Evan Dando Live at Musik und Frieden – Monday 22nd May 2017

What was the longest gig at Berlin’s legendary Bang Bang Club, you ask? That’d be Evan Dando’s epic three-hour song marathon back in 2015. BLY was there, and let me tell you – there was a palpable sense of hysteria as the clocked ticked ever closer towards the wee hours. With stage security getting increasingly restless as Dando doggedly continue to perform to a thinning crowd, it became clear to those present that we were witnessing something special.

There was a reason why Dando literally stopped people getting a good night’s sleep that evening. Throughout the ’90s, Dando’s band The Lemonheads captured the vibe of the decade perfectly with their lackadaisical, alt-country ramblings. Dando’s also known for his talent in covering other people’s songs. Indeed, a number of the man’s best-loved tunes are actually the work of others (not to mention that cover).

Dando’s charming reverence to his peers and enthusiasm for the craft of songwriting is inspiring. At one point during his 2015 Berlin performance, the crowd was treated to at least 10 covers in a row. It’s not just that he performs such covers with ease that’s impressive, or that he has a jukebox worth of songs in his head. It’s that he gives each song that same written-on-the-back-porch kind of charm that is the hallmark of his musical oeuvre. He manages to inject an essence of lonesome sadness into a wide variety of songs ranging from ’70s power-pop group Big Star, to little known Australian indie rockers Smudge.

Dando has always cut an unpredictable and eccentric figure in music, seemingly not interested in playing by anyone’s rules. Preferring to spend his time hanging out in the woods (if his Twitter account is anything to go by…), Dando tours as and when he feels like it. With the one solo album to his name now 14 years old, Dando’s taking a trip around Europe this May in honour of its reissue on vinyl. Will we hear new songs? Is he going to take us on another three hour musical journey?

BERLIN LOVES YOU has the privilege of presenting this show – 2 x 2 tickets are up for grabs. Send us an email to win@staging-berlinlovesyou.kinsta.cloud and we’ll pick a winner later this week.

Evan Dando live at Musik und Frieden

Falckensteinstraße 48,
10997 Berlin

The Facebook event is here.