Love '90s music? This may be your weekend

With the Dead and Company "final tour" playing Fenway Park last month, we seemed to be inundated with Deadheads and Grateful Dead tribute acts.

But this week, the Boston area will be the focal point of another gaggle of devoted fans, The Crumbs, who are superfans of the band Cracker, which had its best chart success in the 1990s with a combination of punky insouciance and rootsy soul. Cracker hasn’t released a new album since 2014’s double-disc “Berkeley to Bakersfield,” a superb collection of roots-of-rock sounds, soulful grooves and even twangy classic country. But despite that gap, and the inactivity of the pandemic years, there are still legions of loyal Cracker fans, and the band just concluded a tour of the Western states, before heading to the Northeast this week.

Cracker appears at The Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River on Thursday night, and at City Winery in Boston on Saturday night. (The Narrows Center is at 16 Anawan St. in Fall River, by Battleship Cove, and the show begins at 8 p.m. with Pete Mancini opening. Tickets are $30 in advance or $40 day of show. Check narrowscenter.org or call 508-324-1926 for more information. City Winery is at 80 Beverly St., across from City Hall Plaza in Boston, and that show starts at 8 p.m., but is sold out. Call 617-933-8047 for information.)

A rotating cast

Cracker was formed in 1990 as the gleefully genre-busting, slightly tongue-in-cheek Camper Van Beethoven was breaking up. Singer-guitarist David Lowery and guitarist Johnny Hickman were the founding members, and there has been a plethora of other musicians through the years. The current quartet features Bryan Howard on bass and Carlton Owens on drums. Much like their predecessors in Camper Van Beethoven, Cracker delights in mashing genres, and often delivers humorous or satiric verses. But their 10 albums have also always included truly evocative numbers as well, proving that they can tickle your funny bone and touch your heart, while rocking with prodigious musicianship.

Both founders are approaching this summer’s tour as a cool vacation-type of jaunt. Lowery now teaches music and music business at the University of Georgia at Athens, while Hickman lives in Denver and produces records for a wide variety of bands. We caught up with Hickman – who makes sure to note he was born in Massachusetts, at the Chelsea Naval Hospital – when the band had a few days off between the Western and Northeast tour legs.

“We talked about just hanging it up before this year, but then we did a couple dates at the beginning of the year and had so much fun, we decided ‘Why not?’” said Hickman. “We’re doing really well on this tour and hitting it hard this year. David and I stayed involved all through the pandemic, and everything else. We both do solo albums and play with other groups, but Cracker is the mothership. We were just saying, our shows now are better attended than when we had hit songs on the radio. Our fan base has not only been maintained, it seems to be still growing.”

Debut album made mark

Cracker’s first album arrived in 1992, and the single “Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)” struck a chord with thousands of fans, both for its punky, rocking momentum, and the satiric lyrics, which led to the immortal chorus “What the world needs now, is another folk singer, like I need a hole in my head. ...” That tune hit the top spot on the Modern Rock charts, and before long their follow-up album had the hit single “Low,” a sort of spacey, droll view of romance. 1996’s “The Golden Age” continued the band’s success streak, but when Camper Van Beethoven reunited in ’99, Cracker kind of went on the back burner. But the band never totally quit, and an indie release in 2003, “Countrysides,” offered their own unique takes on country and bluegrass classics. In 2009, the album “Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey” took a look at social issues while also yielding the witty “Turn On, Tune In, and Drop Out with Me” single, which turned up on TV’s "Californication" soundtrack.

In the meantime, both Lowery and Hickman have released solo albums, and Camper Van Beethoven has toured sporadically. The 2014 double-CD was a marvelous collection of tunes about their beloved California, from the acoustic folk of “Torches and Pitchforks” to the jolting rock of “March of the Billionaires,” to the easy-burning groove of “Waited My Whole Life,” which is actually a heartfelt love song. “King of Bakersfield” was a wonderfully twangy ode to rural life, and “Tonight I Cross the Border” was a haunting aural movie of ominous mystery. Looking at those titles, and lyrics, one might guess Cracker was prescient back in 2014.

“Inspiration comes from all manners of places and experiences,” Hickman laughed. “When we started that one, we wanted to get back to our California roots. We did come from the Berkeley area, so we did get into the economy and the political stuff a bit, but without naming names. David’s "Torches and Pitchforks" is a powerful piece of music, and sometimes we’ll open our shows with acoustic stuff or acoustic tunes from our solo records – one of us will open, and the other one will do it after the main set. And then "March of the Billionaires" is me channeling The Clash on guitar, while David came up with the story and lyrics.”

A wide range of influences

“Our band set can be anything from country to punk to Led Zeppelin-like rock to folk,” Hickman added. “You never know what we’ll do next – it’s kind of the story of the band. One thing we agreed on when we formed this band was to never limit ourselves. We love the Ramones, for instance, but we know we can never be the Ramones, so let’s just be ourselves.”

That delightful mixing of styles could also be seen as a kind of precursor to today’s broad Americana category.

“Our ‘Berkeley to Bakersfield' album certainly goes that way in some respects,” said Hickman. “But that term 'Americana' generally tends more to roots rock. But we’ve always been also about soul, and soul music – the phrase ‘Cracker soul’ is how we described our first record. We most loved bands like Little Feat, The Allman Brothers Band, Sly and the Family Stone, and so we try to bring in all those pieces. Our first hit was a little punk rock, but then what do you call our tune ‘Low’? Sort of garage-noir, I guess. And then 'Get Off This’ is just a funky jam with rock. There are no rules for us – David says the only real rule is ‘don’t suck.’”

Another example of Cracker’s singular approach might be the tune “Time Machine,” off their 2009 album, according to Hickman.

“It’s supposed to be a look back at our real punk rock days, but our drummer at the time pointed out it was in 6/8 time, not exactly punk-rock,” Hickman explained. “But it works. I wrote ‘Mr. Wrong,’ but the attitude and words fit Lowery better, so he sings it. I love that we are always doing stuff like that – there is no methodology. Building a set list every night is a joy – we have hundreds of songs at this point – and the Crumbs love it.”

Opening for Grateful Dead a boost

And just to close the circle a bit, Hickman noted that Cracker in fact opened three shows in Washington state for the Grateful Dead, back when Cracker was just becoming big. Their opening set earned them standing ovations, and Jerry Garcia himself told them they should be proud, because that never happened with opening acts for the Dead.

It’s a memory that Hickman and Lowery still treasure.

Concert scene heats up

One of the summer’s busiest music weeks!

THURSDAY: The Arizona sextet Spafford, one of the nation’s most popular jambands, starts a three-night stay at Soundcheck Studios. The Michele Rockwell Band at the Cabby Shack. The Reno alt-rock quartet Flamingos in the Tree touches down at Brighton Music Hall. Nigerian-American star Davido headlines MGM Music Hall. Gospel star Sammy Obed at City Winery. The Yacht Rock Revue heats up the Cape Cod Melody Tent. Rachel Sage sings at Club Passim. Country singer Esther Rose at The Sinclair. Cracker rocks The Narrows Center.

FRIDAY: Vyntyge Skynyrd is a tribute to you-know-who, at the free Hingham Launch concert series. Or check out the free concert at the Ruth Gordon Ampitheater in Quincy, with Daisy, the Sweet Nothings, and Jon Gorey. R&B legend Bettye LaVette at the Narrows Center. It’s a Dead weekend at the C-Note, with Dead ‘Til Friday kicking it off. Suzanne McNeil sings at the Greenside Grille. Dirty Heads, with G.Love and Lupe Fiasco, heats up MGM Music Hall. Comic Matt Bellassai at City Winery. Folkie Chris O’Brien at Club Passim.

SATURDAY: The Del Fuegos’ original lineup reunites for a show at the East Bridgewater Commercial Club. Belinda Carlisle is still Go-Go-ing, at The South Shore Music Circus. Counting Crows rock The Leader Bank Pavilion. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay brings his massive memorabilia collection – mostly music – to TD Garden, along with his band, which includes Vince Gill, all-time rock drummer Kenny Aronoff, and guitarists like bluesman Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Trigger Hippy alumnus Tom Bukovac, and it’s a free show but you have to register ahead of time. The C-Note Dead weekend continues with Fennario reprising Jerry and the boys. Oasis founder Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds headline MGM Music Hall. Folksinger Melissa Ferrick at Club Passim. Jazz trumpeter Chris Botti at Cape Cod Melody Tent. The Narrows Center welcomes The Englishtown Project, a tribute to The Grateful Dead and New Riders of the Purple Sage. Jenny Lewis rocks Roadrunner. Cracker moves on to City Winery. The Michele Rockwell Band performs on a Hyline Cruise of the Cape Cod Canal. Rock band Dawes are at Lowell’s Boarding House Park.

SUNDAY AND BEYOND: Sunday is packed, with Sweden’s First Aid Kit harmonizing at Roadrunner; The Sad Summer Fest, topped by Taking Back Sunday at Leader Bank Pavilion; surf-punks The Frights taking over Brighton Music Hall; emo rockers Braid celebrating their 25th anniversary at The Sinclair; and Suzanne McNeil and Tim Mahoney folk-rocking The Pour Yard. Monday the Blackbyrds – an octet founded by jazz icon Donald Byrd – celebrates five decades of music at City Winery. Tuesday The Struts at the House of Blues might be the rock show of the summer; while Peter Frampton is across the street at MGM Music Hall. Wednesday the free Project Arts concert in Plymouth features Trinity – a Crosby, Still, Nash and Young tribute; while Avenged Sevenfold hard-rocks the Xfinity Center; and All-Ireland Accordion Champion John Whelan holds court at Club Passim. July 20 the Cohasset Drama Club presents ‘Godspell’ at the South Shore Music Circus; while blues princess Shemekia Copeland is at City Winery. July 21 the Ruth Gordon Ampitheater’s free music series has Roomful of Blues; while bluesman Guy Davis takes over the Fallout Shelter. Songwriting titan Rodney Crowell at the Narrows Center on July 22.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Crackers coming to The Narrows and Boston