He is a prominent member of the New York City music community. Ryan Adams has produced his albums. Nearly every band that plays with him has cited him as a friend and an integral influence in their respective music careers.
Yet when Jesse Malin took the stage on Nov. 17 at the Bowery Ballroom, his first U.S. show since an extensive European tour, he exhibited no signs of a rock-star attitude. He had returned home and mentioned this fact numerous times throughout his nearly two-hour set.
He poured his heart into nearly every song. His energy was intense, his band tight and his crowd, a mix of both young and old, gazed on and sang along.
Maybe it was because the former frontman of New York punk band D Generation takes every aspect of his music career so seriously. In some ways, he is the quintessential musician - a man who believes in the necessity of individualism and who is not afraid to express his political beliefs.
But he isn't afraid to criticize his industry and the characteristics that define it. In between songs, Malin discussed a slate of topics from "the silliness of the iPod craze" to one of the reasons why he left D Generation - "because pants styles were becoming more important than the music."
Yet in the end, the most important thing for Malin is obviously music. He is a historian of the New York music scene who loves telling of his life experiences. In doing so, he expresses his passion for both his influences and his fellow peers and often dedicates his songs to those who have shown him the way. As he tackled a set full of songs from his latest album, Glitter in the Gutter, and numerous covers in front of the nearly 500 people gathered to see him at the Bowery, it was easy to recognize that these influences have led to the development of a remarkable musical talent.
He sang emotion-laced lyrics reminiscent of Springsteen with Joe Strummer-like passion, backed by a sound mixing Ryan Adams-like alt-country and the punk styles of the Replacements and the Ramones.
2008 Woodie Awards
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