Evan Dando & Juliana Hatfield

Lee's Palace, Toronto ON June 16

BY Ian GormelyPublished Jun 17, 2011

Lost '90s icons Evan Dando and Juliana Hatfield reunited for a rare acoustic appearance, which saw the two singers trading vocals and guitar licks to a highly appreciative audience. Both appeared affable and happy to be able to still draw a crowd and reciprocated by dropping classic Lemonheads songs like "Bit Part" and "Into Your Arms." Not to be outdone, Hatfield delivered "Choose Drugs," an appropriate choice given Dando's well-documented substance abuse, and, at Dando's behest, two cuts from a forthcoming album. Dando's voice remains unchanged and Hatfield's harmonies were as angelic as they were in the early '90s. The pair, who have worked together off and on over the past 20 years, were particularly charming as they worked out arrangements on the spot and seemed genuinely bummed to have to cut their set off at 45 minutes to accommodate the festival's schedule. That Dando and Hatfield are still able to perform together is a treat; that they still sound this good is a minor miracle.

Latest Coverage