From left: Dennis Duck, Karl Percoda, Steve Wynn and Kendra Smith of The Dream Syndicate
Reunited Paisley Underground-era rockers The Dream Syndicate today announced they’ll be joined onstage “for a few songs” at two California shows next week by former bandmate Kendra Smith, who played bass and sang on the band’s 1982 debut The Days of Wine and Roses.
After leaving The Dream Syndicate in 1983, Smith teamed up with Rain Parade’s David Roback first in a band called Rainy Day, then in a group called Opal — which would become Mazzy Star in 1988 after Smith quit and was replaced by Hope Sandoval. In 1995, Smith released her solo debut, Five Ways of Disappearing, then faded from the music scene almost entirely.
Bandleader Steve Wynn put The Dream Syndicate back together in 2012, and while Smith hasn’t participated in the ensuing live reunion, he was able to convince her to provide vocals for the fittingly titled “Kendra’s Dream,” the last song on How Did I Find Myself Here?, the band’s first album in 29 years.
In an interview with Slicing Up Eyeballs earlier this year, Wynn discussed Smith’s contribution:
“Besides being just musically right and sounding great, just what the song needed, it is Kendra. It is like a nice full-circle kind of thing. It was a way of sort of going back to that moment where we split apart, and maybe the sadness or the melancholy that went with that, a kind of way of healing that void a little bit.”
Now, she’ll be joining the band — also featuring original drummer Dennis Duck, bassist Mark Walton (who came on board after 1984’s Medicine Show) and guitarist Jason Victor, who plays in Wynn’s band, The Miracle 3 — “for a few songs” at the El Rey in Los Angeles on Dec. 15 and The Independent in San Francisco on Dec. 16. The band has divulged no other details of its plans.
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- The Dream Syndicate debuts new song ‘Glide,’ announces December tour of U.S.
- Listen: The Dream Syndicate debuts 11-minute title track to ‘How Did I Find Myself Here?’
- Q&A: Steve Wynn on The Dream Syndicate’s first new album in nearly 30 years
- Dream Syndicate puts vinyl release of 1988 live set up to a vote via Run Out Groove
- Dream Syndicate’s 1st new album in 29 years to feature Kendra Smith singing ‘perfect coda’
Opal was amazing with her!!!
Yes opal was transcendent my fav band