Live at the Roseland Ballroom, NYC, Nov. 28, 1997 - Part I

This was my first Wallflowers concert and I was extremely excited to see the band live. I was still smarting after having missed the Wallflowers opening for the Counting Crows at Jones Beach, NY during the prior summer, so I wasn't going to let any chance to see them in Manhattan slip me by. I knew that a thrilling evening laid ahead and I couldn't stop looking at my watch to count down the minutes until show-time.

I arrived at the Roseland Ballroom at 5:45 p.m. for a 7:30 p.m. show, since it was general admission. The Ballroom holds approximately 3,000 people, but it was not sold out, probably due to many people being away for the long Thanksgiving weekend. The crowd consisted mostly of teenagers. We entered the Ballroom at 6:50 p.m., at which time Maypole, the first opener, was undergoing a sound check. Maypole eventually played from 7:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., but I wasn't impressed by their music or the drunkenness of some of the band members.

At 8:20 p.m., the second opener, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, started their set. They were great! A mix of blues and rock, they had the whole audience shouting for more. (Even Jakob Dylan later told the audience that, of all the opening acts they've had, Ben Harper is probably their favorite.) Ben's bass player played a breath-taking solo during the set. A friend of mine who sat in the V.I.P. section next to Jakob's wife, said that some of the Wallflowers (not Jakob) were dancing there to Ben's music. Ben left the stage at 9:20 p.m.

The Wallflowers took the stage at 9:45 p.m. to a room full of screams. They started with a cover of "Tonight's the Night" and immediately followed with "Ashes to Ashes," a song from their first album. I was standing in the fifth line from the center of the stage. The band sounded great and looked well-dressed. Jakob was wearing an off-black vest and pants, and a burgundy-brown shirt with a grey leaf-shaped pattern. He is remarkably thin. Most of the other band members wore dark pants and a light shirt. Rami Jaffee, the keyboardist, also sported an off-white fedora.

Jakob Dylan was the only member of the band who spoke during the concert. Some of the other band members didn't even have microphones. Jakob asked the crowd, "Did you all have a Happy Thanksgiving?" The crowd screamed "Yes!" He told the audience that "this is the second year in a row that we've spent Thanksgiving in New York. One year ago, actually one year ago on this date exactly, if I remember, and it was a lot colder then, we were under a bridge doing a video for this song . . ." They launched into "One Headlight," their biggest hit. Jakob introduced the next song simply by saying: "This song is called `Bleeders.'" After "Bleeders," they began playing "Three Marlenas." Next, Jakob told the audience, "I want to thank you all for supporting our new songs, but this song is one of our oldies," and the band played "Sugarfoot" from their first album. Jakob then said, in a sentimental tone, something to the effect of: "You know, we're from Los Angeles, but we have an emotional attachment to New York. And when our tour bus rolls into New York, I get a pang right here (tapping on his chest), and I ask myself: `why do I get this pang?' . . . and I realize, it's a heartache." They played "Sixth Avenue Heartache," followed by "God Don't Make Lonely Girls" and "Laughing Out Loud." "Don't fall asleep now!" Jakob teased, and later added: "Now is a really good time to . . . smile" (as he pulled up the corners of his lips with his fingers). For the slower song, "Josephine," Jakob switched to an acoustic guitar. When it finished, he said, "This one's a real oldie. In fact, you might call it a classic." The band then played the Smokey Robinson song "Tracks of My Tears." During that song, Jakob started talking to the audience. He said that he was thrilled to be working with such great musicians. He introduced Michael Ward, the lead guitarist, then pointed to Rami Jaffee and said that Rami would play a solo on all of his various keyboards. Rami's playing was superb. Then, Jakob announced that it was time "for the highlight of the show. I'm really excited. Now's the time for the rock 'n roll drum solo." Mario Calire (introduced as "Mario Skinnier-than-you Calire") played his drum solo. Jakob then introduced bassist Greg Richling to the crowd, and the band finished "Tracks of My Tears." [To be continued]

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