Jesse Malin Benefit (Night One)
Dec. 1, 2024
Beacon Theater, NYC
Photos and Review by BARRY LEVINE
NEW YORK CITY — Jesse Malin has been a mainstay in the New York rock world since he booked his first gig from a pay phone at his Queens school when he was age 12. (Yes, that’s correct —he was 12!) That was for his hardcore band, Heart Attack, at CBGB.
The stalwart singer-songwriter, who I always thought had a voice reminiscent of Tom Petty, has been going strong ever since. In 1981, he slam-danced on “Saturday Night Live,” and then caught attention as the leader of the ’90’s glam-rock band D Generation.
Over the decades, he opened major shows and became a beloved member of the music fraternity, collaborating with Bruce Springsteen, Ryan Adams, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day and many others.
Last year started with a bang. He received rave reviews from a successful overseas tour and then delivered a superior performance at a sold-out show at Webster Hall in Manhattan, the 20th-anniversary of his 2003 solo debut, “The Fine Art of Self Destruction.”
Then, seemingly out of the blue, his world changed forever on the night of May 4, 2023. He had organized a tribute dinner party for his former D Generation bassist Howie Pyro, who died a year earlier. What started out as a stabbing pain in his hips and back suddenly left his unable to move. He collapsed onto the restaurant floor.
“Everybody’s standing above me like in ‘Rosemary’s Baby,’” he recalled. “I’m like, ‘Go over there and eat.’”
Assisted by a pal, Murphy’s Law singer Jimmy G, Jesse was rushed to a hospital (Springsteen was one of the first to visit) and he hasn’t set foot in his East Village walk-up apartment ever since.
Doctors diagnosed Jesse with an exceedingly rare spinal-cord infarction — a stroke in his back, leaving him paralyzed below the waist.
“They didn’t offer a lot of optimism,” he recalled. It was especially cruel for a guy who loves strutting and dancing on and off the stage at his shows — so much so, in fact, that he requested two 50-foot microphone cords at every concert.
But this determined troubadour, now 57, refused to accept his medical fate.
“I still wake up hopeful,” he said. “I want to beat the odds.”
Jesse learned of a clinic in Buenos Aires that offered stem cell treatments for spinal traumas. On the first night of a two-night concert benefit in his honor at the Beacon Theatre on Dec. 1st, filled with notables from the New York rock and punk community, Jesse, with his typical humor, recalled that international trip.
From the stage in front of the sold-out house, he quipped: “I was there for six months. To go below the equator, for me…I don’t like going above 14th Street!” The audience howled.
In addition to his Argentina clinic stay, Jesse has persevered through his grueling rehabilitation. At the Beacon, he had his doctors and nurses and physical therapists in attendance — and some weeks back he set a goal to stand for at least one song.
On this memorable night, however, not only did Jesse stand for one song — he stood for several over the course of two sets, drawing cheers (and tears) from the crowd. To the thrill of the audience, he once and again lifted himself out of his chair, sometimes with the help of the microphone stand.
As Rolling Stone pointed out, this “wasn’t a maudlin affair, or worse, a farewell. Instead, it was proof that Malin was back and able to perform as long as he cares to.”
Before starting the traveling track “I Would Do It for You,” the first of 17 songs in his first set, Jesse struck his chest with his fist and then bowed his head. He was back — hammering home the point of the t-shirts worn by some of his faithful fans that proudly read: “Jesse Fucking Malin”! With his voice strong, and his spirit enormous, Jesse superbly worked through the set, which included — “Oh, Sheena,” “She Don’t Love Me Now,” “Death Star,” “The Way We Used to Roll,” “Aftermath,” “Backstabbers” and his recent single, “Argentina.”
Jesse said from the stage: “Thank you so fucking much. It’s been a long time. I haven’t done a show in almost two years.”
He perfectly hit The Pogues cover, “If I Should Fall From Grace With God” (accompanied by heavy horns) and the Rolling Stones cover, “Sway.” In the seventh slot, his dear pal “Little” Steven Van Zandt, who had signed Jesse to his Wicked Cool label, joined him to play guitar on “Turn Up the Mains.”
Like the other artists who performed with Jesse, in a show of respect, Steven did so seated. It was then —without warning — that Jesse dramatically pushed himself up out of his chair and stood on his own two feet before beginning “She Don’t Love Me Now,” which he co-wrote in 2015, and was recorded by Springsteen. Jesse told the crowd: “I can’t feel my legs…Just don’t blow me over.” It was one of the captivating moments in this show — and there were many.
Before Jesse appeared on stage, there were beautiful introductions for this three-hour special evening from his pals, actors Michael Imperioli and Mary Louise Parker. Opening the music was Alejandro Escovedo’s soft piano ballad “Sensitive Boys.” At Jesse’s request, Rickie Lee Jones, with Don Dilego’s supporting acoustic guitar, then warmed up the audience further with “Cycles.”
And before Jesse took the stage for his second set, some of his other artist pals shined. Lucinda Williams, who produced for Jesse in the past and has been a longtime close friend, came out with Elvis Costello and teamed up masterfully on the Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses.” Elvis told the crowd: “Jesse just inspired me to stay in show business.”
In addition, we were treated to Jakob Dylan on “Don’t Let Them Take You Down” and Butch Walker doing “In The Modern World” — both covers from Jesse’s 2007 “Glitter in the Gutter.”
Dinosaur Jr.’s J. Mascis did “Brooklyn” and Adam Duritz of Counting Crows received a decent ovation with his performance of “A Long December.” A shoutout should go to Adam’s bandmate Dan Vickrey, who pitched in all night backing on his guitar.
Jesse’s four-song second set kicked off with the Ramones cover, “Do You Remember Rock ’n’ Roll Radio?” He then brought out his Queens pal, and former manager, Diane Gentile to help on “Greener Pastures.” That was followed by, with help from Cat Popper, “You Know It’s Dark When Atheists Start to Pray.”
“This has been a celebration for me,” Jesse said, beaming from the stage. Trying to hide his emotions, he took his sunglasses off and on several times during the night.
For the finale, Jesse was joined by the entire cast for a spirited version of The Clash’s “Rudy Can’t Fail.” His former D Generation bandmate Danny Sage also joined in.
When it concluded, Jesse emotionally made his way with his walker to the very edge of the stage to get as close to the audience as possible. It was a milestone moment in his perilous journey to recovery.
The courageous musician, who has followed his own sound of music for 45 years by standing in front of a microphone, loving to perform for an audience, then tipped his cap to his adoring fans. Sitting a few rows from the stage, I can tell you it was mesmerizing.
“I can’t thank you guys enough, really,” Jesse confessed. “The messages, it has really got me through some really tough times.” And Jesse said earlier in the night — its meaning absolutely true: “I was in Argentina, and then I came back to New York, and I thought I was home. But now I’m officially home.”
MORE MALIN: Night Two at the Beacon, on Dec. 2nd, saw Jesse joined by Lucinda Williams, The Hold Steady, J. Mascis, Adam Duritz, Butch Walker, Willie Nile, Tommy Stinson of the Replacements and Adam Weiner of Low Cut Connie…Jesse performed two sets for a total of 18 songs …He added “Black Haired Girl” from Glitter in the Gutter and “Revelations,” which was first released in 2010…
Jesse also added “Shining Down” from his 2019 Sunset Kids. The track embraces mortality, and he once remarked that the song reminds him “(that) ‘Every day is the first day of the rest of your life’ kind of thing.”…Many of the artists who performed at the benefit contributed songs to the tribute album, Silver Patron Saints: The Songs of Jesse Malin. Springsteen and Graham Parker also are featured contributors. Proceeds from the 27-song album and the benefit shows will help with the costs of Jesse’s continued recovery…
Playing the Beacon was a dream come true for Jesse, who said from the stage that he attended many shows over the years at the historic Upper West Side theater. “You could sneak in on the 75th Street side and go up into the balcony,” he cracked. He remembered seeing Roy Orbison and Etta James. And in an odd job during his punk days, he remembered working as a driver for bands. “First time I drove a band here (to the Beacon) was a group called the False Prophets, who were opening for the Dead Kennedys,” he said.
…On Night One, Jesse dedicated his acoustic solo “Aftermath” to his friend Jeremy Tepper, who died in June. He was a Sirius XM program director.
Listen to Jesse Malin music here:
