CheekyChicago

Alt-rock posterboy, Evan Dando, returned to Double Door Friday night, but he left one thing back in Boston – his band.  The Lemonheads frontman is currently on a solo tour, and lucky for us, he graced a mass of Chicago’s 90’s superfans, nostalgic for the songwriter’s proclivity for crafting whimsical, witty pop songs.  Dando, who took the stage – you guessed it – solo, opened with “Frying Pan,” his rendition of the Victoria Williams tune, as recorded on 2003′s Baby I’m Bored.  The scraggly-haired songwriter stood against a rare backdrop of what would reveal to be footage of his drive into Chicago, as familiar images of I-90/I-94 and Chinatown flashed across the screen.  As anyone who has ever seen the Lemonheads knows, Dando isn’t the particularly loquacious type, and Friday’s show was no exception.  He blustered through some 30+ songs, extensively spanning the Lemonheads’ history, including Dando’s most recent solo work.  Highlights included wistful favorites like “Outdoor Type,” “My Drug Buddy,” and “Into Your Arms,” while the songwriter also included unsuspecting and subdued gems, like “Hard Drive” and Ben Lee-penned “All My Life,” both found on Dando’s often overlooked Baby I’m Bored.

The crowd, which dwindled somewhat as Dando approached his set’s hour-and-a-half mark, reduced to Lemonheads superfans, singing along, keenly and verbatim, as Dando returned to the stage for an encore.  He was joined onstage by opening support, the Candles, rounding out a full band, to perform closers, including “Rabbit” and “Mallo Cup.”

Since the 2005 resurgence of the Lemonheads, Dando has taken to the road with myriad outfits, including touring stints with ex-members of the Descendents, Karl Alvarez, and Bill Stevenson, and Vess Ruhtenberg and P. David Hazel (of Beta Male) in 2008.  2010 urged Dando to take the road solo, tepidly promoting last year’s covers album, Varshons, but mostly resurrecting vintage Lemonheads gems.  If Friday’s vibe was any indication, it seems Dando still enjoys performing, and unlike some of his contemporaries, acknowledges the imprint he has made on one of music’s most powerful eras.