It's a decade and a half since Joseph 'J' Mascis unintentionally created a potent combination of raging guitar noise, widdling solos and cute pop tunes which at least offered something to please everyone. With Dinosaur Jr now consigned to history, (though for much of their later career the name was little more than a code for Mascis's almost entirely self-played efforts) the great slacker himself is back, promoting his best record in years, the consistently pleasing 'More Light', and with an unusually lively band in tow.
Just where Mascis disappears during those gaps between releases remains a mystery. Quite possibly he lurks in a bowling alley with John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, emerging only when the outside world intervenes. Certainly tonight's bassist, underground veteran Mike Watt, of Minutemen and Firehose repute, looks blue collar enough to spend his time thus. But Watt, as well as contributing vocals to not one, or two, but three excellently clumsy Stooges covers, adds a real presence to this deafening power trio line-up. This van-driving John Entwistle never hesitates to upstage J, who seems downright jaunty at times on this, his thirty fifth birthday.
Enjoyable though the set is, it becomes clear just why Mascis never reached the peaks of commercial stardom once predicted for him. Bluntly, the very fact that one of his earliest tunes, 1986's 'Repulsion', can sit so comfortably in a set largely built around this year's album shows just how little the Mascis sound has progressed. But hell, who cares about that? 'Ammaring', 'I'm Not Fine' and the radio hit that will never be, 'Back Before You Go' (here played just that bit too fast) are simply great songs.
When Mascis returns for an encore of 'More Light', the Primal Scream/Kevin Shields soundalike which concludes the new album, wearing an ancient analogue synth around his neck and playing guitar simultaneously, it's only the sheer drive of it which prevents you laughing. A perfunctory, shatteringly loud 'Freak Scene' follows, and he's gone. It's a pretty good night then. Every flaw and every plus point is as intact as ever, but really, who'd expect anything different at this late stage.
