June 10, 2025 – Dean Wareham came to World Cafe Live to support his new solo album, That’s the Price of Loving Me. He opened with “New World Julie,” a dreamy, vintage-sounding track that set the mood right away. This wasn’t just a greatest-hits night—he came to play the new stuff, and it held up. Released earlier this year, the album feels like his most lyrically direct and grounded work yet—less abstract, more about lived experience and quiet truths.
Photos + Article by Steve Cerf ( @stevecerf )
“You Were the Ones I Had to Betray” came early in the set. It was quiet, emotional, and hit harder live than it does on the album. Later, “Yesterday’s Hero” brought a little more energy and edge. Even with a full career behind him, Wareham still finds new ways to say something honest.
He didn’t say much between songs, and he didn’t need to. The mix of Galaxie 500, Luna, and solo tracks flowed naturally. The older songs still sounded raw and hypnotic— “Snowstorm,” “Strange,” and the encore closer “Tugboat” were standouts. Everything was delivered in that slow, steady way he’s always been known for.
The night wasn’t about big moments. It was about feeling. Wareham’s voice, his guitar, and the space between the notes—it all worked together. Old fans got what they came for, and the new material gave the night a sense of forward motion. Quiet, confident, and still very much his own thing.
