IN ROLLING STONE... IN ROLLING STONE...
(...AND EXCERPT FROM "BOB DYLAN/THE WALLFLOWERS~BEALE STREET MUSIC FESTIVAL~MAY 2, 1997/MAY 4, 1997~MEMPHIS TENNESSEE"
"...A FAIR DOSE OF HIS FANS STUCK AROUND FOR TWO DAYS TO SEE THE WALLFLOWERS. BUT THE BAND MOSTLY DREW A HUGE CONTINGENT OF YOUNG GIRLS WEARING BRACES AND TRAINING BRAS WHO KNEW THE BAND'S HITS AND JAKE'S GOOD LOOKS.
THE WALLFLOWERS IMMEDIATELY KNOCKED OFF THEIR SINGLE "ONE HEADLIGHT." SO CLOSE ON DAD'S HEELS, THE YOUNGER DYLAN'S LINES "NOTHING IS FOREVER/THERE'S GOT TO BE SOMETHING BETTER" RANG WITH AN OEDIPAL RESONANCE. "6TH AVEENUE HEARTACHE" WAS GREETED BY A BANK OF RAISED CIGARETTE LIGHTERS AND SWAYING HANDS. THE BAND'S STAGE SETUP WAS FOUR ACROSS (WITH DRUMS BEHIND), AS IF TO EMPHASIZE THE GROUP AND NOT DYLAN. NEVERTHELESS, HE WAS THE BRIGHTEST MEMBER. LEAD GUITARIST MICHAEL WARD CHANGED INSTRUMENTS FREQUENTLY, AND WHILE KEYBOARDIST RAMI JAFFEE'S SOUND WAS GREAT, A DANCING KEYBOARDIST STRIKING ROCK-STAR POSES WILL ALWAYS LOOK GOOFY.
THE WALLFLOWERS' SET DREW HEAVILY FROM THEIR SECOND LP AND MADE "THREE MARLENAS" AND "GOD DON'T MAKE LONELY GIRLS" SOUND LIKE TWO MORE RADIO HITS. FOR AN ENCORE, THEY LAUNCHED INTO A SCRUFFY, MUSSED-UP VERSION OF THE BAND'S "THE WEIGHT." THAT HEALTHY IRREVERENCE SAID IT ALL: THIS WHEEL'S ON FIRE." ~ROBERT GORDON
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