The Lemon Twigs in Concert
It's not necessarily obvious that the Lemon Twigs hail from modern-day Long Island. The rock band, led by brothers Brian and Michael D'Addario, are a seamless fit with any record collection full of adventurous 1960s and '70s music—specifically, Todd Rundgren's kaleidoscopic pop; the psychedelic sounds of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd; Big Star's well-wrought power pop; and Elton John's soulful, bluesy piano balladry. Appropriately, the brothers' stage looks are also retro-leaning, from their '70s teen heartthrob shaggy haircuts on down to clothing such as expertly flared jeans.
The Lemon Twigs' sophomore effort, an elaborate concept album titled ‘Go to School,' exudes even greater ambitions. Inspired by Stephen Sondheim, the album boasts ornate arrangements incorporating elements such as peppy horns, lush strings, and jagged electric guitars. Plot-wise, ‘Go to School' follows a teenaged chimpanzee named Shane who's struggling to come to terms with his simian nature because his human parents brought him up as a human. None other than Rundgren himself portrays the dad, while the D'Addario brothers' mom, Susan Hall, vocalizes the parts sung by the chimp's mom.
The rock opera format is a natural for the siblings. Both are actors who have performed on Broadway—Brian was in ‘Les Misérables' and also portrayed the adorable, colorful fish Flounder in the musical version of ‘The Little Mermaid'—while Michael had a prominent role in the 2012 Chris Pine movie ‘People Like Us.' The brothers' father, a songwriter named Ronnie D'Addario, also has extensive music industry experience.
After the brothers decided to start taking music more seriously in 2014, they found an early champion in Foxygen's Jonathan Rado, a kindred musical spirit who produced the Lemon Twigs' debut album, 2016's ‘Go Hollywood.' From there, it's been nothing but forward momentum, with performances on late-night TV (including on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon"), major festival appearances (e.g., Coachella, Glastonbury), and even a big opening gig for Arctic Monkeys.
