Although Bloomington may have been cast with a bit of dreary weather on Friday, nothing was going to prevent local fans from basking in the glory of rock legends Dinosaur Jr. as they made their first stop in Bloomington that day. It might have been raining, but that was no matter--faces were going to be rocked regardless.
I worked my way downtown to Landlocked Music around 5:30 to catch the in-store that Dinosaur Jr. bassist Lou Barlow would be performing at 6 p.m. Like always, I distracted myself with a bit of vinyl shopping before he arrived (Purple Rain for $7? YES!). Before I knew it, the entire store was packed--fans young and old(er) filled every space between the record shelves, and as soon as the clock struck the hour, Barlow himself casually walked through the door, guitar in hand, hiding behind a pair of blue-lense aviator shades. The crowd parted like the Red Sea as he made his way to the front and began to set up.
About 10 minutes later, a clunk resounded through the speakers as Barlow plugged in and began to tune up. Greeting the packed house, he launched into a song off of his upcoming solo record, followed soon after by a lovely rendition of "Too Pure" from his much-revered Dino side-project, Sebadoh.
Filling the rest of the set with more songs from his solo record, a couple of acoustic renditions of Dino songs (including "Back To Your Heart"), and a few more by Sebadoh like "Rebound" and "Spoiled", Barlow won over the already drooling crowd with his plaintive yet moving voice and banter about NPR dreams and his newly-pregnant wife. When discussing the unknown release date of his upcoming solo record, he also explicitly let the crowd know, "Dinosaur Jr. owns my ass at this point."
As the set came to an end, Barlow asked for any remaining requests. As diehards shouted out multiple song titles, it was "Brand New Love" that hit his ears first (a wonderful song off of Sebadoh's Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock) , and it was a beautiful way to end the intimate in-store. (Fun Sidenote: As I walked out of Landlocked, the song still ran through my head, and I knew I had heard it before. I kept singing it to myself until I was able to Google it--Deadsy, Superchunk, AND Death Cab For Cutie have covered the tune. Hah!)
I ran around town for a while until it was time for the DJ show to begin. After having a bit of trouble getting in the door (oh, the pains of free press), I made it inside just in time to catch opening band Awesome Color's last song. They were loud and wild, and their guitarist was rubbing a mini practice amp against his guitar for feedback. Chyeah, it was pretty awesome.
The venue was filled to the brim as Jagjaguwar's recent roster addition took the stage. The mixed-age crowd went absolutely crazy as J Mascis, Lou Barlow and drummer Murph took the stage, and as soon as Mascis removed his signature oversized glasses, the band launched into the first song of their riff-filled set. Seeing Barlow scream his heart out was a significant change from the man who lulled Landlocked into a trance just hours before, but seeing his wilder side come out was enough to make everyone go crazy.
The floor-to-ceiling Marshall amps reverberated as DJ pounded through song after song of their back catalogue, as well as a few newer numbers from their 2005 release Beyond and their upcoming album Farm.
Kicking into "Been There All the Time," the crowd went nuts, singing along until the very next number, "Back To Your Heart," a track that Barlow had performed just hours earlier during the in-store. The heavier rendition gave the song a new spin, and riffage was enough to make ears bleed.
The band banged out a few more numbers and wailed their way through extended instrumental breakdowns that had jaws on the floor. Even if you weren't a fan when you walked through the doors, you sure as hell couldn't keep from dancing and submitting to the infectious rock that was bleeding through the speakers (especially if, like me, you were sandwiched between two drunken, old-school Dino fans that sure knew how to bust a move).
After pumping through innumerable songs, the band left the stage briefly before returning for an encore for the crazed crowd. All in all, the excitement of the night was tangible, and the air was electric not only with hot riffs, but with the enthusiasm of the fans that showed up to see their beloved Dinosaur Jr.
