Line-up

Venue

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

1000 E. Beltline Ave. NE, 49525, Grand Rapids, MI, US

meijergardens.org

Capacity: 1,900

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Additional details

Doors open: 19:00

Concert in your area for Rock and Indie & Alt.

Find out more about Rock.

The Wallflowers biography

The Wallflowers is an American rock and roots rock band formed by Jakob Dylan and Tobi Miller in 1989, hailing from Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Born in 1970 to Bob Dylan and Sara Lowndes, Jakob Dylan grew up in Los Angeles, however following his parents’ divorce studied at private schools across L.A. and New York, U.S. With that much music in his blood young Dylan formed the original Wallflowers in 1989 with guitarist Tobi Miller, keyboardist Rami Jaffee, bassist Barrie Maguire and drummer Peter Yanowitz. The band released their eponymous debut in 1992 on Virgin records, however the album sold poorly and the Wallflowers were dropped from the label shortly afterwards.

Undeterred, with a new line-up of Dylan, guitarist Michael Ward, bassist Greg Richling, keyboardist Jaffee and drummer Mario Calire, the group signed to Interscope, and enlisted the help of longtime Dylan family friend and producer T-Bone Burnett. The resulting album was the multi-platinum “Bringing Down the Horse” released in May 1996, which featured the popular singles “6th Avenue Heartache” and “One Headlight”, the latter of which earned the band a Grammy award for Best Rock Song.

After a four-year hiatus, letting the dust of their popular album settle, the Wallflowers released their third full-length album “Breach” at the turn of the new millennium. Despite earning positive reviews from critics, a sharper, keener sound, and Jakob tackling issues relating to having such an iconic father, the album passed-by largely unnoticed and was succeeded by the more accessible “Red Letter Days” in 2002.

The Wallflowers’ follow-up “Rebel, Sweetheart” was issued in 2005, peaking at No. 40 on the Billboard Album chart. The album marked a move away from Interscope records, the departure of keyboard player Jaffee and a slowing of the band’s touring and recording schedule. Jakob Dylan’s debut solo album “Seeing Things” was released in 2008, followed the year after by the Wallflowers’ compilation album “Collected: 1996-2005” and supporting tour. With a new line-up featuring Jaffee, bassist Greg Richling, guitarist Stuart Mathis, and former Pearl Jam drummer Jack Irons, the band released their sixth studio album “Glad All Over” in 2012.

Live reviews

Alternative rock hit its popularity peak in the 90s, and The Wallflowers were a big part of it.
Starting the band in 1989, Jakob Dylan (yes, Bob Dylan’s son) teamed up with Barrie Maguire, Peter ‘Pedro’ Yanowitz and Rami Jaffee to start The Wallflower. Yanowitz soon left and was replaced by Greg Richling. Over the course of the band’s existence, the lineup changed significantly. However one thing remains the same -- Dylan is the frontman. From the early 90s to the present, they released six albums as well as a greatest hits record called ‘Collected: 1996-2005).’ After seeing them play the CBGB Festival earlier this year, two things were clear. First they sound better than ever. Two, Dylan has not aged a bit. Looking cool and calm in shades and a fedora, he and the rest of the band played their biggest hits and drew large crowds to the early afternoon set. And considering it was staged in the middle of Times Square in New York City, having a crowd of that size proves just how much of a legacy The Wallflowers have left. Listening to ‘One Headlight,’ ‘Three Marlenas’ and ‘The Difference’ brought me back to my primary school days when I would watch Dylan’s clear water blue eyes grace my television in one of their big music videos. You know when music videos actually still mattered? Either way, The Wallflowers still have it and are now bringing this hits on the road in hopes of bringing nostalgia to longtime fans and picking up a bunch of new ones.

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