The epic ‘Join Me in L.A.: The Songs of Warren Zevon’ wrapped up its incredible four-and-a-half-hour, 32-song run at the United Theater in downtown Los Angeles. As the final notes faded on Friday, Jackson Browne, Zevon’s longtime friend and collaborator, simply shook his head in admiration, reflecting on the late musician’s unwavering artistic integrity.
“Hearing all these incredible songs again, it became clear to me just how fiercely Warren stuck to his artistic guns,” Browne shared. “He never once ‘dumbed down’ his music or chased a hit. He simply poured his soul into writing the very best songs he could, right up until his last breath. That dedication is truly his greatest triumph.”
This remarkable tribute, lovingly organized by Zevon’s son, Jordan, his enduring musical partner Jorge Calderón, and his unwavering supporter Jackson Browne, served as both a heartfelt celebration of his timeless music and an exciting precursor to his well-deserved induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame next month.
Zevon’s journey through the music world was a complex tapestry of critical adoration, limited mainstream appeal, and personal struggles that sometimes led to self-sabotage. But perhaps the most poignant chapter of his life was his final one: a sudden cancer diagnosis that led to a public ‘long goodbye,’ culminating in a powerful farewell album before his passing at age 56 in 2003.
Themes of mortality – be it physical demise, moral decay, or romantic heartbreak – consistently resonated through Zevon’s artistic output. Ironically, the accolades he’s received since his death, including Grammy Awards for his final album, ‘The Wind,’ might never have materialized had he still been alive. His son, Jordan Zevon, mused, ‘He kind of planned it that way… Dad knew this would be the outcome,’ hinting at a deliberate, dramatic exit.
Known for his darkly comedic wit, Zevon also possessed a surprising streak of tender sentimentality. A classically trained musician with a true rock & roll spirit, and a literary enthusiast who devoured everything from Graham Greene to Mickey Spillane, Zevon crafted music that brilliantly fused intellectual depth with raw power, bridging high art and low culture. Famously, in the 1970s, Jackson Browne once introduced him in concert as “the Ernest Hemingway of the 12-string guitar.” Afterward, Zevon quickly corrected him, quipping, “No, Jackson — the Charles Bronson of the 12-string guitar!’”
The formidable house band for the evening, the Wild Honey Orchestra, comprised a stellar collective of local talents, expertly guided by keyboardist Jordan Summers and drummer Nick Vincent. They were further bolstered by several esteemed Zevon session veterans like Rick Marotta, Bob Glaub, and Leland Sklar.
The extensive set list spanned Zevon’s entire career, beginning with his early days in the 1960s pop duo Lyme & Cybelle. Steve Stanley and Kristi Callan delivered a dreamy, psychedelic rendition of ‘Follow Me’ from 1966. Later, Dennis Diken of The Smithereens, alongside Scott McCaughey of the Young Fresh Fellows and former Beach Boy David Marks, tore through ‘Outside Chance,’ a lively, Beatlesque tune.
Zevon’s foray into pop was brief; his true musical calling lay elsewhere. Following a solitary hard-rock album in 1969, the early 1970s saw him hone a unique songwriting voice, leading to the monumental artistic achievements that would characterize his cherished work later that decade.
Country music scion Shooter Jennings delivered powerful, authentic interpretations of Zevon’s wilder anthems, including ‘Excitable Boy’ and ‘I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead,’ masterfully capturing his distinctive vocal style. Meanwhile, veteran singer-songwriters John Wesley Harding and Marshall Crenshaw brought profound, lived-in depth to somber reflections from Zevon’s 80s period—a time that followed a long struggle and rehabilitation—with tracks like ‘Reconsider Me’ and ‘Sentimental Hygiene.’
Despite his celebrated literary flair and classical training (having even been mentored by Igor Stravinsky in his youth), Zevon’s music often retained a raw, unpretentious earthiness. He would frequently describe himself simply as a ‘folk singer,’ drawing deeply from the genre’s oldest traditions to fill his catalog with sea shanties, martial rhythms, passionate rebel songs, and mournful funeral laments.
Pianist and vocalist Leslie Mendelson unearthed the profound solemnity within the nautical ballad ‘Mutineer.’ Steve Wynn of the Dream Syndicate, in turn, vividly conveyed the raw violence and despair of ‘Play It All Night Long.’ Country superstar Dwight Yoakam, commanding the stage in a duster and Stetson, left his indelible mark on the poignant ‘Carmelita,’ his voice infused with a bluegrass inflection as he sang, ‘I’m all strung out on her-o-in on the outskirts of town.’
Though Zevon’s compositions frequently delved into the bleaker corners of human experience, the concert also beautifully illuminated a frequently underestimated spiritual undercurrent in his work. Born to a Jewish father and a Mormon mother, Zevon possessed a faith that, as his idol Graham Greene once described, was ‘a troubled, paradoxical’ one. Nevertheless, a powerful sense of grace resonated through many of the performances at the United Theater.
“Warren’s music often carries a distinct gospel essence,” Browne observed. “He might not have had the vocal style to fully convey it himself, but certain artists, through their sheer presence and voice, naturally bring that spiritual depth to his songs.”
Journeyman R&B vocalist Billy Valentine delivered a truly sublime rendition of ‘Accidentally Like a Martyr,’ effortlessly blending soulful pain with gospel-infused uplift, earning a standing ovation from the more than 1,600 attendees. Susan Cowsill, too, resonated deeply with ‘Mohammed’s Radio.’ Having recorded the song as a solo artist in 1976, even before Zevon’s own version or Linda Ronstadt’s modest hit, Cowsill’s soaring soprano added fresh layers of intricate melody, underscoring Zevon’s genius as a composer.
Jorge Calderón, a singer with a gentle voice, performed understated, elegiac versions of the songs he co-wrote with Zevon during his final years, notably the deeply moving ‘Keep Me in Your Heart.’ Jordan Zevon, on the other hand, appeared to delight in channeling his father’s wilder, character-driven pieces, such as ‘Monkey Wash Donkey Rinse’ and ‘Lawyers, Guns and Money.’ Yet, his rendition of ‘Studebaker’ – a poignant, often-overlooked gem from Zevon’s catalog – softened, revealing the existential beauty within its sorrowful conclusion: ‘I’m up against it all like a leaf against the wind / And that Studebaker keeps on breakin’ down again.’
A video montage celebrating Warren Zevon’s musical journey.
Though the grand finale saw the entire cast unite for a spirited performance of Zevon’s only major hit, ‘Werewolves of London,’ the emotional peak of the evening arrived earlier. Jackson Browne, backed by a lush string arrangement, delivered a breathtaking rendition of ‘Desperados Under the Eaves.’
Considered by many to be Zevon’s magnum opus, ‘Desperados Under the Eaves’ opens at the fabled Hollywood Hawaiian Hotel, a symbol of Nathanael West’s ‘dream dump.’ The song’s central figure, a barely disguised Zevon, grapples with the throes of alcoholism and anticipates California’s inevitable, catastrophic earthquake, all before a haunting, hymn-like coda, born from the hum of an air-conditioner, gently implores him to ‘Look away, down Gower Avenue.’
Browne’s heartfelt performance stirred a powerful wave of emotion through the audience, with many openly shedding tears. After the show, Browne reflected, ‘At its core, people truly listened to Warren. They heard him because his music spoke to a deep need within them. By that measure, his impact was immeasurable.’
Correction: Oct. 27, 2025
An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to a performer as Kristi Callahan; her name is Kristi Callan. Additionally, a song performed at the tribute show was misidentified as “Splendid Isolation” when it should have been “Sentimental Hygiene.”