BoDeans on the road to Iowa City with new music

The BoDeans band was on top of the world opening for U2 during the Irish juggernaut’s final dates of the historic “Joshua Tree” tour in 1987, which came to Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.

U2 frontman Bono joined the BoDeans during the last night of that tour in Hampton, Va., screaming into a megaphone: “The BoDeans, yeah, the BoDeans, the BoDeans, yeah, the BoDeans.”

“That was so great,” BoDeans singer/songwriter Kurt Neumann said. “It was incredible being on a stage with U2. Those guys are so amazing. It was all happening so fast. As a young person it was so hard to grasp. It all flowed naturally and it was just so big.”

The significance of the straight-ahead rock band’s salad days and an amazing era of music is not lost on him.

“It was an incredible time for us and the world of music,” Neumann said while calling from his Austin home. “There was something really magical about the late ’80s and early ’90s. I believe music was at its peak at that point. It was a big deal to follow bands and to live the life and culture of the music you loved. All of that is pretty much gone now, but it was an amazing time then to be a fan and to be a recording artist.”

Part of the reason the BoDeans’ first two albums, 1986’s “Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams,” and 1987’s “Outside Looking In,” were so successful is because of how uncompromising Neumann and his former songwriting partner Sam Llamas were as the band turned ears with its catchy but intense songs. When the Heartbreakers’ Mike Campbell, who was slated to produce “Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams,” suggested a path traveled by Tom Petty and his bandmates, the BoDeans balked.

“We just didn’t want to go into that direction,” Neumann said. “The difference today is that I don’t think that new recording artists can say no to the labels. The labels want complete control of every aspect. It was different when we started this band.”

It was between Capitol Records and Warner Bros. for the BoDeans during the late ’80s.

“We ended up going with Warner Bros. and Slash Records, since the Slash A&R woman grew up loving the Beach Boys sound and was friends with the Beach Boys,” Neumann said. “She was all about music and so was the label so we signed with them and we did our thing. I don’t think new acts can do their thing. Today they sign to these labels that have control and those recording artists’ careers are super short.”

It’s been 40 years since the BoDeans formed in Waukesha, Wis. The band has had its share of success. The catchy single “Closer to Free,” charted and was the theme song for the hit show “Party of Five.”

Such luminaries as T-Bone Burnett, who has worked with Counting Crows, Roy Orbison and Los Lobos; former Talking Head Jerry Harrison; and Prince sideman David Z have produced BoDeans albums.

“It’s been an incredible career,” Neumann said. “There have been so many highlights. I’m so thankful for all of our experiences. It’s been such a rewarding career.”

But the BoDeans band continues even after an acrimonious split with Neumann’s former partner Sam Llanas, who left the band in 2011.

On tour

The BoDeans, which also includes bassist Eric Holden, keyboardist Stefano Intelisano, multi-instrumentalist Bukka Allen and drummer Brian Ferguson, is touring behind “4 the Last Time,” and will rock the Englert Theatre in Iowa City on May 3, 2024.

Does the album’s title mean that the musicians are out behind their final album?

“What it’s about is that as you get older, you wonder how many years you have left making music,” Neumann said. “So who knows how much longer I’ll be able to do this. I hope we make more albums, but who knows what the future holds? It’s pretty hard to even afford to have a career in music anymore. A legacy artist like me depends on touring.”

Neumann is a throwback who refuses to make concessions.

“You’ll never hear the BoDeans rap,” he said. “There’s no way that would happen. It’s just not us. However, that’s not the same for everyone. Country music has changed. To me, country is George Jones, but modern country has become difficult to listen to. I was watching some country music award show recently and I heard this guy sing this terrible song and he did this weird rap. The song was out of tune and the songwriting was awful and he was on a country music award show. It was just horrible.

“I can’t believe how country has failed us, but it has done just that. It’s just so strange to me now. I grew up on AM radio. I loved the variety of music that influenced me. I loved the beautiful ballads as much as the harder, anthemic songs. What I heard as a child has had such an impact on me.”

Neumann has some new songs written, so hopefully there will be another BoDeans album.

“’I’m still moved to create,” he said. “I’ve always enjoyed writing songs. I’ve never gotten tired of writing, recording and creating. I can’t express how much I appreciate the opportunity I’ve had as a musician.”