Don?t even bring up the pretty-boy image Evan Dando, founder of The Lemonheads, has held since 1993, when People magazine christened him one of its 50 Most Beautiful People.
On his first tour in 10 years, Dando is concentrating on the band?s eighth album, “The Lemonheads,” and rebuilding the band?s strong fan base.
“It really sounds like The Lemonheads,” Dando said of the new release. “Maybe a little better.”
That?s no small statement for a man whose group defined college rock in the late 1980s and 1990s with such crowd-pleasing albums as “Hate Your Friends” and “Lick.”
But as the band?s popularity grew, its lineup was consistently volatile, with more than a dozen different configurations over five years. Dando was the only constant. For those doing the math, the band has had more than 10 bass players and at least a dozen drummers. But for all the turmoil, the band kept building its fan base with songs such as “Confetti” and “My Drug Buddy.”
Years of brutal touring took their toll on Dando, who had public meltdowns, frequently chronicled in the press. After a year promoting the 1996 release “Car Button Cloth,” Dando announced that he was disbanding The Lemonheads.
“I just decided to duck out for a while,” Dando said. “I didn?t have it in me. It took until I met my wife [model Elizabeth Mose] to get back into making music.”
When he returned, fronting MC5 and playing a host of well-received solo gigs, the creative processes started flowing. Soon, Dando convened two of his early influences ? drummer Bill Stevenson (Descendents, Black Flag) and bassist Karl Alvarez (Descendents) ? to create the new album. Now Dando and the band are on tour, and critics chronicle full venues and well-received tunes.
“At its best, ?The Lemonheads? sounds exactly how you want The Lemonheads to sound. … [Dando applies his] gnarled mix of country, alt-rock and punk. ?” Rolling Stone magazine reported.
Dando is nonchalant about the kudos.
“I wanted to make a rock record, a melodic rock record,” he said. “Also, I?m sick of selling solo T-shirts.”
IF YOU GO
The Lemonheads with Vietnam and the Oranges Band
» Venue: The Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St., Baltimore
» Time: 8 p.m. doors, 9 p.m. show Wednesday
» Tickets: $17; www.theottobar.com; 410-662-0069
