Favorite Dino concert

[nick]

The "best show" for me was actually a best chain of shows. It was 1997. Dinosaur Jr. at that time was promoting its "HAND IT OVER" album, along side Sweet 75 (another 3 piece band that included ex-bassist for nirvana, Noveacheck? The "tour" started at Tremont Music Hall in Charlotte, N.C. Where the three of us pushed our way up front amungst the younger more fiesty crowd. We were front and center and loved it. I was screeming for ‘Wagon’ which never came. I was in awe last night, Dinosaur, up close and personal. Nobody could have moved me from my place up front. The second night we were off to Charleston S.C where Dino was at the Music Farm. We had a great feel for the crowd that night and waited patiently to make our route to the front before the show began. After a few beers it was time to be on our way. There, again front and center, we were acutally pushed against the stage. During the show we could have touched J’s shoes, he did please us a couple of times by bending and jamming a solo in front of our eyes just out of our reach. However, we would have done nothing to disrupt the flow of "magic." Again, I yelled for, but received no "Wagon." The next show was at the Cat’s Cradle in Chapel Hill, NC. Again up front. We finally got noticed by Sweet 75 when the lead lady said, "hey those guys have been around the past 3 nights, lets here it for those guys." They rocked a few songs and when it was over, the lead lady gave my friend a piece of duck tape she was waring that said, ELLEN. Go figure? Any way, Dino was next. We weren’t moving and I was going to here Wagon–I felt it. They came on out, wasn’t quite sure if j knew we were there but Berz seemed like he noticed. I got one of his drum sticks when, as he was hammering, a stick busted in two and berz tossed the leftover piece to the crowd. I still have it. My friend Josh got J’s pick once it fell to the ground during the show. And my other friend Phil, he took a sip from J mystery drink (hard stuff) after the show was over and when we were asking the stage hand if we could meet J. Back to the show. J after hearing me yell for Wagon repeditely for 3 nights, decided to humor me. YES. IT ROCKED. That song summed up the "tour." "There’s a place I’d like to go, when you get there then I’ll know." Da Na Ta Da Na Ta Da Na Na, Na. After the show we hung around, chatted with friends, and took in the whole scene. We wanted to just hop in the Van and cruise to DC where Dinosaur was playing the 9:30 club–couldn’t make it but I do have a video of the show. My ears rang for days. My voice creeked. I missed 3 days of college classes and had a major report due once I got back. Yet, didn’t fail a class that year nor the report. So, that was it my most enjoyable Dino show(s) ever. Hope there is a show I can get to that can top it… Sorry for the length of the story.

[img]images/smiles/icon_cool.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img]

[fata morgana]

Best Dino Show. Hmmm. Lollapalooza 1, where they appeared to my eyes for the firsttime. New York (forgot the name of the place) because I wrote a song about it afterwards. Sold-out gig in hometown, music was definitely his mistress that night–returning gig because the only reason I had in coming back to town was for this( and also because I wanted to give a sculpted wooden cat to J. which I had brought back from Seattle) Solo show, of course, because of J’s sense of Humour.

[RuBrick]

OK

I have not been too many Dinosaur Jr. concerts. But the best one was the first one! I suppose it actually sucked, but I really enjoyed it.

November 1985
Eighth Route Army record release concert.
Location: Third floor ballroom of some arts center in Northampton Mass.
Opening: Dinosaur and the Melarians.

I did not even know this concert was happening until I bumped into the band in Northampton that day and they offered to get me (and about 12 others) in free. J was mostly hanging out with his friend Arty. I think the cover of the first Dinosaur album has a picture of Arty on it (I may be wrong about that.) Arty was said to be special because he had an almost perfectly square head (not really, but that was what everybody said.) Maybe that is also his face on the BBC sessions CD…

J was wearing around this very nasty old parka with sort of artificial rat fur around the edge of the hood. Lous’ distinctive clothing included this dumb blue touch football vest with little ties at the sides.

J thought the concert location was cool because if you did not want to pay to get in you could just hang around out side the back door and look through the windows. He looked forward to doing this at future concerts. J and Arty were both offered an intoxicating beverage cleverly hidden in an orange juice carton but they politely refused. Well that’s just more for the rest of us I thought.

I had heard some of the Dinosaur album on the college radio stations in the area. I asked J if I should buy his album. He said: "Naaahhh…" He seemed pretty confident it was not going to make any money.

Anyway we all barged inside the ball room place saying: "We’re with the band!"

So the band gets on stage and ready to go. Lou starts yelling something at the top of his lungs. It sounds like he’s yelling "Party!!!!" "PAAAARRTYYYY!!!!" over and over. After a while Arty stumbles up on stage and sits down in front of the drum riser with the bass drum right behind him. Lou introduces Arty.

As usual everyone got all nice and crowded around in front of the stage.

I can’t remember the song order or anything. It was all stuff from the first album. I remember "does it float" was done pretty nicely. At some point the PA got turned off. It’s not that they were too loud or anything. This is J, before he got a Marshall. I think they must have offended the sound guy or something. But Lou can scream loud enough that he doesn’t really need a PA!

At the end J and Lou started running around the stage. Then they fell over and let their instruments feedback while Pat just kept drumming away. It was about a 1/2 hour set. I think they got discouraged because the PA was cut off. Or maybe they were told to quit…

The other bands sucked. The Melarians were a sort of retro/twist band specializing in "96 Tears." They ought to have been good but, well, I was not very open minded to that type of thing at the time, so maybe they were not too bad. Eighth Route Army, who also sucked, were a sort of punk/Areosmith wanna-be type band who mostly did covers. I knew the bass player at a later time and he is cool (for a guy who digs Areosmith any way.)

But forget them! J stood in a prominent place while the other bands played, jaw slacked, with this freaky look on his face. I think he was trying to get someone in the other bands to crack and make some embarrassing mistake. He has a very disconcerting stare. But it didn’t work… Too bad as it would have been entertaining to see the other bands screw up…

Well… It was free and I enjoyed myself. But I had to hang out in the basement of the art center tying to keep away from those stupid Areosmith tunes because friends I was getting a ride home with were (GASP!) Eighth Route Army fans! It was tolerable because I got to hang out down there and commiserate with some guys who are now sort of famous…

[AGAP]

Hey,

My fav is the most recent tour, Minneapolis November 4th…absolutely amazing. Other fav is Minneapolis again but in 93…I think…kinda fuzzy on the date. Went down with some friends for the 93 gig…my friend JJ’s wife drove us mad, my husband actually put her in a head lock and gave her a chinese haircut…she thought he was joking…couldn’t ditch them until they picked up the tickets to the show..of course we did after that. I couldn’t hear properly for a week after the 93 show, last November it took about 3 days. I suspect I have damaged my ears and it took less time to recover d/t the very poor state of my hearing to begin with….oh well.

Rubrick…great post again I could almost see the stare…sounds amazing.

Allison

[Cloud9]

Hello

My favorite J Mascis Concert will be Groningen, 13-06-2001 cuz its gonna be the 1st concert I see of him, Im looking forward to that
I Missed Amsterdam last Year cuz I was Sick [img]images/smiles/converted/cwm8.gif[/img]

But a cool concert would be a Acoustic Concert of J, I hope to see that once [img]images/smiles/converted/wink.gif[/img]

Yours Trully

Beezle [img]images/smiles/converted/18.gif[/img]

<FONT>[ June 03, 2001 03:06 PM: Message mutated 2 times, lastly by Beezle ]</font>

[K7 Rides Again]

My favorite show was back in late ’96/early’97 (not sure exactly) at the Newport in Columbus for the HAND IT OVER tour. Friends came into town with some "booms" (beautiful golden caps, tasted absolutely horrible! yuck!). We ate and headed for the Newport. There for a little while, I’m on the way up, and finally Dino comes out. The whole show is in green and purple lighting, except for when j breaks into solos, then the whites come on! I even have a Dino oriented tattoo that is based largely on this effect of the lighting colors (lots of purples and greens). Mind blowing and it’s so fuckin’ incredibly loud! It seems like the amps are going to knock you off your feet at any moment! So like I said, the whole gig’s in purple and green and J goes into Start Choppin’ "…i ain’t tellin you a secret…i ain’t telling you goodbye…(guitar)do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do!!!!" and J goes into the massive hammer-ons/ pull offs (you know the part i’m talking about…) and the white lights come on are just flashing to every hammer-on/ pull-off in such perfect rythm and I’m absolutely blown away!!! Same thing for…On The Way…green and purple during the rythm white lights pumping during the solos! What a perfect combo of lighting and music (hats off to the lights guy, he new the tunes and had his shit together). Head bobbing and body moving the entire show! "There’s a place I like to go…when you get there then I’ll know…there’s a place I know you been…here’s the PIT(ha,ha,ha!) get on in!" J Mascis is God and and the guitar is his mighty axe. Catching mad trails off of his fingers… they’re so fast and never quit moving all up and down the neck of his guitar. Then during the Lung, he’s steps up for that almighty solo and as he hits that first note I swear to God lightning shoots right out the frickin’ end of his guitar! Absolutely mesmerizing (is that spelled right?)! Incrediblly awesome show, so much energy from the stage, the crowd, and I will never forget it!

<FONT>[ June 03, 2001 04:13 PM: Message mutated 2 times, lastly by kurticus7 ]</font>

[greasehead]

I’ve only seen J. twice. The first was with Dino Jr. at Lollapalooza in Nashville. The second was recently on the current tour in St. Pete. Both are certainly very memorable. Out of all the bands on the Lollapalooza bill that year, I have to say that I enjoyed Dino the most. I remember baking in the sun and J. simply shredding it up. It was absolutely mesmerizing. I wish I could go back in time and live it all over again.

[Author]

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