only disappointment was that there were only around 250 there to see it. I’d really encourage anyone interstate who has a chance to go see them, you wont regret it Evan is really delivering.

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Check out The Lemonheads below
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AMNPLIFY – CR