Youre an early-Nineties band that gets pigeonholed into the alternative category. You have one big, insanely overplayed MTV hit, which you follow up with an edgier, darker album. The critics hate it, but you embark on a tour to drum up support. Then your lead singer fresh outta rehab and teetering on the brink of relapse dies in your tour bus. What in hell do you do? A lesser band might throw in the towel. But if youre Blind Melon, you let the wounds heal before you suck it up and soldier on with a new lead singer. This music isnt gonna play itself, people.
Luckily for longtime fans, new lead vocalist Travis Warren has a sweet, raspy voice that admirably fills the void left by the late Shannon Hoon. The band performs old tunes -- youre guaranteed to hear No Rain -- but now there are new songs to be sung, including Last Laugh, Sometimes, and Wishing Well, which you can hear on www.myspace.com/blindmelon. Tonight at 8, you can catch them live at the Culture Room.
Wed., Dec. 5, 8 p.m., 2007