Friday, April 4, 1997
CONCERT:
Musicianship, chemistry and humor result in flawless showBy Mike
Prevatt
Daily Bruin Contributor
The Wallflowers’ gig at the Ventura Theater on Wednesday proved
you don’t need high-tech light effects, expensive props, and a
flashy front man to put on a great show. Led by the good-humored
and laid-back Jakob Dylan (yes, Bob’s son), the Wallflowers
provided Ventura locals and L.A. fans willing to trek to Ventura
with a fine show. They performed their entire Top-10 album
"Bringing Down the Horse" and five additional songs.
From the get-go, Dylan and crew set out to prove they were an
unconventional band. Welcomed on-stage by delighted shrieks, they
immediately dove into their signature guitar sound with their
gigantic radio hit "One Headlight." The crowd responded with a
noise combining excitement and astonishment. Rarely does any band
open with their biggest hit. But the Wallflowers aren’t just any
band. Even with Dylan’s different vocal approach to the song, the
song was still absolutely amazing.
The Wallflowers’ easy-going sound continued with "Angel on My
Bike," the older song "Ashes to Ashes", and "Three Marlenas."
Dylan’s voice, a perfect hybrid of his father’s and Bruce
Springsteen’s, lacked a diverse range or any serious emotional
expression, but something in its gentle hoarseness seemed
appropriate for the down-to-earth mood the music was trying to
convey.
With "The Bleeders," Dylan became chatty with the fans and even
made pleasant variations with his vocals. He introduced both the
hometown drummer, Mario Calire, and a new song, "Skinny Lips,"
which displayed the band’s great musicianship and chemistry.
Despite their mastery of the new material, the crowd roared when
the Wallflowers launched into another hit, "6th Avenue Heartache."
The song featured a guest appearance from the pianist of Tom
Petty’s band the Heartbreakers. At one point during the song’s
bridge, security from the stage rushed into the crowd to deal with
some minor problem. Dylan yelled into the microphone, "No security
up here! Now’s your chance to jump up here!" After the guard had
returned and no one had bum-rushed the band, Dylan chided, "You
blew it!" and finished the song.
This was great entertainment from a band who isn’t known for
their outgoing stage performance. For a performer with a somewhat
emotionless voice, Dylan displayed great personality and a welcome
sense of humor. They followed that hilarious episode with a cover
of Carly Simon’s "You’re So Vain." Introducing the song, Dylan
proclaimed, "Now that we’ve played our two hits, it’s time to play
someone else’s smash!"
The show took a slower turn with the country-esque ballads "I
Wish I Felt Nothing" and "Josephine," in which Dylan finally showed
off some vulnerability with beautiful vocal emotion. "God Don’t
Make Lonely Girls" and "Laughing Out Loud" were more lively, with
guitarist Michael Ward throwing picks into the crowd and Dylan
reviving the calmed-down crowd.
The Wallflowers’ rendition of their radio hit, "The Difference,"
got heads bobbing down by the stage. The Wallflowers ended the set
with a perky cover of Smoky Robinson’s "Tears of a Clown," leaving
the stage amid tremendous crowd noise.
The band encored to louder wails of excitement and the band
reappeared with a now-hatted Dylan. They performed an unidentified
old rocker song not included on any of their albums and another
song entitled "Invisible City," which turned our to be the band’s
quietest number all night. Then the hour-and-a-half show ended and
the crowd emptied the Wiltern-like Ventura Theater all smiles.
Despite the premature appearance of the fantastically catchy
"One Headlight," the Wallflowers’ show was virtually flawless.
Their bar-band style and fan-friendly attitude exuded a feel-good
aura that few of today’s bands can produce.
SHAWN LAKSMI/Daily Bruin
Lead singer Jakob Dylan (r.) and guitarist Micheal Ward
(l.).