Wallflowers, Not in On
the Party 8.17.01 by by Rhonda Robinson for ConcertLiveWire.com
Is the glass half empty or half full? Over the years many back-up bands have gone on to be headliners, others have been relegated to the county fair circuit reliving their past glories. There is always the fear of upstaging the main act, and perhaps losing the gig. Do you "go for it"or do you sit back and follow the revenue stream? That is a question that Jakob Dylan should have been asking himself before agreeing to to open for John Mellencamp. Here was an opportunity to introduce his band, The Wallflowers, to an audience that perhaps was not familiar with his music. The thirty-something crowd was there to see Mellencamp, and Dylan, unfortunately, did not use this venue to win the crowd over. He lost the audience with his first two songs,"Letters From the Wasteland" and "Three Marlenas" which were boring and flat. People talked and chatted as if they were listening to background music in a bar instead of a live concert from a national act. A cheer rose from the crowd as they started to play "6th Avenue Heartache," but it was short-lived, as Dylan seemed to struggle with the words. Towards the end of the set, the crowd became more electric, and the band responded with more energetic work. But one has to wonder if they were responding to the crow or just happy to be near quitting time. The last song, a cover of The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again," was the best received song of the night. It was also the best entertainment of the entire set. Don't get me wrong, The Wallflowers are good. I have seen Dylan's band as a headliner and they were superb. But tonight they lacked enthusiasm, and failed to connect with the crowd. Which half of the glass will it be next time? |
John Mellencamp / The Wallflowers