Fuzz-Drenched Beauty At Its Breathtaking Best: Dinosaur Jr. Live In San Francisco

Written by: Cameron Billon

Everyone loves a nostalgia trip and who doesn’t get giddy when the original members of a classic band reunite? Usually its a one and done, or a tour, or something meant to cash in on old fame.

Dinosaur Jr. however, are something else.

It’s joke to reference Dinosaur Jr. as a retro act. Its been practically 10 years since the original power trio came back with 2007’s Beyond. And the argument could be made (I think I’m making it) that they sound better right now than ever before. Although I’m of the new generation of Dinosaur Jr. fans (they’ve been playing over 30 years), they’re one of my favorite bands of all time and seeing them live is a true thrill.

Last night at the Independent in San Francisco, those in attendance were privileged to see some serious rock and rollers. These guys are masters of their craft, coming off a super solid new record, and putting on amazing shows all over the country.

My ears are still ringing.

I’m pretty sure my face melted off at some point too.

The guitar tones of J. Mascis are legendary, and last night they were unreal. Don’t even get me started on Lou Barlow. He is amazing.

I brought my buddy James with me and he swears that he saw at least three people crying. Picture that through the beautiful fuzz: grown adults brought to tears, overcome with emotion.

If you do get a chance to see them on this recent tour, you’ll be in for a wide array of classics, spanning from 1985’s Dinosaur record all the way up to the most recent, 2016’s Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not.

One of my favorite moments of the show was when J. Mascis broke out into his somewhat signature falsetto for “Knocked Around” which is off the new record.

It was breathtaking.

Setlist: