We know D.C. Get our free newsletter to stay in the know.
Some bands say they play loud; some may claim to be the loudest. I wonder if those bands have seen Dinosaur Jr.
At Thursday’s sold-out show at Black Cat, J. Mascis, Lou Barlow, and Murph brought walls upon walls of Marshall amplifiers. Anyone standing near the club’s house speakers would have been in for a world of pain—-even wearing higher grade ear plugs, as I was. Dinosaur Jr. might be on its 10th album (I Bet On Sky), but it hasn’t yet sacrificed its commitment to eardrum-blasting sonic assault.
You’d think that kind of volume wouldn’t leave room for perceptible melodies, but you’d be wrong. “I’ve always loved the pretty melodic ideas [J. Mascis] has mixed with the loud freakouts,” says local musician Mark Cisneros. “He’s definitely a real-deal guitar hero.”
See photos from the show in the gallery.