…finally I found a review of the Hamburg gig (15th Dec. 20002)

http://www.alternativenation.de/reviews

it’s quite a good review, I can only second the parts about the cheerful, admiring and enthusiastic atmosphere

as it is in German, I translated it with some google translation support:

* * * * *

J. Mascis & the Fog
Logo, Hamburg
15.12.2002

guitarosaurus rex

In November, J. had to postpone some European tour dates due to illness. Among these, there was also the concert in Hamburg, that meant we had to wait almost until Christmas. His new band the Fog doesn’t accompany him nowadays, currently he comes alone. Outside is it windy and icily cold. If there wasn’t a good reason to go outside, nobody would like to leave the warm room at home. But nevertheless, we’re about to see a so-called living legend of Indie rock on this frosty December evening [hell, yeah, it was cold that night! ; FC].

From 9 p.m. on there meet cheerful people in the Logo venue, hoping to hear some Dinosaur jr. songs, which were important for the older among the present during their teenage years. Around ten, a relatively small guy enters the stage, walking sedately, and, hardly noticeable, there is the glimpse of a smile on his face for one moment, the joy about the nearly sold out hall.

His hair turned grey meanwhile, but is still parted, half a meter long and wavy. Besides of the present colour this hairstyle is well known from a big number of photos, originating from sometime between 1986 and today. Right in the end of the eighties and at the beginning of the nineties they were published in fanzines and music magazines, when Alternative was still called Indie Rock and people were euphoric about the trio Dinosaur Jr. with their wild and rough sound.

Without looking through the thick glasses of his brown horn specs to the crowd, J Mascis sits down and starts with the first song of the concert before he even spoke a word, calmly, but not relaxed, he begins with a song of the current J Mascis + the Fog album Free so Free, one of the songs about freedom.

Directly after that, there followed what the audience was waiting and hoping for: old tracks, presented by the man who wrote them, first Thumb with these much-saying lines about the difficulties to communicate with other humans and the inability to enjoy life at ease. But nobody needed to have many of such thoughts on this evening. Already during the applause, Mascis starts to play the next song. Breaks only exist to either tune the guitar or to drink some water.

Sometimes there was one of these mumbeled half sentences, which are probably to be understood as being appreciative about the applause. At the latest with the third song dreams came true: there he sits in scarcely two meters distance and plays FreakScene. In the meantime he steps on the distortion pedal and the acoustic guitar begins to roar and to screech. At that moment the eyes are already completely wet. Being moved. How beautiful it sounds. The last verses are sung along by everyone:

sometimes i don’t thrill you
sometimes i think i kill you
just don’t let me fuck up will you?
’cause when i need a friend it’s still you
(what a mess).

Mascis stays calm; he seems hardly to be able to to enjoy the situation he is exposed on stage. Being confronted directly with so many strangers. Although the audience is noticeably enchanted, since their most wanted musical wishes come true: Get Me, Little Fury Things, the Wagon, Repulsion. There is even a medley. The Lung merges with the Cure cover Just Like Heaven: … just like a dream.

Even those in the crowd, who know the solo album Martin + Me, are surprised by J., apart from the moving collection of songs. Every now and then – these are the advantages of technological developments for the music loner – Mascis accompanies himself: He loops the chords of the rhythm guitar, to do what he can hardly suppress: soloing. Particularly ravishing solos get that kind of applause, like it is otherwise only heard on jazz concerts. But however, why not? if the music nevertheless enjoys the audience.
So many melodies are floatig in the hall. Lovely, flattering, hymnal, as well as sad, they may all be taken into the icy cold night. After one hour, Mascis leaves the stage and returns twice for one song at a time.

Then the audience becomes nervous. Strain. hekticness. Young and not so young men would like to get at least one part of their idol, the incarnation of a slacker and nerd. They rush towards the stage, their admiration knows no restraint, only greed – introspektion finds a sudden end. It’s time to take action. They obtain picks, also the plastic cup from which he drank and his water bottle. The normal insanity is back again.

lobotoby, 24.12.2002