Being There

12.20.00 By Heather Brack for the Cleveland Free Times (Photo by T.J. Wheeler)

Wallflowers, John Doe
Agora
Friday, December 15

Bob Dylan has a talent that changed the face of popular music. Jakob Dylan has pretty blue eyes and catchy tunes. Not that thereÌs anything wrong with pretty eyes or catchy tunes, but I think we can agree that itÌs not quite the same.

The Wallflowers have the roots-rock act down. They have a handful of hits calculated to make heads bob and hands clap, every one of which they played to an enthusiastic crowd. They have a lot of guitars and all the classic keyboards and organs (played by Rami Jaffee in a goofy hat and shades). Even on newer songs like "Letters from the Wasteland" that have less of a classic rock sound, the lap steel serves as a homey reminder that the Wallflowers are an American Rock Band. They even get bras thrown at them Û big, practical white cotton bras, but underwear is underwear, right? And if youÌre a musician, underwear means success.

It could have been better, but it could have been worse. Dylan has a charming smile, but from the neck down his performance is static and wooden. That wouldnÌt be a big drawback, except Dylan is the clear focus of the show, with all the other band members pushed off to the sides. Michael Ward plays guitar well, but sings so off-key the band would be well advised to ban him from backup vocals. Greg RichlingÌs jerky foot-tapping and perfect posture are the stuff that the stereotype of bassists as square losers is built on. It certainly wasnÌt the loudest or most excitable crowd in Agora history, but they screamed a little for "Three Marlenas" and a lot for "One Headlight." When Dylan asked the crowd to sing along so he could take a break, they were almost loud enough to be heard in the lobby.

The show wrapped up with a surprising cover of BlurÌs "Song 2" by Ward, Richling and drummer Mario Calire. Then the band brought opener John Doe back out to duet on a politically tainted cover of the WhoÌs "WonÌt Get Fooled Again."

Doe's own set (billed as the "John Doe Thing") was received politely by most of the audience, though the older half of the crowd seemed a little turned off by his propensity for obscenity. His lyrics range from clever and quirky to pointless and silly. Doe has deviated a little from his punk past as the bassist for X with lighter rock songs, but he can still play the hell out of a guitar. Û