Soirée: Evan Dando (of The Lemonheads) with Sara Johnston (of Bran Van 3000) and Lorrie Matheson

Soirée: Evan Dando (of The Lemonheads) with Sara Johnston (of Bran Van 3000) and Lorrie Matheson

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Evan Griffith Dando formed The Lemonheads with two high school buddies in late winter '86, in their senior year at Boston's tiny Commonwealth School. A few months later, they spawned what is now one of the most sought-after punk relics of the 80s, the indie EP Laughing All the Way to the Cleaners. Boston-based Taang! Records immediately picked up on The Lemonheads, with three college radio pleasers to follow: the LPs Hate Your Friends (1987), Creator (1988), and Lick (1989). In 1990 Atlantic Records took notice of the massively expanding Lemonheads fanbase in Europe (where they toured in 1989) and America by signing the band and releasing their well-received (in Cambridge, Massachusetts) fourth LP, Lovey.

Even by this time, The Lemonheads lineup had been volatile: more than a dozen different configurations over a period of just five years, all sorts of bit parts and reshuffles, with Dando as the only constant. At one point it got so confusing that an ex-drummer, just a week after getting kicked of the group, answered The Lemonheads' ad to replace himself. By a conservative estimate, the band has had more than ten bass players and at least a dozen drummers over the years.

But out of this primordial chaos came a veritable Golden Age for The Lemonheads. A 1991 tour brought Evan to Australia, where by chance he met songwriter Tom Morgan and future Lemonheads bassist Nic Dalton. Their collaboration made all the difference for the next Atlantic release, It's a Shame About Ray (1992), a concentrated blast of pure pop perfection that clocks in at just under 30 minutes. Thanks to songs such as "Confetti", "My Drug Buddy", "Rudderless", and "Ceiling Fan in My Spoon", Dando hit a whole new audience ("they're getting younger," he confessed to Kathie Lee Gifford at the time).

Mainstream media hype of The Lemonheads shifted into high gear, with lots of wild speculation as to the exact nature of the relationship between Dando and long-time friend Juliana Hatfield (who played bass and sang on Ray). It also didn't hurt when a 1993 People magazine spread devoted a full page to Evan as one of the fifty most beautiful people in the world. That news came to Evan in New Zealand, on his 26th birthday. When a magazine rep called to tell him he was among the "fifty dishiest people", Dando recalled, "I thought she said busiest". And I thought, 'kin right!" With all the traveling, I was busy!"

Atlantic released a smash follow-up, Come on Feel The Lemonheads, in October 1993. The album brought Dando a genuine charting single ("Into your Arms") as well as instant classics such as "Great Big No", "Down About It", "Being Around", and "You Can Take it with You." In winter 1993/1994 Evan Dando was in your living room, thanks to live appearances on the Letterman and Leno late night network TV shows. Inevitably, in Warrington, Pennsylvania, a 20-something named Jeff Fox published the first issue of his backlash 'zine Die Evan Dando, Die.

http://www.thelemonheads.net/

Montreal artist, Sara Johnston, launched her music career in the famed collective, Bran Van 3000 and went on to tour the world in support of the band's award-winning 1997 debut release, “Glee”, followed by their acclaimed follow-up 2001 album, “Discosis”, on the Beastie Boys’ Grand Royal label.

When Bran Van decided to take a hiatus, Sara turned her attention to her own song writing and began composing and producing the songs that would form the foundation of her debut solo album, “Sleeper” (2008). An accomplished vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, Sara has appeared on projects by other artists including reggae troubadour, Mishka, Montreal singer songwriter, Chris Velan and New Zealand duo, Flight of the Conchords. She also co-produced Bran Van 3000's return album, Rosé (2009).

Sara’s latest album, “Trespassing”, was recorded with a cadre of L.A. musicians including producer, John Kastner (the Doughboys), Jason Falkner, Gene Trautmann (Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal) and Christopher Thorn (Blind Melon). Featuring the single, “Big Love”, the album floats Sara’s lush voice above a sunset cityscape of dense guitars and pulsing drums.

http://www.sarajohnston.com/

Lorrie Matheson is a Calgary-based singer, songwriter, musician and producer. Chock full of insightful, acerbic wit and driven by the need to call it as he sees it, his reputation as one of Calgary's best extends well beyond Alberta's provincial borders.

http://www.lorriematheson.com/

Tickets are $15 in Advance from BigTickets.ca and Sloth Records.