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It's not surprising that Bob Dylan's son Jakob would try his hand at making music; what is surprising is the level of success he and his Wallflowers have achieved, well beyond most of the other '60s' rock-star progeny who flooded the market in the '90s. Cynics may say it's all due to Jakob's family connections and striking cheekbones, but the fact is that the guy has developed some songwriting chops. And the rest of the Wallflowers are no slouches either; they're a talented band that knows how to play good old-fashioned no-nonsense American-heartland rock & roll.

Influenced less by Dylan the elder than by Robbie Robertson, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Petty, the band?s second album, Bringing Down the Horse, released in 1996, contained songs that were punchy and instantly appealing. Certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA, the album ushered in two-and-a-half years of near non-stop touring, during which "6th Avenue Heartache" became an alternative rock hit and "One Headlight," a top 10 Billboard "Hot 100" hit, earned Grammy Awards in the "Best Rock Song" and "Best Rock Performance (Group)" categories.

Settling down from the rush of success, the Wallflowers rightfully took a long four-year break from recording. The new millennium sparked new creativity, and the returned in October 2000 to release the excellent Breach. Co-producer Michael Penn's retro-pop leanings blend well with witty tracks such as "Hand Me Down" (which seems to address those critics who still compare Jakob to his father) and "Murder 101" (featuring Elvis Costello on backing vocals, a smart call since it sounds just like a Costello song).

This was followed by Red Letter Days in 2003 and Rebel, Sweetheart in 2005, their first with producer Brendan O'Brien (Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen) -- a welcome re-introduction to a rock & roll band with a renewed sense of purpose. In Rebel, Sweetheart, The Wallflowers created an album that yearns for clarity while reflecting the world's complexity - a sometimes dark but somehow inspiring gem of an album that reflects a recommitment and fittingly ends with an uncharacteristically hopeful song called "All Things New Again."

With the Wallflowers on hiatus, Jakob Dylan released a solo album, Seeing Things, in 2008 and toured as a solo artist into 2009. On this Rick Rubin-produced solo debut, Dylan abandons slick adult rock for spare, man-with-guitar balladry. Firmly rooted in blues and folk, the 10 acoustic-based songs have a warm, rustic, old-time-y feel, but stark meditations. Under Rubin?s direction, Dylan?s laid-back rasp, often laced with smoky harmonies, gains weight and texture. Raw and compelling, the album is a huge leap forward for him as a songwriter.

For summer 2009, Dylan has reformed the Wallflowers to tour again.

Websites: www.wallflowers.com and www.jakobdylan.com

The Wild Light is touring with the Wallflowers and opens the show. The New Hampshire quartet is known for the iridescent pop songs they create. When Jordan Alexander found himself at Phillips Exeter Academy rooming with future Arcade Fire mastermind Win Butler, important alliances were cemented. Timothy Kyle met Butler and the pair proceeded to assemble an early incarnation of Arcade Fire. Within a year, Kyle left amicably and by spring 2005 he'd reunited with his old school chums and Wild Light began to glow. Wild Light's easily likeable piano-and-tambourine-seasoned pop textures were a hit with Arcade Fire's audience when the quartet opened for them at Boston's Orpheum Theater, followed by a number of US gigs with Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem including a show at the Hollywood Bowl. Wild Light's melodic splendor has the stage all to itself, marrying early rock's simplicity with an infectious, electronic edge with contemplative song craft. For more information, visit www.WildLightMusic.com