It was in the early 90s that I first got into Dinosaur Jr. By ‘into’, I mean I’d play them incessantly. Mascis’ plaintive, apologetic vocals and socially awkward lyrics, coupled with that guitar sound appealed to my awkward adolescent sensibilities. And then along came ‘Where You Been’, which was nothing short of magical. The timing of its arrival, on the crest of the grunge wave, couldn’t have been better, especially not for an 18-year old misfit, and seeing them play live at that time remains a defining show for me.
So, 20 years on, a cracking new album on the street and the original lineup touring it there’s an element of nostalgia intermingled with my justifiable excitement. Judging by the set-list, it’s clear they’re aware of the draw of the back catalogue, too, and while tracks from the new album do feature (‘Watch The Corners’ is dispatched early, its chunky riffage well suited to a live setting, along with ‘See It On Your Side’ and ‘Don’t Pretend You Didn’t Know’) the set’s dominated by older material. ‘Where You Been’ is suitably represented, with ‘Out There’, ‘Get Me’ and, of course, ‘Start Choppin’’ but it’s when they go further back it gets most interesting.
Whereas in 93, Mascis couldn’t be arsed to play half the solos let alone connect with the audience, his guitar playing is nothing short of explosive tonight, and with the buoyant Lou Barlow (who strongly resembles Sideshow Bob as he lurches and cavorts around the stage, a mass of unruly hair) more than happy to speak up, Mascis’ lack of conversational skills are adequately compensated. In fact, Barlow’s presence brings a real energy to the performance as he bounds around energetically, thunking out big, fuzzy basslines that are every bit as integral to the sound as Mascis’ ultra-distinctive guitar. ‘The Lung’ is ripped out with relish, and the main set is wrapped up with a stonking extended solo-centric rendition of ‘Forget the Swan’. There’s stage-diving galore as they power through ‘Freak Scene’, which is, sadly, the only track lifted from 1988’s ‘Bug’. Still, quality beats quantity even if it does come with a hefty dose of inevitability. They also dredge up an old Deep Wound number ‘Training Ground’, kicking it out and thrashing it about like good ‘uns for old times’ sake.
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The encore pulls more old tricks from the bag, with an explosive rendition of ‘Just Like Heaven’ (which has always stood out as one of the coolest cover versions ever) followed by an extended ‘Sludgefeast’ that’s utterly brain-melting and completely fantastic.
Ultimately, the reuniting of the original power trio isn’t a cash-in reunion, but a band reinvigorated, and while most band stagnate with time and age, Dinosaur Jr are stronger than ever and proving that they’re far from extinction yet.
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