The Wallflowers, led by Jakob Dylan, on stage Friday night at the Westport Library’s VersoFest. / Photos by K.T. Kaminski for the Westport Library and Robin Moyer Chung

By Robin Moyer Chung

WESTPORT — The Grammy Award-winning band the Wallflowers, formed by Jakob Dylan (son of Dylan) in 1989, caused a sensation Friday as the Westport Library’s VersoFest rocked the house.

Their most notable songs include, “One Headline,” which won a 1998 Grammy, “6th Avenue Heartbreak” and “Sleepwalker.”

The reception from the full house was rousing, as VersoFest 2025 swung into its second night. Musician, writer and artist Patti Smith was featured in the event’s keynote program Thursday.

Photo at left: Wallflowers lead guitarist Jakob Dylan, left, with John Nunziato. Right: Dylan performing with his band Friday night.
Fans at the Wallflowers’ VersoFest performance Friday were, from left, Chris and Virginia Weik, Elise and Ferrel Simon, Sheetal Mundra and Amit Lakhotia, Erica and Dan Pritikin, and Bina and Kal Amin.

Overheard before the band picked its first string, a man in the audience excitedly told his wife, “I was just in the bathroom with all of them!”

Charming and amiable, Dylan wiped his brow after a set, exclaiming, “I’m nervous. I’ve never played for a library before.” 

Then, peering out, he added, “The good thing is, they banned all of the books so there’s room for all of us.”

Though Dylan and the Wallflowers may not have performed at any library before, the band shares a circuitous link to Westport’s: In the early ’90s, they toured as an opening act for Spin Doctors, who played at last year’s VersoFest.

Levi, Zach, Shari and Teddy Goldstein at the concert.

The band’s Westport concert was the unofficial kick off of its 2025-26 U.S. and Canada tour.

Bill Harmer, the library’s executive director, explained the band’s appeal: “We chose the Wallflowers to headline VersoFest ’25 because they represent exactly what this festival — and this library — are all about: timeless storytelling, cultural resonance, and the power of music to bring people together.

“Snagging a band of this caliber is a bold statement about who we are as an institution,” Harmer added. “We’re not just curating events; we’re creating experiences that connect, uplift, and inspire.”

Photo at left: Darcy Travlos, Patti Talluzzi, Robin Powell and Lucy Krupenye. Right: Andrea and Evan Berkley.

Uplift it did, if 500 adoring fans is an indication.

“For Westport and for libraries everywhere,” Harmer said, “This is proof that the future of culture and community can — and should — flow through our doors.”

VersoFest 2025 continues through Sunday, April 6. For the schedule of remaining events, click here.

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Robin Moyer Chung is a freelance writer.

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