Dinosaur Jr. are known for being one of the loudest bands going 'round.
It was clear what we were getting ourselves in for when entering Northcote Theatre (16 February), when punters greeted by a mountain of amps onstage.The first of two sold-out shows in Melbourne, there was a jubilant buzz in the air, the gig was a celebration of 30 years of seminal album 'Where You Been'. An album that means a lot to a lot of people which was clear tonight.
It didn't matter at what point you got into the album, as the mixed crowd that was gathered were all excited for Dinosaur Jr. to take the stage.
Up first was Stepmother, with soaring riffs they were the ideal support act. One of Graham Clise's many bands, Clise – who has had a long affiliation with Dinosaur Jr. – also makes Biston Stinger guitars. One could imagine Clise and J Mascis 'nerding out' about guitars backstage.
For a band that is used to playing smaller stages, they rose to the occasion on the big stage and were well received by the crowd that was rapidly filling up the room.
We didn't have to wait too long before Dinosaur Jr. came onstage to a rapturous applause. From the opening chords of 'Out There', the sound that came from this trio was thunderous.
The band had the crowd in the palm of their hand for the next 90 minutes. Playing 'Where You Been' front to back then playing a mix of old and new songs after that.
Mascis is perhaps one of the calmest lead singers I've ever seen, seemingly in a flow state throughout the set, in stark contrast to Lou Barlow who threw himself around for most of the set.
Interestingly by the time 'Where You Been' was released in 1993, Barlow had left the band, so when this tour was announced 30 years later he had to learn songs he was never part of to begin with.
The band didn't stray too much from how the record sounds, but in the live setting everything felt accentuated, especially the dynamics that are played with throughout the album.
Midway through 'What Else Is New' things were dialled down completely to the point where it was Mascis and his guitar with Murph keeping the beat behind. This highlighted how everyone in the band knew their role to play as soon enough Barlow was back and the fuzz was notched up once again.
Once they had played through 'Where You Been', it was time for a short set of old and new songs. Starting with 'Garden' lifted from 2021's 'Sweep It Into Space', Barlow shared this song was written the last time he was in Australia at the start of 2020.
Dinosaur Jr. have always had a special connection to Australia, touring here many times as well as individual members coming out with their own projects too.
'Feel The Pain' garnered the loudest cheer and ensured a crowd sing-along. Shouldered up against some deeper cuts, it was nice to see the band having fun and playing what they liked having stuck to the same tracklist on 'Where You Been'.
Of course, they earned an encore and played a stirring rendition of 'Freak Scene', then closed with The Cure's 'Just Like Heaven'. An apt cover as the last couple of hours had been heaven for fans of the band, seeing 'Where You Been' played in full before being treated to fan favourites and some deeper cuts. What a night!
