Recently relocated from New York, the city with which he’s been long identified, to take up residence here in the Hills, Dean Wareham seemed at ease on stage with an mild though attentive L.A. audience at the Roxy last Thursday. Looking like someone’s cool dad (which he is) just slightly rumpled in a casual stripped polo shirt and dark framed glasses and hair sprouting perhaps a slightly lesser amount of his usual poof, he gives off an air between bookishness (he is after all an author) and rocker cool (he does after all have a shiny Les Paul). He’s self effacing but you sense the confidence underneath it.

Despite the occasion of the new self titled solo record and last year’s e.p. — first ever sets released under his own full name in a musical career that spans four decades (similar to Ben Watt who also just released a self titled set at age 50 after a 30 year span) — the set featured a healthy chunk of Galaxie 500 classics along with a pair of Luna gems to much audible appreciation from the crowd. Ending the night with the prior’s cover of “Ceremony”, it is hard to think of a song that is as much identified by its cover version as its original recording.

Dean Wareham | deanwareham.com