Dream Syndicate - Loco Club, Valencia, 19/10/2022

  by Philamonjaro

published: 20 / 2 / 2023

“Tell me when it's over/Oh let me know when it's done.” ‘Tell Me When It's Over’, track 1, side 1 from ‘The Days of Wine and Roses’. Well, mates, there is no end in sight… Currently The Dream Syndicate have just wrapped up several European dates on their 40th anniversary tour and are heading back home for a few more concerts. UK dates are scheduled for 2023. Pennyblackmusic caught them in Valencia, Spain's Loco Club. It is a great, intimate room. Here fans enjoyed dancing at the edge of the stage. There was a turbo-charging energy that fed back and forth between the crowd and the band. Featuring founding members Steve Wynn andlead vocals/guitar/songwriter and drummer Dennis Duck, along with bassist Mark Walton (member since 1984) and guitarist Jason Victor, The Dream Syndicate make for a rock-solid band. This is the current line-up since reforming in 2012. Their musical chemistry is on, and very tight and fresh. They are a band that aren’t resting on past nostalgia. Rather their creative flow is quite prolific. Victor’s solo playing sounds so tastefully improvisational and just plain cool. Walton’s bassline has a groove, counterpoint and independence that really adds a complimentary depth to the guitars. Duck’s drumming is as straightforward, driving or intricate as required. And of course Wynn, the reserved yet intensely engaged frontman is at the centre. There are no crazy stage antics. It is all the relentless vitality of playing the songs. Each one susses out every bit of nuance and sound from their instruments. During the first set they kept to material recorded since their 2012 reformation. Featured cuts included ‘Bullet Holes’ and ‘Put Some Miles On’ from the 2019 release ‘These Times’. There were three cuts from ‘How Did I Find Myself Here?’ (2017) – ‘Out of My Head’, ‘Glide’ and the title track – and no less than four tracks from their June 2022 release ‘Ultraviolet Battle Hymns and True’ – ‘Damian’, ‘Every Time You Come Around’, ‘Hard to Say Goodbye’ and ‘Trying to Get Over’. All really great songs. If you haven’t checked out the new tunes yet, when you do, you are in for a treat. During the second set they performed their 1982 Slash Records debut release ‘The Days of Wine and Roses’ track-by-track. Then they closed out the night with encores: ‘Still Holding On to You’ - (‘Medicine Show’ 1984) and ‘Boston’ (‘Out of the Grey’ 1986). What stands out is that the newer material is as great as the classic debut that they celebrated. Both the music and the band have aged quite well. No language barrier here, the music did the talking. The show was everything and more for these fans. The band has earned a loyal fanbase here in Europe as noted by the crowd’s complete engagement. Many fans lingered on afterwards. All four bandmates hung out sincerely enjoying fan photos, autographs, stories and the bustling vibe from the show. No doubt they were embracing it. The Dream Syndicates’ jangly guitar sounds, melodic hooks, atmospheric vibe, psychedelic grooves, garage-rock rawness and overall post punk passion was defining to Los Angeles’ early 80’s Paisley Underground scene. Along with The Bangles, The Three O'Clock, Green On Red, The Rain Parade and The Long Ryders, they were LA’s face of a fresh new sound that rose from underneath the din of commercial radio. Acts with street cred who gained national attention through the tastemakers of that time, college radio. It’s not over. It’s not done for these guys. The new song title ‘Hard to Say Goodbye’ just might be the allegory here. Steve Wynn will be amongst the all-star cast at Atlanta, Georgia’s Roxy on December 15th for the 40th anniversary celebration of R.E.M.’s ‘Chronic Town’. Proceeds to support Planned Parenthood.

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