Dando rocks Rosebud

Before now, I don’t think I’ve ever used, or heard anyone else use, Evan Dando’s name in the… Before now, I don’t think I’ve ever used, or heard anyone else use, Evan Dando’s name in the same sentence as Vic Chesnutt’s. The two singer-songwriters hail from very different musical backgrounds – Dando is the former ringleader of grunge-era band The Lemonheads, and Chesnutt is one of the most celebrated Southern-folk songwriters of the past 15 years.

After disappearing from the public eye for a number of years, during which he wrestled with a drug problem, Dando returned with a live album in 2001, in which he played through much of the Lemonheads’ catalog. This spring, he returned with Baby I’m Bored, a well-received album that found Dando collaborating with Ben Lee, Jon Brion, and Spacehog’s Bryce Goggin.

Chesnutt, whose musical craft is as revered as his ability to construct enthralling lyrical narratives, is also touring in support of a new album, Silver Lake, his ninth full-length to date. The musician first rose to popularity in the late ’80s, when he became acquainted with Michael Stipe, who ended up producing Chesnutt’s first two records. But it wasn’t until 1996, when artists like Madonna, Smashing Pumpkins, and R.E.M. covered his songs for a benefit album, that Chesnutt became a bona fide star. In fact, taking into account Chesnutt’s widespread recognition, one might wonder why he isn’t the one headlining his tour with Dando.

Inasmuch as these two musicians differ in their stylistic leanings, the similarities they share are compelling in their own way. For one, they happen to have both taken small roles in mid-’90s Hollywood blockbuster films, with Dando having appeared in “Reality Bites,” and Chesnutt in “Sling Blade.” Both musicians, too, have reverted to releasing albums on fairly unknown labels after flirting with the majors for a few years.

Still, they remain in sharp contrast with one another: Dando is a heartthrob with a penchant for jangle pop and Chesnutt a paraplegic southern folk star. At the very least, this show will offer an interesting musical mix and is sure to draw as eclectic a crowd.

Evan Dando and Vic Chesnutt will play at Rosebud in the Strip District on Oct. 15 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25-$28. For more information, call (412) 261-2232.