News archive 2001-2003 from robertcrosbie.com

December 21st 2003: Spanish Dates Added
Evan Dando is playing some Spanish dates at the end of January, head on over to the live page to check them out.

December 11th 2003: "Secret" Newcastle Show
Attention all Newcastle Dando fans! Evan is playing an acoustic gig in the Cluny pub, Newcastle (UK) on December 20th. This is Evan's last gig of a memorable year. The venue only holds 250, and tickets are only available at the door of the venue, so get your tickets now!

November 13th 2003: Meeting Evan in The Village
Last night Evan played a wonderful solo show in Dublin's The Village venue. Having now perfected his solo acoustic shows, there was a lot more energy and humour injected into the proceedings. The set concentrated on Lemonheads songs rather than tracks from "Baby I'm Bored", but the highlight was an amazing performance of Gram Parsons' "A Song For You", with backup vocals and guitar from Siobhan and Mark who opened the show. My own personal highlight was meeting Evan in his dressing room after the show. I gave him the website address for our little site here, and chatted for a bit about his other website and generally had a bit of a laugh. I have to admit, he was charming, down to earth, and extremely friendly. A true scholar and a gentleman!

October 20th 2003: Evan In Ireland
Sorry for the lack of recent updates, and for missing some live dates, but we are glad to say that Evan is back in Ireland, playing the Village in Dublin on the 12th November, and a whole Irish tour starting on 7th November in Galway! Evan is also confirmed to perform at a tribute to Gram Parsons on the 15th November at the Union Chapel, London.

September 19th 2003: Still Alive
Contrary to some rumours, this site is not shutting down. There have been few updates recently, as there has been little news of late. Evan is still on tour and getting on very well. Obviously after the initial rush leading up to the release of "Baby I'm Bored" things have settled down a bit, but we can start up again later in the year as we discuss what Evan will do next! A new album, single, film, whatever. Meanwhile, he played some gigs in the UK recently, which were not posted on the Live page. Apologies for that, we will endevour to keep that page updated as often as possible.

June 21st 2003: Bar-None Press Release
Here's an exclusive press release from Bar-None Records:
"Evan Dando is now a week into his first full-band tour since he disbanded the Lemonheads more than seven years ago. With old friend and collaborator Juliana Hatfield at his side on bass and vocals on this leg of the tour, Evan not only showcases the critically acclaimed new songs from Baby I'm Bored, but revisits practically all of the Lemonheads' classics, including "It's A Shame About Ray", "Into My Arms", "My Drug Buddy", and "Big Gay Heart." He doesn't have to worry about forgetting any of the words because audiences have been initiating spontaneous sing-alongs. It's that kind of show: a convivial gathering of friends, on stage and in the crowd, enthusiastically embracing the new songs, loudly welcoming back the old and cheering on an artist who has clearly been missed."

"The band, which also includes longtime cohort Chris Brokaw (Come, Codeine, Consonant, the New Year) on guitar and vocals and George Berz (FU's, J Mascis and The Fog) on drums, brings a harder-rocking edge to the new songs and definitely recaptures the spirit of Lemonheads faves. Much has been written about Evan's many misadventures; far less has been said about his tremendous gifts as a singer and guitarist. On stage Evan displays what made him so compelling in the first place: that beautifully frayed, plaintive voice; that rumpled, just-out-of-bed charisma; and a passion for both noisy, guitar-heavy rock and quiet, cry-in-your-beer country. He's looking good, sounding great, offering up old memories and new intimacies. He's absolutely having a good time. So will you. Don't miss him. (And he's selling some way cool tee-shirts too.)"

"The tour has already stopped in Providence, Boston, NYC, Philly, DC, Cleveland, and Toronto. Seven dates remain on the first leg of this US tour and they're listed below along with some samples of what the critics have been saying. For you world travelers, Evan will be spending July and August touring Europe and Australia -- places where he's even more eagerly awaited -- before returning for the second leg of his US tour in September."

June 18th 2003: Evan Chills Out
Evan's track with Craig Armstong, "Wake Up In New York" is to be released on a new compliation in the UK, called "Acoustic Chill 2", on August 4th. The album, a 2CD set, sets out to "join the dots between the analogue and digital and showcasing mellow, acoustic driven songs that offer a warm, much needed alternative to the perma-frost iciness of other chillout compilations." The compliation also features songs by Neil Halstead, Dubliner Gemma Hayes, The Dandy Warhols, and Doves. Check out www.distinctiverecords.com for more details.

June 16th 2003: Juliana Back On Bored
Josh Lattanzi, Evan's current touring bassist, has returned to Ben Kweller's band, so the bass playing duties for the rest of the tour will be handled by none other than Juliana Hatfield. Juliana (vocalist with the Blake Babies and solo artist) will of course be very familiar to long time Lemonheads fans as she played bass on the classic "Its A Shame About Ray" album and also performed backing vocals on both it and "Come On Feel The Lemonheads" from 1993. Plus of course some memorable live appearances. Also in the works are some Australian Dando dates, and some more dates in Europe later this year.

June 11th 2003: And The Tour Goes On...
Evan has been confirmed to play the Glastonbury Festival this year, appearing on the main stage on Friday.

May 6th 2003: Evan & Band Play Storming Dublin Set
Last night Evan and his band played an amazing set in Dublin's The Village. Starting off with a five song acoustic set, the band joined Evan for what turned out to be his best ever Dublin gig. They played most of the new album, plus some Lemonheads classics such as "Big Gay Heart" and "Down About It". A particular highlight was band opener "Waking Up", a much more rocking version than the piano led album track. There were moments of humour too - Evan was very embarrassed about showing off his "born to change the world" tattoo; an almost-attempt at "Freebird"; and twice his guitar strap came off his guitar - when the roadie tried to refasten it, Evan looked highly amused yet they nearly came to blows! But he apologised to the guy afterwards, as he was just doing his job after all! Meanwhile, Evan has come into slight criticism for his recent tirade against George W. Bush at a recent instore gig. Read the full story at the NME site here. Also, one of the B-sides of new single "Stop My Head" is a duet with Liv Tyler on "Shots Is Fired". The single is out on May 19th and is backed by Neil Young's "Thrasher", "Things Have Gone To Pieces", and "Au Board la Seine".

May 4th 2003: More UK Dates & Collaboration News
More UK dates have been added, including a second London show due to demand. I will be reviewing tomorrow's Dublin gig, so look out for it. In other news, there are reports that Evan is collaborating with American pop singer Mandy Moore on her new album. He is apparently singing backing vocals.

March 27th 2003: Evan In UK Top 30
"Baby I'm Bored" entered the UK Album Charts at number 24 this week, which is a great placing and proof that there are many Evan fans out there in the UK.

March 25th 2003: Evan on Last Call with Carson Daly
We received this email: "Evan Dando is headed to NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly on April 2nd. The show tapes Wednesday evening at Rockefeller Center in New York. Tickets are free, but on a first come first serve basis. Email now to reserve your priority seating. Our ticket email is lastcallaudience@nbc.com. Please put EVAN DANDO in the subject heading, give us your full name, age, and number of tickets you'd like to reserve (limit 4). We will follow up with a confirmation email. You must be at least 16 years old to attend be in the audience. Thanks and we look forward to seeing you at the show!"

March 17th 2003: The Album Is Out!
Happy St. Patrick's Day! And "Baby I'm Bored" is out in the UK! Sorry, USA, you'll have to wait till the 22nd April. However, it is worth the wait - the album is more than a return to form. It certainly outshines the last two Lemonhead's releases, and harks back to the glory days of "...Ray"-era tuneage. The overall atmosphere is relaxed, slightly stoned and generally happy, and the songs are proper "songs" again, and not just forages into noise or "humorous" metal riffing. The opener, "Repeat", sets the tone with its stop-start guitar and plaintive vocals. By far the most commercial song is "It Looks Like You", which is a great upbeat acoustic song with the sunniest of harmonies. More thoughts on the album will follow...

March 13th 2003: UK Dates
Evan's UK live dates can be found on the Live page. As yet there are no Irish dates confirmed but will probably take place around the same time. A full tour is expected to be announced shortly. Watch this space!

March 12th 2003: Official Site Is Up
The official Evan Dando website is finally up, and can be found here.

March 10th 2003: New Interview
There is a new interview on the Interviews page, from the UK newspaper The Observer. It is quite in depth; Evan talks about his 'bad period' of 94-97, as well as how he got his feet back on the ground and decided to "to make something of my life". Head on over to the page and have a read.

March 9th 2003: Evan & The Give Goods
Evan makes a guest appearance on "How To Kill A Rich Man" by The Give Goods, a new band featuring Tom Morgan, Evan's longtime songwriting partner. The album is out in May 2003 on EMI.

March 2nd 2003: Good Reviews & In-Store Date
So far Evan's new album has been reviewed in the UK in Mojo and Q magazine. Both reviews have been strong, 4 and 3 out of 5 respectively. Here's a few quotes from Q: "Most of the time the results are touching and warmly melodic...'It Looks Like You' and 'Hard Drive' are exactly the kind of delights optimistic Dando admirers would wish for...[the album] will be treasured by die-hards". In other news, Evan is playing in-store at London's HMV Oxford Street, at 6pm on March 19th, where he will also be signing copies of the album. Also this week's song on the Setanta site is "Stop My Head". (Oh yeah, it really is Elizabeth on the cover!)

February 4th 2003: Album Ordering & Thank You
The new album will be released in the USA on April 22nd, through Bar None Records, and it can also be pre-ordered on Amazon. Also Setanta are streaming tracks from the album every week up to its UK release on March 17th. This week's track is "Hard Drive" and requires a Real Player. Meanwhile, thank you for all the emails of encouragement sent over the last year. Due to the sheer volume I can't reply to them all, but keep 'em coming! Also please email any live dates you may know of in your town. Thanks!

January 29th 2003: News From Rolling Stone
This has just been posted on rollingstone.com: "Former Lemonheads frontman Evan Dando will release his solo debut "Baby, I'm Bored" on April 22nd -- seven years after the release of the Lemonheads' last album, "Car Button Cloth". Dando enlisted old friends and collaborators for the record: Howe Gelb, John Convertino and Joey Burns of Giant Sand and Calexico; former Spacehog vocalist Royston Langdon, and one-time Come/Codeine guitarist Chris Brokaw all guest. Ben Lee contributed two songs to the album, "Hard Drive" and "All My Life." Jon Brion, who has worked with Fiona Apple and Aimee Mann and contributed to the scores of the Paul Thomas Anderson films Magnolia and Punch Drunk Love, produced and co-wrote five songs with Dando. "I met Jon in 2000 and we just hit it off," Dando said. "We wrote one of the songs, 'It Looks Like You,' in twenty minutes. He's a musical powerhouse." Lemonheads and Pavement producer/engineer Bryce Goggin also worked on five other songs with Dando. Dando expects to tour behind the album this summer."

January 13th 2003: Front Cover and Track Listing
We have the cover art and track listing for "Baby I'm Bored"! Click here for the tracklisting and here for cover. (By the way, is that him on the cover?)

January 2nd 2003: Finally, The New Album
Finally some solid news about Evan's solo album. It is called "Baby I'm Bored" and will be released on the Setanta label between March and April. It contains tweleve tracks including collaborations with Ben Lee, Tom Morgan, and Royston Langdon. Hopefully Setanta will pass along some information but at the moment we can only guess that it will contain the tracks mooted for the album when it was known as "In The Grass All Wine Coloured". Thanks to Robert Cass for uncovering these details!

December 6th 2002: Evan On Tom's New Album
This is courtesy of evanlemon.com: "The mooted album that Tom and Evan were going to make was made in Melbourne in August. Tom's new band are called The Give Goods. Evan played most things (bass, drums, guitar, even a tiny bit of singing) on the record along with Tom, Andy Calvert (Tom's partner in the Goods), and Paul Dempsey (Producer and lead singer in Something For Kate). The actual album is Tom and Andy's baby so Evan and Paul were the hired guns. Tom and Andy have signed to EMI via label High Fidelity Recordings, so look out for the album early next year."

December 2nd 2002: Evan Finally Signs Record Deal
Evan has finally secured a solo record deal with Setanta Records. From the Setanta website: "We have just signed a deal with Evan Dando of Lemonheads fame; we will release his first album since the Lemonheads "Car Button Cloth" in '96. His album will come late Jan and he will tour in Feb/March". This, of course, is great news and we are looking forward to bringing you more updates regarding the album directly from Setanta Records.

November 11th 2002: Florida Live Dates
Evan is playing some Florida dates in December. Check out the Live Page for more details.

November 6th 2002: Evan Story
We got this mail from 'oddinary77': "Here's some Evan news for you. I hung out with him when he played in Philly on September (we're buds), and right after that he mentioned that he was off to Brooklyn to play some dates and do some recording, with Jon Brion I believe. He also told me that he was thrilled about Ben Kweller's new album, and that the guitar and amp that he used on the recording were Evan's. He was in a great mood that night and we drove around and chatted about Australia, music (he's a huge Eminem fan) and married life. He and Elisabeth are obviously totally in love. She made his set list for the evening and gazed up adoringly while he strummed the chords to his best known songs. I was sad to see him go, but I'm sure me and my friends will chill with him the next time he's in town."

October 31st 2002: Evan Busy In Studio?
Quiet times at the moment, lets hope Evan is busy recording his album! Now is the time to go back and listen to some of the classics.

September 18th 2002: Evan to Play at MacColl Concert
Evan is played at a concert celebrating the life and music of Kirsty MacColl, on the 23rd September at the Royal Festival Hall. Evan has performed some Kirsty MacColl songs in the past, as well as recording "Perfect Day" with the late singer for her "Galore" album.

September 12th 2002: Lemonheads Font
Things have been very quiet as of late, however Evan has been playing some US shows. There are also reports that his debut solo album will not be released until Spring 2003. There goes all those "Fall 2002" rumours...Anyway, to keep occupied, you can download the famous Lemonheads font used on "...Ray" and install it on your computer. Download the font here..

August 3rd 2002: New Live Dates, Album News
July was a pretty quiet month, but finally something is happening. There are some new live US Dates on the Live Page, plus news that Evan has recorded songs with longtime collaborator Tom Morgan, for Tom's new album. Evan has also written some new songs with Jon Brion, one of which is called "Looks Like You've Got Some Explaining To Do". The Evan Dando solo album is due to be completed this autumn. Evan also plays guitar on former Mazzy Star vocalist Hope Sandoval's solo album.

July 1st 2002: We Have Moved!
The Evan Dando site has now moved to its new server which will allow more mp3s and pictures to be uploaded, and no more annoying Angelfire banners. We hope to get the Mp3s back on line as soon as possible. In other news, Evan mentioned at a recent gig that his solo album would now be released in January 2003. Here's hoping...

June 14th 2002: Dando On Hazlewood Tribute
Evan appears on a new album called "Total Lee", which is a tribute to legendary singer Lee Hazlewood. The track in question is called "Summer Wine" and is a duet with Sabrina Moore (presumably this is the same song which Bono recently released with Andrea Corr). The album is released on June 17th.

May 6th 2002: Review of Dublin Gig
There is a review of the 4/5/02 Dublin gig here.

April 16th 2002: "Dead Or Anything" out now
"Dead Or Anything", the single by Dando, Lee, Petersson & Schwartzman is available now from Trifekta records. The single is only available from this website and bear in mind that it will be delivered from Australia.

April 8th 2002: Dando Back in Dublin
Evan is playing in Ireland again! He plays Belfast on the 3rd of May and Dublin on the 4th. We will try to secure an exclusive interview with the man himself, to publish on the site. Here's hoping!

March 19th 2002: European Dates
Evan is playing some European dates in April, find out where on the Live page.

March 6th 2002: Belated Birthday Wishes!
March 4th was Evan's 35th birthday - sorry we couldn't update on the day! So happy birthday Evan. In other news, the "Dead Or Anything" single might be an internet only release.

March 3rd 2002: Craig On Evan
"The reason for choosing Evan Dando (Wake Up In New York) couldn't have been more simple. I was an admirer of the Lemonheads, of course, and in particular knew what a beautiful voice he has - as is witnessed by this song. Plus, I've always hated the sound of British artists faking Americanisms. Evan was perfectly equipped to sing about waking up in New York because he actually lives there." - Craig Armstrong.

February 28th 2002: Release Date Revision
The release date for the Craig / Evan collaboration has been revised. The single is now out on the 29th April, with the album coming out before on the 15th. These dates come exclusively from the record company, so they are to be believed!

February 27th 2002: Exclusive Release Dates
Things are really hotting up here. "Wake Up In New York" (the single) is released in the UK on March 18th, and will feature on Craig Armstrong's album "As If To Nothing" which is released on 1st April on Melankonic.

February 18th 2002: Single B-Side
The "B-Side" of Evan's forthcoming single, "Dead Or Anything" is called "Love Song". The single is released by Trfiekta Records, Australia.

February 1st 2002: Virgins on Hold, Guest Appearances
The Virgins, the mooted "supergroup" featuring Evan plus Ryan Adams and James Iha, has been put on hold. This is due to the problems Adams has had with his hand, plus the busy schedules of other would-be members. Evan himself is very busy, with the release of his "Dead Or Anything" single imminent, plus the upcoming release of "Wake Up In New York", his collaboration single with Craig Armstrong. There is no release date for this single as of yet, but there are rumours a video is being made. Evan also appears on a tribute record to Lee Hazlewood, and recently recorded his track "Summer Wine" with "Car Button Cloth" producer Bryce Goggin. This will be released sometime in late 2002.

January 29th 2002: New Tour Dates
Added to the Live Page are new tour dates for February. These are US dates only.

January 14th 2002: "In The Grass" page
I've added a new page to site for the new Evan Dando album, which is tentatively titled "In The Grass All Wine Coloured". As new songs come to light they will be added to this page, and will be finalised when the album is released (eventually).

January 4th 2002: Studio Album News
This is from the Phoenix.com: "The local prodigal son is about to break his recording silence in a big way. A live album, recorded last year at the Brattle Theatre, is already out as an Australian import (Modular), and February brings a new single, "Dead or Anything," by the unlikely trio of Dando, Tom Petersson (of Cheap Trick), and Jason Schwartzman (of Phantom Planet but best known as the bratty kid from "Rushmore"). A proper studio album, tentatively called "In the Grass All Wine Coloured", is due to be made this spring and released in early summer. Dando has lately been writing songs with LA-based pop fiend Jon Brion, originally a Bostonian and an Aimee Mann collaborator who was last seen working with Fiona Apple; Brion is likely to produce the disc as well."

January 3rd 2002: New Year's Day Show
Happy New Year! Let's hope 2002 sees an official studio release from Evan Dando. In the meantime, a review of the show from the Paradise in Boston is available by clicking here.

December 19th 2001: Webcast Concert
Modular Records have an excellent Evan Dando webcast available on their site. It is from the Metro show which took place on November 15th and features Evan Dando and Chris Brokaw. The show is 60 minutes long and is of excellent quality. Click here.

November 15th 2001: Virgins Get To Work
This story comes from MTV News: "Former members of the Smashing Pumpkins, Hole, Whiskeytown and the Lemonheads have formed a new rock supergroup of sorts called the Virgins. Ex-Lemonheads singer Evan Dando, ex-Whiskeytown singer Ryan Adams, ex-Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha and ex-Hole bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur are scheduled to record an album together this winter, according to a spokesperson for Iha at his label, Scratchie Records. The Virgins, the brainchild of Adams and Auf Der Maur, will record at Stratosphere Sound, the new Manhattan recording studio owned by Iha. The spokesperson for Iha said it was too early to say if the Virgins will tour behind their album."

November 8th 2001: Review "Brattle"
If any lucky Australians who own a copy of "Live at the Brattle Theatre" would like to post a review, please email it here. Apparently the album is released worldwide today, but as yet there is no solid confirmation of this fact.

November 4th 2001: The Virgins
There are rumours on the web that Evan has formed a new band with former Smashing Pumpkin James Iha, called The Virgins. There is no other news or even verification that the reports are true; however it seems Iha is involved in forming a new band of some description. Whether Dando is involved or not remains to be seen.

October 31st 2001: New Album on HMV website
The new album, "Live At The Brattle Theatre", is available in the UK from the HMV website. However, as it is an import it costs a little more and takes longer to deliver - about 4 - 6 weeks.

October 8th 2001: New Release Date
The release of "Live At The Brattle Theatre" has now been put back to October 29th.

October 4th 2001: Evan Signing Record Deal
Apparently Evan Dando is in the process of signing a record deal, to release his debut studio album in early 2002. Whether this is a major label deal or not is unknown. One can only speculate the deal would be with a larger label, as Evan's profile has risen considerably in the last year. Meanwhile the live CD is available to order at eil.com, however there is no solid release date and the cover art seems to be wrong, so it is not known how trustworthy this site is.

September 24th 2001: Brattle Theatre CD out on 8th Oct.
A new Evan Dando CD, and his first official solo release, will be out on October 8th on Modular records. "Evan Dando Live At The Brattle Theatre" is a live album taken from his recent show at the venue, and features mostly Lemonheads favourites from the band's last four albums. Accompanying the album is a bonus EP of studio cover versions - the famous "country covers" we've heard about for months. Unfortunately the album is only available in Australia. Track listing and details are found here. Dando's first solo LP proper is due for release in Spring 2002.

September 17th 2001: Aussie Tour
Evan has announced tour dates for a short Australian tour in October. See the Live Page for details. In other news, Evan and his wife Elizabeth have been confirmed by Dando's management as being safe following the terror attacks in New York. The Dandos live in an apartment close to Wall Street. It is not known if they were home at the time of the attacks. We at Evan Dando and The Lemonheads send our condolences to the victims and their families. Peace. Note: Evan later described the events of the day in an interview - he and his wife were on the roof of their apartment when the second plane flew directly overhead on its doomed journey. The Dandos then fled the scene to safety in a friend's house.

August 30th 2001: The Lemonheads Are No More - Official!
Evan Dando has admitted that the Lemonheads as a band, and a name, have finished for good. In an interview at the Leeds festival), Dando admits that the band has "had its day". His new band, however, are apparently called "Rebel Crew 2001"! Read the interview here.

August 2nd 2001: Evan Live This Weekend
On Saturday night Evan Dando is playing at the Witnness festival, Fairyhouse, Dublin. He is playing the second stage, sharing a bill with the likes of Eagle Eye Cherry, The Charlatans, Stereophonics, and the Waterboys. Catch him at about 5.15pm.

July 9th 2001: Dando & Courtney Onstage
Courtney Love joined Evan on stage recently in Vancouver, Canada, in what was by all accounts an eventful gig. Evan strayed over his alloted time and Love tried to discourage the staff eager to begin the venue's disco by exposing her breasts. She also played a few songs support, and the two duetted on a version of "Into Your Arms". Dando was in a "cranky" mood according to reports, due to the fact he was detained at the Canadian border and had his equipment confiscated. He eventually stormed off stage, upset at the club's lack of appreciation for his and Love's extended appearance.

July 6th 2001: Odd News Story
I've uncovered an odd news story from a few years ago. I'd never heard of it before and seems to be from about '97. It involves "Deep Bottom Cove" being used on a compliation album by someone called Peter Simon. Apparently he added harmonica and bells to the backing track. Evidently "Dando was extremely surprised to hear a mysterious harmonica and percussion added to his song," according to his management. They then requested the song get pulled, but Dando allowed the first 5,000 pressings of the CD to go on sale, with the tampered track intact.

July 3rd 2001: Griffith Sunset to rise?
It seems Griffith Sunset is getting closer to being released. Several Australian based sites are pre-ordering the album, and are encouraging fans to buy now. However, lack of a solid release date and track listing throws doubts over the legitimacy of the sale. Modular, the label releasing the album, claim they are releasing something by Evan Dando; they just don't know what or when.

January 19th, 2001: Quote From Spin Magazine
"Dando is preparing to release a live album sometime in the middle of the year on Australia's Modular Recordings label. The live material will be taken from Dando's gigs this past October, and the album will likely also contain a number of country covers recorded in the studio. And shortly after the live record, we can expect to see a debut Evan Dando solo studio LP, which Dando aims to complete recording by mid-2001. He as also written some material with Ben Lee, Spacehog's Royston Langdon and long-time collaborator, Tom Morgan."