Touted as one of the seminal alternative rock bands of the 1990s, The Lemonheads is probably also one of the most underrated. When the albums “It’s a Shame About Ray” and “Come on Feel the Lemonheads” were released in 1992 and 1993, respectively, grunge had exploded and the Seattle sound dominated the scene.

 

Compared to other bands, The Lemonheads’ mainstream commercial success was not as overwhelming. Its less aggressive sound may not have appealed to many testosterone-loving grunge fans back then, but it has been more than sufficient to amass a stable and loyal following.

 

Despite a five-year hiatus and lineup changes over the years with frontman Evan Dando as the only constant, the band remains significant and highly respected, and its discography part of many an audiophile’s playlist.

 

The band is currently on tour, and made a pit stop in Manila just last week. Produced by Pinoytuner, The Lemonheads’ show at White Space in Makati was a gathering of ’90s high school and college kids reliving the music of their youth.

 

It was indeed a chance to run into people you hadn’t seen in a while, minus the flannel and the long, greasy hair: the acquaintances that you made more than a decade ago in some gig; the guy who played in an almost forgotten high school band; and your ex-dorm mate were there.

 

Nostalgia

 

Many in the crowd had probably just come from a long day at the office. It was obviously an “older” audience, except for a select few.

 

Even the in-house music in between sets of front acts Ciudad, Ang Bandang Shirley and Itchyworms was a mix of past hits, a concoction of tracks by The Smashing Pumpkins, Jeff Buckley, and even The Beatles, among others. It was, indeed, a nesting ground for nostalgia.

 

There wasn’t fanfare or a grand introduction prior to the main act, except for a brief voiceover announcing that The Lemonheads was next.

 

There was much excitement among the fans, however, and screams of exaltation emanated from the 30- and 40-somethings as the band went onstage.

 

Not much chitchat or pleasantries here, except when Dando would ask the crowd what song they wanted the band to play.

 

No special light effects or 10 different technicians minding the band’s setup wither; just four guys cranking out chords, beats and vocals song after song, almost nonstop, at times almost as if they were playing in no definitive order, but satisfyingly so.

 

Unassuming presence

 

The rest of the band did find time to rest. In between renditions of well-loved anthems such as “It’s About Time,” “It’s a Shame About Ray,” “If I Could Talk I’d Tell You” and “My Drug Buddy,” and giving the audience the opportunity to chant to every song, Dando played acoustic guitar alone.

 

That was when you realized that there is more to him being named as one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful some-time ago. His classic handsome looks were downplayed by an outfit that consisted of a shirt, denim vest and torn jeans, and shoulder-length hair that covered his face half the time.

 

But when he strummed his guitar and sang some bittersweet tunes in that voice of his that hasn’t changed in two decades, he captivated, and his unassuming presence pulled everyone in.

 

The Lemonheads didn’t perform “Mrs. Robinson,” which, despite being the cover song that gave the band mainstream recognition years ago, has been referred to by Dando in a previous interview as one that he doesn’t particularly like.

 

Instead the band played Suzanne Vega’s “Luka.” One of the closing songs was “Into Your Arms,” after which the members thanked the audience and left the stage.

 

Of course, Dando had to go back and play acoustic on his own again, much to the pleasure of an audience that wanted more and just couldn’t get enough of over 90 minutes of The Lemonheads.