Conference decc::radio_radioes]radio_radio

Hand It Over ... weak.  Maybe my taste in music has changed,
but nothing on this album grabs me at all.

R.

    I went to the Dinosaur Jr. show a couple of weeks ago at the Roxy in
    Boston.  It's a new venue for me -- it's basically a dance place that
    has the occasional concert.  Initial impression was negative due to
    the lousy attitude of two Roxy employees when we were going in.  Once
    inside, though, the place was nice-looking (the lead singer of Ditch
    Croaker called it a "pretty place").  Big and cavernous with a balcony
    that wraps around 3 of the walls; lots of fancy carvings and the like.
    It was also ice cold.  Brrrr....

    The stage is situated at one end of the raised dance floor, meaning that
    if you weren't on the dance floor, you were lower than the dance floor
    crowd (read: visibility could be tough).  It wasn't a full house this
    night, though, so that wasn't much of a problem.

    WFNX had a strong presence that night, giving out WFNX/Dinosaur Jr
    t-shirts when you walked in and Dinosaur candy (an import that tasted
    like I imagine chalk to taste) on the way out.

    The night started with Ditch Croaker.  Fairly unengaging, but OK.  The
    songs sounded to me like they came from latter-day-Replacements-school,
    but noone else I was with thought so.  The group has a trombone player,
    but he was very ineffective and it just seemed gimmicky rather than an
    integral part of their sound.
 
    Krist Novoselic (sp?) was wandering around during and after Ditch
    Croaker's set.  People left him alone (or maybe had no idea who he
    was).  His new band, Sweet 75, was up next.  I had high expectations
    for this band, but was left rather cold.  They are a trio; Novoselic is
    pulling a Dave Grohl and plays guitar in this band.  The lead singer/
    bassist has an unpleasant voice (a bit like early Courtney Love, but
    more grating).  The music seems almost purposefully unmelodic -- there
    are OK rhythms, but the vocal lines don't leave much to latch onto. 
    I actually kind of enjoyed them, but wouldn't go off to see them on
    their own.  Novoselic looked really out of place in this band -- both
    of the other members look much younger and it almost looks like someone's
    big brother helping out some neighborhood kids.

    On to Dinosaur Jr.  I really like these guys a lot, but it always takes
    me *many* lessons to get into each album.  I can't imagine seeing these
    guys cold (i.e., without knowing the songs) and enjoying them, but I
    could be wrong.  They remind me a lot of Neil Young -- lots of long,
    noisy guitar solos and whiny vocals.  J Mascis makes his guitar
    positively sing -- guitar solos usually bore me to death, but I love
    listening to his.  The emotions in the song seem to really come out
    during the solos.

    The only real surprises in the set were that the opener and encores 
    were from the SST days.  The rest was fairly predictable.  The first
    song was The Lung, probably the biggest surprise to me.  This was
    followed by the looooong song from the new album - Alone.  Very slowly
    played and a very long, "pull all the stops out" guitar performance --
    this alone was worth the price of admission.  This was followed by
    The Wagon -- in my mind, one of the world's perfect pop songs.  This 
    opening trio of song completely define what I like so much about 
    this band.

    Couple all this with an encore of Freak Scene (another favorite of mine)
    and I went home happy.  Long set for them, too -- over 90 minutes.

    By the way: I was surprised that the show didn't get out 'til 12:15.
    I thought that The Roxy was one of those "get the rockers out so we
    can reopen as a dance club later that night" places, especially on
    a Thursday (prime dance night), but I was wrong.

                                   - Paul

    Dinosaur Jr set-list follows the form feed

    The Lung
    Alone
    The Wagon
    Loaded
    Feel the Pain
    Out There
    Get Me
    Nothin's Goin' On
    Can't We Move This
    Just Like Heaven
    Never Bought It
    Puke + Cry
    Goin' Home
    What Else Is New
 
    Freak Scene
    SludgeFeast
    

I think summer time has different rules for the dance club crowd.
Not so many students may mean more beer sales to the rock crowd.

I don't remember a trobone when I last saw Ditchcroaker,
so it does sound like a late arrival/gimmic for the moment.
Hoboken's version of Polvo maybe...