What gives here? The Fox Theatre in Boulder hosted Jakob Dylan and the Wallflowers August 15, 2002. Not so unusual you say, after all, the Wallflowers are musicians and the Fox is a concert venue. But the group has sold millions of records in the recent past and the Fox Theatre holds 625 at best.

Well, the performance wasn’t a concert per se, it was part of the live music showcase held in conjunction with the Triple A Summit – a radio convention for programmers in the Triple A adult rock format. Most in the audience were seminar attendees – only a couple hundred tickets were available to the public.

It’s hard to tell just how aware the concert-going public was about this opportunity to see a big-name act play a small club. There was no run on tickets -- they were still available at the door. Perhaps people assumed that they wouldn’t get in or that, for $25, it wouldn’t be much of a show. Wrong on both counts. Another weirdness (maybe to keep the crowds away) – the way the show was listed in print and online made it appear as if the Blind Boys of Alabama were “headliners” (i.e. the band name was in all caps and at the top of the listing with The Wallflowers and Beth Orton listed in smaller letters underneath). In fact, it looked so odd, that this reviewer had to call to make sure it was THE Wallflowers (Jakob Dylan’s band) and not some other Wallflowers. Apparently The Blind Boys of Alabama were the ones getting (needing?) a big marketing push.

The Wallflowers, back for their third Triple A Radio Seminar performance, were sandwiched between the aforementioned Blind Boys and British folk singer Beth Orton. The group took the stage from about 10:00 until 11:00 p.m and as is often the case when small venues host rock acts, the sound was way over-amped. On this occasion, though, Dylan noticed the problem, commenting on audience members who were covering their ears during the songs. The sound was toned down but left all in attendance with ringing ears by evening’s end.

However, one could actually make out the words to the new songs previewed by the group, a feat often impossible when the sound is going full-bore. And though the Wallflowers tested a number of new tunes, they mixed in enough old favorites to keep everyone happy. Oldies included "One Headlight," "Three Marlenas," "Sleepwalker," and "6th Avenue Heartache." New material from the forthcoming Red Letter Days CD included "Close to You," "Everything I Need," "Too Late to Quit," "As Good As It Gets," and "When You’re On Top."

The crowd, front row groupies aside, was composed primarily of radio employees so, though the music was appreciated and warmly received, there wasn’t that undercurrent of excitement often found at concerts. Dylan acknowledged his audience stating, “Thank you to Triple A – the whole world is counting on you.” His subtle commentary on the availability of radio airplay for non-pop artists was sobering. On a happier note, the new stuff sounds as great as the old stuff and Dylan noted that the band would be back in a couple months. Lookin’ forward to it.

Mountain West Music 2002