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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