After roaring through a high-energy set at the Triple Rock two years ago -- probably the best show I've seen by the band going back to my first time, with My Bloody Valentine and Babes in Toyland -- Dinosaur Jr. turned down the velocity quite a bit but still kept the volume way up at its nearly sold-out, 90-minute set last night at First Avenue. The trio didn't even wait for the movie screen to raise up in front of the stage before diving into the opening song "Thumb," but otherwise it was in no hurry to get things moving.
The always-immobile but still musically dazzling J. Mascis led the band through sluggish, murky songs for almost the entire first half of the set, ranging from the utterly lifeless "Plans" and "Pieces" to the fiercer "Imagination Bird" (sung by Lou Barlow) to one that really blew me away, "Get Me," with its waterfall-like guitarwork and drippy melodies. Things picked up with "Feel the Pain," soon followed by "Out There," "Little Furry Things," "Back to Your Heart" (also Barlow) and then the pre-encore finale "Freak Scene."
After the two-song encore ended with "The Wagon," it was disappointing to think of how many great songs the band left out, not just gems from the early albums ("In a Jar," "Post," "Green Mind," "Puke + Cry") but also some of the best ones from its latest two records ("Almost Ready," "Been There All The Time"). I give Mascis credit for not going by-the-numbers, and -- set list choices aside -- he and the boys sounded as mighty as ever. But 'twas not one of their better shows in the end.
A show I'm pretty sure won't be a letdown: Vic Chesnutt at the Cedar Cultural Center tonight. His band right now includes Guy from Fugazi and some of the guys from Godspeed You! Black Emperor/Silver Mt. Zion (who also play on Grant Hart's new album, btw). Vic's new CD "At the Cut" has some really beautiful, stirring, stormy stuff on it.
