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David Johansen in Concert
What's David Johansen like in concert? It depends on which side of the rock icon you're talking about. When he was fronting the legendary New York Dolls, either in their 1970s heyday or their reunion iteration, he was a raw, feral rock 'n' roll beast, roaring and howling as the moment demanded.
In his alter ego Buster Poindexter, he becomes a comparatively suave, sophisticated cabaret singer. With his project The Harry Smiths (named for the renowned folk music archivist), he emerged as a proponent of sit-down acoustic roots music.
When he's simply performing under his own name, as he has been at various points since the late '70s, Johansen assumes the full mantle of rock royalty. He taps into all the different aspects of his complex musical personality to deliver a show of electrifying rock 'n' roll sweat, energy, and charisma.
David Johansen Background
As the frontman for the New York Dolls, David Johansen has a huge role in rock history, but his contributions to the canon don't stop there. Born in Staten Island in 1950, he became a driving force in a radical new rock 'n' roll scene in New York City in the early '70s.
He formed the New York Dolls in '71 and forged a raw, rambunctious sound that provided a blueprint for the punk revolution years later. When his game-changing run with the Dolls ended in the mid '70s, Johansen struck out on his own, releasing his self-titled solo debut LP in 1978.
He continued working under his own name through the mid '80s, cutting such classic tunes as "Funky But Chic" and "Frenchette." Johansen subsequently emerged with his new persona, Buster Poindexter, nattily attired and delivering a kind of street cabaret sound that balanced perfectly between the boozy and the sophisticated, scoring the timeless 1987 hit "Hot, Hot, Hot" in the process.
Around this time, Johansen also got into acting, and his credits would include ‘Scrooged' and HBO's ‘Oz.' In the 2000s, he divided his time between traditional folk/blues project The Harry Smiths and a full-blown Dolls reunion that brought the band blasting back to the front lines of rock 'n' roll, before eventually busting out with The David Johansen Band again.
David Johansen and Brian Koonin 's show at Hamilton Stage in Rahway took place on my birthday and was better than any birthday cake anyone could have ever imagined. Loved every single second of their performance.
Great harmonica player and funny as hell. We had to leave early and wish we could have stayed for the whole gig. Go see him.
David Johansen was in fine form, projecting the voice we've come to know and love (always a concern with older rockers), singing with only a guitar/foot drum behind him, the songs ranged from his hits, to items new to me, a very satisfying selection. A couple of blues standards were delivered with thrilling authenticity. The audience loved him, cheered him, and for me, this was a fine night at one of my favorite seashore venues.
If you knows the mans music and appreciate the diversity of his style this was a great stripped down version, coonan was phenomenal on guitar and johansen can still wail out with the mean harmonica licks . I don't know if he's ever done this type of show before but if it comes to your neighborhood any time soon your a fool to miss it. It is a particularly good show for those who don't quite get the NY Dolls experience.
Great show. Wish there were about 3 more musicians up there with him, but all in all, I was glad we made the trip up from Philadelphia...Well worth it. Have not seen him live since the Bottom Line days...Still has the chops and a good sense of humor.
