Today, Neumann lives in Austinand has a recording studio in a building on his Texas property. He still plays drums andguitar and writes songs with Llanas, with whom he penned the BoDeans’ thepopular “Closer to Free.” During the past 27 years, the band made its nameamong roots-rock fans, opening for U2 on TheJoshua Tree tour, working with producers Jerry Harrison and T-Bone Burnett,being voted 1987’s “Best New American Band” by Rolling Stone readers, and seeing “Closer to Free” chosen as thetheme song for Fox TV’s Party of Five.
One would think Neumann would be on top of his game.But changes in the music business, the band and Neumann’s own sense of selfhave mellowed the singer/songwriter’s already tenuous optimism. In fact, onemight consider the maturity and melancholia that characterize Mr. Sad Clown (429 Records), the newalbum the BoDeans released in April, as a reflection of Neumann’s persona in anage of commercial anxiety.
%uFFFD“When we wereyounger and starting out, it was about energy and craziness and getting laid,”Neumann says. “We’re different people today and we have a different soundthat’s more reflective of who we are.”
Then there is the album title itself, which appearsas part of a musical bridge in the album’s ballad “Today,” that’s surprisinglypersonally revealing.
%uFFFD“I was at aparty in Milwaukee when I was in high school, sitting next to the speakers bymyself listening to Pink Floyd or something, and a very drunk girl came up tome and asked, ‘What’s the matter, Mr. Sad Clown?’” Neumann remembers. “She hadme pegged.”
The phrase stuck with Neumann, characterizing thetonality and theme of the album’s 15 tracks, as well as the songwriter’spersonal views. The rising tide of public appreciation for roots rock helpedthe BoDeans early in their career, but a lack of widespread notoriety has keptsignificant commercial success for the band at bay, creating a future thatNeumann says he lives just one year at a time.
%uFFFD“I alwaysthought we were one of the best American bands out there,” he says. “We alwayssaid we wanted to keep making records. We’ve gotten to where we want to be, butit would have been nice to have become better known worldwide.”
Issues with management and its record label slowedthe band’s progress early in the new century. Along with age, it’s also changedthe BoDeans’ current sound, which Neumann describes as “broken down”notnecessarily acoustic, but significantly softer and more lyrical than the band’spast performances.
“Sometimes, doing something new means doingsomething less,” Neumann says in reference to the band’s May 28 Marcus Centerfor the Performing Arts show. “We’re playing our songs in a much quieter stylethat most people haven’t heard before. I just hope people come out and see theshow.”
Changing musical styles and a declining fan base,even in its own hometown, has caused Neumann concern about The BoDeans’ future.
“The audiences have gotten smaller and it’s gettingharder to reach people,” Neumann says. “We always said if we couldn’t keep itgoing we would just pack it in. Right now we’re just taking it a year at a timeand we’ll see what happens.”
TheBoDeans play the Marcus Center on Friday, May 28at 8 p.m. with opener Paul Cebar.
