Something Like Sound

One of the most influential alternative rock bands of the last 2 decades, Dinosaur Jr., made a two-show visit to Colorado last week. One of those shows at a moderately-filled Aggie Theatre in Fort Collins proved to be a night to remember.

First up was a grunge band from Brisbane, Australia, named “Violent SoHo.” The four men drew extensively from their Nirvana influences, from the mix of instruments to their greasy long hair. Violent SoHo was able to go from song to song with great energy and stage presence, combining grunge melodies with the broader sound of two guitars to give the crowd a chance to rock out. Their 40-minute set was solid from start to finish, technically flawless in performance.

Next was Lou Barlow, the bassist for Dinosaur Jr., backed up by the Missing Men. His pop punk set was simple, yet by no means cliché. The fast-paced songs meshed together to form another 40-minute set of driving music. The band had very little interaction with the crowd, preferring to just play music. Their love for their songs was easily seen as they enjoyed their simple, yet creative riffs.

After a 45-minute gap between sets, Dinosaur Jr. finally came on stage to the relief of the restless crowd. Quickly getting into it, they launched into their first song, setting the pace for the rest of the set. Contrary to some complaints from the crowd, guitarist/signer J Mascis simply said, “Less vocals. More guitar.” That attitude carried through the night. Even the stage set up testified to this. Two stacks of Marshal amps numbering near a dozen each framed both sides of the stage. Understandably then, Dinosaur Jr. put on a phenomenally loud show.

The guitar solos far exceeded the prevalence of any singing. What singing there was end up being completely incomprehensible as it was weakly tossed into the lake of guitar. However, this does not count against the quality of Dinosaur Jr. The guitar solos were brain-meltingly skilled and perfectly executed for minutes on end. Between songs, Mascis would show off for a minute while the bassist Lou Barlow re-tuned. Random riffs came together for short, fleeting songs that would quickly be buried by the overwhelming volume of the real set.

The second half of the set turned the pace up a notch from wandering epics to simple rock and roll. This half of the set proved to be more exciting than the former since the songs known by the crowd all fell within this half. After an hour and a half of fast-paced alternative rock, they quietly ended, bringing the night to a close.

Words by Spencer Nelson, Photos by Tim Weilert