The Lemonheads Played "...Ray," and More, at Maxwell's (Monday Show)

It was back-to-the-'90s night Monday when Evan Dando brought the latest incarnation of The Lemonheads to Maxwell's in Hoboken, in the first of two sold-out shows. The shows were promoted as the band performing its classic album "It's a Shame About Ray," but Monday's turned out to be a little less than that, and a lot more.

Evan Dando at Maxwell's Monday night.

Although the current Lemonheads (a trio of Dando, plus a very capable bassist and drummer*) played most of "...Ray," Dando didn't hesitate to "fast forward" through songs he didn't feel like playing. But while the set was lacking, for example, "Mrs. Robinson," one of the band's best-known songs (to casual fans, at least), the band's hour-and-a-half set included a lot more than just that album. (*Note: the other current members of the Lemonheads are Chuck Treece on drums and former Taking Back Sunday guitarist Fred Mascherino on bass.)

The Lemonheads moved quickly from one song to another, making one wonder if their van was double-parked somewhere and they were trying to finish up their set so they could move it before getting ticketed. This may appear negative but it really isn't, because the band's catchy, three-minute pop gems sound perfect when strung together one right after the other.

About midway through the show the bassist and drummer left the stage, leaving Dando to perfect about eight songs solo on acoustic guitar, including "Into Your Arms" (which I would have preferred to hear with the band, but since it's not on "It's a Shame About Ray," I can't complain too much).

I was right up front next to a serious Lemonheads fan who mouthed the lyrics to every song. He was standing right in front of Dando and, in fact, a couple of times the singer looked to the fan for guidance (not sure if it was on lyrics, order of verses in a song, or something else).

For fans of The Lemonheads, this tour is a great chance to see Evan Dando & company up close.

Upcoming Shows at Maxwell's: Thurston Moore, Bombay Bicycle Club, Cate Le Bon, Craig Finn, & More

Maxwell's in Hoboken has a great lineup of concerts planned in the coming weeks, and below are some of the highlights. I'm mentioning shows going a little far out, through the end of March, since the club has a small capacity and some of the more popular performers will sell out weeks in advance. (The March 2nd Cults show sold out at least a couple of weeks ago.)


Thurston Moore performing "Circulation" from his most recent solo album, "Demolished Thoughts."

As you'll notice, opening acts and set times are not available for some of the shows. Check the Maxwell's website for more details (you should probably check it anyway, to make sure the schedule hasn't changed). You can buy Maxwell's tickets online at Ticketfly, or at Tunes CDs in Hoboken or Other Music in NYC.

As usual for Maxwell's, the upcoming gigs reflect an eclectic mix of types and genres of rock. And generations as well. There are acclaimed new artists such as Welsh singer Cate Le Bon and British band Bombay Bicycle Club, and veteran acts including Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore (performing solo) and singer-songwriters Marshall Crenshaw and Garland Jeffreys. The Hold Steady's Craig Finn is also stepping out on his own, supporting his new solo album.

And there's the return of some blasts from the past: the Feelies side project Yung Wu, the Scud Mountain Boys, The Lemonheads (performing their album "It's A Shame About Ray"), and the Psychedelic Furs.

• Thurs. 1/26: Teddy Geiger/Jack Skuller, 8:30 p.m., $15 
• Fri. 1/27: The Gories/Boom Chick, 9:30 p.m., $20
• Thurs. 2/2: Jenny Owen Youngs/special guest, 8 p.m., $10 adv./$12 d.o.s.
• Fri. 2/3: Thurston Moore/Rhyton, 9 p.m., $20 SOLD OUT
• Sat. 2/4: Marshall Crenshaw/Garland Jeffreys, 9 p.m., $20
• Thurs. 2/9: Jeff the Brotherhood/t.b.a., 9 p.m., $10
• Fri. 2/10: Cate Le Bon/special guest, 7:30 p.m., $10 adv./$12 d.o.s.
• Fri. 2/10: "Pretty Good Friends" featuring Eugene Mirman, Kurt Braunohler, and more, 9:30 p.m., $13 adv./$15 d.o.s.
• Sat. 2/11: Dum Dum Girls/Widowspeak, 9:30 p.m., $15
• Fri. 2/17: Scud Mountain Boys/John Cunningham, 9 p.m., $15
• Sat. 2/18: Young Wu/East of Venus/Thousand Pittes, 7 p.m., $10
• Sat. 2/18: Mates of State/special guests, 10 p.m., $15
• Thurs. 3/1: Craig Finn, $15 SOLD OUT
• Sat. 3/3: Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby (7 p.m.), $10 adv./$12 d.o.s.
• Thurs. 3/8: Bombay Bicycle Club, $20
• Mon. 3/12: The Lemonheads performing "It's A Shame About Ray," $20 adv./$22 d.o.s.
• Tues. 3/13: The Lemonheads performing "It's A Shame About Ray," $20 adv./$22 d.o.s.
• Wed. 3/14: John K. Samson (of The Weakerthans) and The Provincial Band, $13 adv./$15 d.o.s.
• Sat. 3/24: The Psychedelic Furs, $40
• Sun. 3/25: The Psychedelic Furs, $40
• Wed. 3/28 Marky Ramone's Blitzkrieg, $20

Great Live Music in Hoboken: Lemonheads Tonight; Ian Hunter & the Baseball Project Sunday; Thermals & Alejandro Ecovedo Next Week; More

Ian Hunter and band playing "Cleveland Rocks" in London, 2004.

There's been a lot of good live music in Hoboken recently, and there's more to come. Here's a look at what's coming up, including some shows in the next few months (which I'm listing because they're in the small confines of Maxwell's, and may sell out well in advance of the show date). Note: there are many other shows at Maxwell's besides the ones I've listed here, which are shows that may be particularly popular because they are rare small-club gigs for some of the artists.

Tonight, April 28 - The Lemonheads/The Canon Logic - Maxwell's, 8:30 p.m., $20

Sun., May 1 - Hoboken Arts & Music Festival: Ian Hunter & the Rant Band (former leader of Mott the Hoople) - 4:30 p.m.; The Baseball Project (featuring Peter Buck & Scott McCaughey of R.E.M., Steve Wynn of The Dream Syndicate, and Linda Pitmon of The Pretty Babies) - 3 p.m.; The Pretty Babies (Blondie cover band) - 2 p.m.; Bern & the Brights - 1 p.m.

Sun., May 1 - The Thermals/special guests - Maxwell's, 9 p.m., $15

Fri., May 6 - Alejandro Escovedo and The Sensitive Boys/Jesse Malin and The St. Marks Social - Maxwell's, 9 p.m., $22 adv./$24 day of show

Fri., June 3 - She Wants Revenge - Maxwell's, 7:30 p.m., $22

Fri., June 10 - NRBQ - Maxwell's, 7:30 p.m., $15 adv./$20

Fri., June 17 - James McMurtry - Maxwell's, 7:30 p.m., $15

Fri., July 1 and Sat., July 2 - The Feelies - Maxwell's, $24.99

Sun., July 24 and Mon., July 25 - Fountains Of Wayne - Maxwell's, $24.99