By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
October 13, 2000
Jakob Dylan’s best songs capture the frailties of human nature. On “Breach”–the latest album by his band, the Wallflowers–Dylan goes a step further, allowing fans to explore all the things he was reticent to talk about in the past (e.g. his famous dad, Bob).
At a sold-out concert Thursday night at Metro, Dylan led the group through a superb set that showcased the new, paid homage to the old with a faithful rendition of their breakthrough hit “6th Avenue Heartache,” and included a dead-on cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes.”
Kicking the show off with the hypnotic single “Sleepwalker,” Dylan stoically stood center stage and sang, “Maybe I could be the one they adored/That could be my reputation/It’s where I’m from that let’s them think I’m a whore/I’m an educated virgin.”
After years of not answering questions about his father, the younger Dylan has cautiously opened up on a handful of new songs. It’s an interesting perspective of the protagonist, who we assume is he, that he presents–shy, sometimes unsure and not always certain that his detractors are wrong in their assessment of him.
He is his father’s son, but he questions whether that is enough.
In one of the evening’s highlights, Dylan strummed the twangy chords in “Hand Me Down,” and sang from the point of view of a disappointed father (or a fan of the father): “You won’t ever amount to much/You won’t be anyone/ . . . You’re a hand me down/It’s better when you’re not around/You feel good and you look like you should/But you won’t ever make us proud . . . /Now look at you/With your worn out shoes/Living proof evolution is through/We’re stuck with you/This revolution is doomed.”
The emotion in his voice was real and, yes, at times his low, husky vocals sounded strikingly similar to you-know-who. But the song was his. And, if anything, the story-driven rock feel of “Breach” owed less to vintage Bob than to Bruce Springsteen.
In the past, Dylan had a penchant for penning oblique lyrics (“She always prayed to headlights”). He has grown into a thoughtful songwriter with a nimble gift for wordplay and an evocative voice that tugs at the heart.
Michael McDermott opened the show with vivid songs that were heartfelt and surprisingly anthemic, given the acoustic setting.
