Dinosaur Jr. Rock Lansing!

A packed Friday night in late July saw Lansing's Grewal Hall host one of the legends of grunge when Dinosaur Jr. took the stage to an enthusiastic and welcoming crowd. Back to featuring all three original members of the group since 2005 (after periods with as few as one), these veteran rockers showcase a creative twist on the power trio approach which includes co-lead singers who alternate between bass and guitar and a sonically dense bank of effects that represent their era as well as any of their peers.

The evening began with an engaging opening set by Detroit's own Stef Chura which saw the venue nearly full over an hour before the headliners began. After a brief set change, Dinosaur Jr. arrived with a blend of fan favorites ("In a Jar," "The Lung," "What Else Is New"), deep cuts ("Gargoyle," "Sludgefeast," "Freak Scene"), and their most notable hits, "Start Choppin'" and "Feel the Pain," which got the biggest audience reactions of the night and which were performed back-to-back near the end of the main set. The setlist leaned heavily on material from the band's first two albums, spanning 1985-1987, (seven of the first ten songs were from those albums) and gave little attention to new songs ("Several Got Away" being the only one featured) in spite of a forthcoming album, There Near, released just one month after the show.

The performance itself was strong and included engaging contrast throughout. Bassist/vocalist/guitarist Lou Barlow was especially animated and moved around his half of the stage all night while guitarist/vocalist/bassist J. Mascis' was stiff and concentrated primarily on executing his leads and solos. Drummer Murph held things down in the center of the stage with consistent and precise work through changing tempos and dynamic. Early in the show, Barlow dealt with a few issues with his bass amp and then requested his spotlight be turned down, and beyond that adjustment, he seemed content the rest of the night. A native of Jackson, Michigan prior to co-founding the band, Barlow posted pictures from Westwood Mall the day before the concert and wore a Cascades Falls T-shirt on stage.

The ability to alternate lead vocalists is another key ingredient to Dinosaur Jr.'s live show, and while he missed a period of the band's history, Barlow's lead vocals on songs like "Garden," "Mountain Man," and "Gargoyle" created a nice balance with the others, sung by Mascis. Well known for his guitar wizardry and for playing at an intensely high volume, Mascis was surrounded by a semicircle of Marshall stacks and lived up to his reputation, shredding on leads and solos throughout. In spite of also being known for being curmudgeonly at times, both Barlow and Mascis were mostly good humored and even made a few jokes here and there, but the majority of their attention was on the music. An extended, noisy jam on "Gargoyle" concluded the main set, and the two-song encore flooded the room with guitar overdrive and heavy flanger on "What Else Is New" before concluding with a rocking cover of The Cure's "Just Like Heaven," a staple of their show for decades, which includes the use of whammy bar and wah-wah, simultaneously and a sarcastically heavy metal take on the chorus.

Seeing a group like Dinosaur Jr. now carries even more weight and significance than it may have in the past, partly because of the resurrection of the project and all original members after years without most of them but also because they are one of the survivors of their era. There is a magic to the original grunge and proto-grunge bands that was certainly imitated and watered down with each successive wave of '90s alternative rock, but which can't be equaled or duplicated by those that came after them. Groups like Pixies, The Breeders, Meat Puppets, Smashing Pumpkins, and even newer projects that feature members of classic, now defunct bands create a sound and a vibe unique to that special mid-'80s to mid-'90s stretch of rock history. It's even a part of why legends like Pearl Jam continue to bring in huge crowds wherever they play, even after 36 years. Take advantage of the opportunities to see these projects when they pass through your area. You never know how many more times they may cycle through, and there's nothing else quite like them.

Dinosaur Jr.'s U.S. tour continues into the autumn. Check their site for dates and tickets.

*Watch a fan-shot bootleg video (one-shot/tripod with decent sound) of the full show here!

Dinosaur Jr. (7/24/26) set list:
The Lung
In a Jar
Garden
Several Got Away
Repulsion
Little Fury Things
Out There
Kracked
Sludgefeast
Mountain Man
Start Choppin'
Feel the Pain
Freak Scene
Gargoyle
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What Else Is New
Just Like Heaven (The Cure)

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Doors Tribute Rocks Warner Vineyards

Warner Vineyards in Paw Paw, MI (a bit west of Kalamazoo) had another rocking summer with excellent tribute shows and national touring acts alike. In addition to tributes to The Beach Boys, Van Halen, Tom Petty, and others, an excellent salute to The Doors, the legendary psychedelic pop band from the late '60s and early '70s, graced the stage in late July.

Unlike many tribute acts, who present the material of a certain artist with band members in their own clothes, displaying their own personalities, The Ultimate Doors, a four-piece touring tribute band, performed in character, with each member playing the part of one of the legendary members of the original group. This included costumes and hairstyling that would have been seen at a Doors concert 55 years ago or so, and stage banter quoted directly from official live and bootleg recordings of various Doors' performances. Even the instruments, amplifiers, and additional props on stage (such as vintage Coke cans and paper cups of the era) added a theatrical authenticity that made the show far more interesting than seeing a group of musicians simply playing the songs. Considering The Doors' own theatrical style, and especially the performances of front man Jim Morrison, this all added a layer of engagement that heightened the experience.

Rather than restaging one particular Doors show from their all-too-short history, The Ultimate Doors created a composite show that included bits from each of the group's six classic albums, with most visual references and quoted ad libs coming from 1968-1970 performances that were thankfully filmed or at least professionally recorded and later released by the band.

After an entertaining opening set from The Rupple Brothers, The Ultimate Doors took the stage to a slightly sparse crowd that filled in as the show got up and running. It was wise to include a blend of hits, fan favorites, and a few deep cuts to keep the attention of everyone in the audience, regardless of their level of fandom. The leather pants clad singer performing the role of Jim Morrison clearly studied his mannerisms and moved about the stage and even into the front of the crowd at one point in a way the evoked the motions of the late rock legend. He even stopped to pose for photos with some camera-ready concertgoers holding his body and making funny faces that matched famous photos of Morrison. The organist in the position of Ray Manzarek likewise had his posture at the keyboards down pat, and his swinging blond hair and glasses made him completely disappear into the role. While the band's drummer and guitarist didn't necessarily look as much like John Densmore and Robbie Kreiger respectively, their execution on each instrument directly replicated the sound and style of the original players nearly perfectly, down to fills and accents that would have been ad-libs during original Doors' performances but which have now become almost as recognized as the songs themselves in some case.

The show itself was excellent! Things started with the medley of Alabama Song, Back Door Man, and Five to One that was made famous in large part due to its inclusion in The Doors' famous Hollywood Bowl concert in July of 1968 and was featured regularly for over a year afterward. The group followed with four popular songs from the band's earlier days, including "Love Me Two Times," "Strange Days," and the hit "Hello, I Love You." While the performances were accurate and precise, they also didn't drone or drag on beyond the lengths of their recorded versions, unlike many of The Doors' actual concerts, for better or worse. This choice made the show more approachable to the average patron but arguably is an authentic element that was really the only thing missing from the tribute.

The second half of the concert continued to feature songs from the first three Doors albums (including a showstopping "When the Music's Over") but worked in later-era tracks like "Touch Me," in its raw form, without horns, "Peace Frog," "Roadhouse Blues," and "Riders on the Storm," the only songs from the second half of Morrison's tenure to be featured (and nothing from The Doors' final two albums fronted by Manzerek were referenced). The decision to include these tracks along with those from the band's first three albums added another layer of creativity to the set list since The Doors rotated older songs out of the set as the progressed forward, so a concert that put a spotlight on each of their six albums (with Morrison) never actually happened, especially regarding tracks from 1971's L.A. Woman, from which only one song was featured in the tribute show.

A crowd-pleasing rendition of the group's most famous song, "Light My Fire" was followed by a brief tease of the beginning of the avant garde song/poem, "The Celebration of the Lizard" before quickly switching to a full-length rendition of the band's most haunting track, "The End," which concluded the main set. An enthusiastic response from the audience brought the band back to the stage for a one-song encore of "Soul Kitchen," also commonly featured as an encore by the actual band, before taking their final bow of the night.

Given the quality of the performance, one question is whether the band ever rotates other songs into the set, as they would probably sound as good and as authentic as the ones that were featured in Paw Paw. Overall, The Ultimate Doors is a must-see for any die-hard Doors fan, and even casual fans who may only know the greatest hits would be likely to have a great time. Don't miss a chance to catch them if they pass through your area!

The Ultimate Doors (7/23/26) set list:
The Movie (intro tape)
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Alabama Song
Back Door Man
Five to One
Love Me Two Times
The WASP
Hello, I Love You
People Are Strange
Touch Me
Crystal Ship
Peace Frog
When the Music's Over
Roadhouse Blues
Riders on the Storm
Light My Fire/Graveyard Poem
Celebration of the Lizard (intro tease)
The End
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Soul Kitchen

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