Last Friday night, New York rock icon Jesse Malin made a triumphant return to the City of Angels, playing his first show in the city in four years. His first since suffering from a devastating spinal stroke that left him wheel-chair bound.
I had actually been at both of Malin’s last shows in Los Angeles; his 2021 headlining set at the Hotel Cafe in 2021 (also DJed by my friend Marko ‘Sugarcult‘ Desantis), and the incredible Howie Pyro tribute show in 2022 at The Troubadour which Malin spearheaded in honor of his late friend. Along with being an incredible musician and storyteller, Malin is also one of those figures who excels at bringing people together. He had friends like Kate Clover (who I had just seen the week before) and Matt Pinfield in the audience, and clearly a ton of other Hollywood scene veterans who have likely been fans of Malin since long before I discovered him back in the early 2000s. Unity was a major theme of the evening, and the power of rock n’ roll to make it happen.
The first time I ever saw Prima Donna was at the Howie Pyro tribute show four years prior. They were great then, yet even better this night at the Roxy. Fronted by Kevin Preston, a talented solo artist in his own right, the group hit the stage with the kind of joyous rock n’ roll energy that can only come from a passionate band who are just as happy to be playing for you as the fans are watching them. The foursome rocketed through their hook-laden songs like “Sociopath”, with the guitars loud and a bit of saxophone occasionally adding that hint of classic, E-Street soul. Preston took a moment to talk about the rock show that changed his life: seeing Green Day (who he now tours with as a guitarist) play with Malin’s band D Generation opening. From a fan to sharing the stage with those legends – Preston is a prime example of where rock n’ roll dreams can take you.
The band continued its set, getting the audience singing along to the great “Soul Stripper” and a couple other wonderfully raucous songs before packing up the stage for Malin and his band. I chatted later with Preston, who said the band are working on a new record, so hopefully we’ll get that sometime towards the end of this year or next year!
Malin’s band took the stage, getting the audience ready for when the main man was carried out. While Malin opened the show seated, and playing acoustic guitar, it felt like the real show began when the band started into “State of the Art”, and Malin pulled himself up to his feet to sing. It was a pretty beautiful moment, and one that had the room applauding. The journey Malin has been on to fight his way back to being able to perform has been incredibly inspirational, and the way he addressed it was full of grace and positivity throughout the evening. And while he may not yet be able to move like he used to onstage, Malin’s voice remains engaging and his passion for the art and genre remain unmatched.
As mentioned earlier, Malin is a bard; a storyteller, who regaled the audience with tidbits behind songs like “Black Haired Girl” (not about anyone specific he clarified), the gratitude and thoughtfulness that inspired the Americana ballad “Room 13,” and he paid moving tribute to his late friend Howie Pyro, talking about their history and Pyro’s desire to be buried at the Hollywood Forever cemetery (which inspired his latest single, “Hollywood Forever”).
On top of the gratitude Malin had for being back, he seemed just as enthused to have a good time singing tracks from throughout his catalog (playing songs like “Death Star,” “Hotel Columbia” and “She Don’t Love Me Now”) along with covers of his punk forebears (Ramones’ “Rock n’ Roll Radio” and later The Clash’s “Rudy Can’t Fail”). “Riding on the Subway” showed off Malin’s bluesier side, but my favorite moments were from the punkier side of his catalog. Songs like “Prisoner of Paradise” and “In a Modern World” were still ingrained in my head all these years later, as were “Burning the Bowery” and the great “All the Way From Moscow”
While Malin did talk about the craziness of the world right now (leading some members of the audience to shout out F*** Trump), the singer didn’t use the time to lambast anyone or any political party. He focused on wanting to bring people together, and return to the feeling he experienced back after 9/11, telling a story about getting pulled over in their van which was still reported as stolen due to a mix-up, and the police empathizing with Malin when learning he was from New York. While I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to get back to that level of unity outside of a rock show, its a reflection of the kind of person Malin is and the light he seeks to shine on the world.
As the band played “Meet Me at the End of the World” with a rollicking shuffle, I know that if the world ends, I hope Malin and his band are there to serenade the end. Cause whether he’s playing lively tracks like that, or one of Malin’s oldest tracks from his Heart Attack days (“Everybody Wants to Rock and Roll”, which Preston joined him for) or moving torch songs like closer “Broken Radio”, Jesse Malin‘s voice is one that helps make the world feel like a better, more hopeful place. Here’s hoping it’s not another four years before he’s playing back in Los Angeles.
Malin has a new book out, Almost Grown: A New York Memoir, which you should check out, and check out his music here.
The Indy Review 