Brightest Young Things

all words: Erik Anderson
all photos: Mike Danko

To be honest, I wasn’t sure what I was in for on the way to Dinosaur Jr. It’s hard to not be aware of their clout and influence over the indie rock scene and rock music in general, but I had a sneaking suspicion that they might be past their prime, solely based on the fact that they have been putting raucous, visceral, noisy American post-punk out for a solid 3 decades.

As we walked into the 9:30 Club, the crowd seemed to reaffirm my suspicions: balding, overweight men in ratty Dinosaur Jr. T-shirts, and young high school kids with long hair and borrowed nostalgia for a band whose members were old enough to play for their parents. Jesus, I was worried that we were in for a long night. As we entered the concert hall, I couldn’t help but be intrigued, awed, and envious of the band’s equipment. The sheer over-the-top, overkill astounded. Barlow’s rig (consisting of an 8x10 cabinet, topped with an additional 4x10 cabinet and a Marshall half stalk), was dwarfed by J. Mascis’ 3 full-stacks and another Hiwatt combo for good measure. It conveyed a sort of hedonistic excess that was more reminiscent of a 17-year-old boy’s dream than real life.

Lou Barlow opened the show with his solo material accompanied by a drummer and guitarist, launching into a sonically lush set of heartfelt indie-folk guitar rock. Lou Barlow’s nonchalant demeanor conveyed and emphasized the affability and honesty of his song writing. Needless to say, I was impressed.

There is a definite formula to Dinosaur Jr.: take one part Neil Young influenced, golden melody for the vocals, add in a wall of distorted guitars, plus an extended guitar solo towards the end, and there you have it: a Dinosaur Jr. single. Then proceed to deliver this song to a live audience at an ear-drum shattering volume, making full use of the arsenal of amps behind you... and there you have a Dinosaur Jr. show.

Perhaps it seems overly simple and unimaginative, but after witnessing it in the flesh, it was far from it. There is a reason why they have remained a cult favorite for multiple decades, and why they are listed as an influence for countless bands. Dinosaur Jr. is awesome. There is something inherently effortless to their performance. They don’t prance around on stage, or emote the ghost of Chuck Berry through choreographed stage-moves. Their banter seems far from rehearsed or a bad stand up performance. They just seem honest. Their show felt like being in a basement rehearsal space with three dudes that just loved to play music. They showed how unnecessary all that is when you have the talent of creating songs that stand up through the decades without needing a brand new sound.

Dinosaur Jr, they may all be well into their 40’s -- hair graying, visibly aging -- and they may be playing the same old tune, never straying far from their noisy, indie rock, singer-songwriter niche; but that seems to work just fine for them. I’m not complaining.

Previously in Live DC:

• 2/13: LiveDC: George Clinton & The Parliament-Funkadelic @ 930 Club
• 2/13: LiveDC: Veronica Falls/ Brilliant Colors @ Black Cat
• 2/13: LIVE DC: Steve Aoki/ Datsik/ Alvin Risk @ Fillmore
• 2/13: LiveDC: The Darkness @ 930 Club
• 2/9: LiveDC: Theophilus London @ 930 Club
• 2/9: Best Weekend Bets
• 2/8: LiveDC: Kathleen Edwards @ 930 Club
• 2/8: LiveDC: Thurston Moore/ Kurt Vile @ Black Cat
• 2/8: LiveDC: Thurston Moore/ Kurt Vile @ Black Cat
• 2/7: LiveDC: Demetri Martin @ Warner Theatre