23 February 2024 – The Tivoli, Brisbane – words by Joe Harbour – pictures by Bec Harbour
One of my favourite bands as a youngster has announced its touring one of their most well known records and will be coming down under for a series of shows celebrating the release of it. I put my hand up to go, realising another band I want to see, is also playing on the same night so I’m torn between which one I’ll go to. Eventually I settle on one and the winner is Dinosaur Jr. I really like Where you Been so to get the chance to see them play it live in full was a huge factor here.
Kicking off the night support act Stepmother, come on stage with their own brand of noise and immediately I’m reminded of Radio Birdmen crossed with Kyuss. I might add that guitarist played solos that had what seemed be a J Mascis influence. They also produce some awesome harmonies and have a steady tempo when all is said and done but if I’m honest they have a couple filler tracks as well. I was not given a set list and as I’m not familiar with them I went looking and found one from another gig but I could recall a couple songs like ‘The Game’, ‘Settle Down’ and ‘Fade Away’.
Overall not bad show from them and if you like this sort of thing try check them out!
Up next, Dinosaur Jr.
Back in the day I first heard of Dinosaur Jr through pretty much everywhere else I got to hear non-mainstream music first, through skateboard videos. The late eighties and early 90’s was so different to today in that no internet meant that access to obscure and different music was an almost esoteric experience because frankly no one knew until the alternative explosion hit the world via Nirvana among others. Triple J back then was a noisey plethora of college, punk, avant-garde and everything the local radio station wasn’t playing. I also grew up in Darwin so I’m sure you get the drift, there wasn’t much exposure or choice there.
In my first year of high school in 1992, no one had really listened to any of the music I had scribbled logos on my bag and I felt like some weirdo skateboard kid asking to get my butt kicked by the footy players and anyone else willing to stir the pot. I was also a spotty kid so that didn’t help either but I won’t digress here. So fast forward I’m in my first art class of high school, I never really liked any classes (I liked to draw though and I was also into history/SACE and science they were better than some of the other classes to be fair) and it’s here my story will start to take shape. I’m sat with a guy named Andrew whom I had given heaps of crap to (the bullied a bully?) and whilst we were both silent at first, music somehow became a topic. Instantly we both couldn’t shut up! Andrew knew I was the skateboard dude so his first question was “have you seen 100% by Sonic Youth” and I was “Yes!!!” And it just went on from there… we discussed other bands like Ministry, some of the punk I was listening to, late night Rage and that friendship was forged. Later we both decided the high school we were at wasn’t it and transferred to new one and so we took this love of music there with us.
So one day he comes to me and goes “have you heard of these guys?” And he’d recorded “Start Chopping” off Triple J. I was all “sounds like Dinosaur Jr” and he goes “it is!”.
Well you know what? I was all over it, I really dug the song and then my sister got the album known as Where You Been? and it was on all the time.
Fast forward 30 years, and Dinosaur Jr have decided to tour the album as a 30 year anniversary celebration. Gee, times really flown. The venue is the Tivoli, and I’ve not seen them here before so I was kind of keen as I like this venue quite a lot.
As expected we started off with track one, ‘Out there’ and I always really liked this song as the riff is really cool. Next was ‘Start Choppin’ the song is a classic and has as memorable an intro as anything I can think of.
We moved through the rest of the album pretty much in chronological order so next is ‘What else is new’ and then we’re onto ‘On the way’. I really like the loud and faster songs from J Mascis and co, they just have good blast to them.
We move onto next ‘Not the same’ and then another song that got them airtime and that would be ‘Get Me’. I always liked the little solo early in this song as it was actually played by then bassist Mike Johnson. Interestingly original bass player Lou Barlow who was here tonight didn’t record or wasn’t even in the band anymore when Where You Been? was released.
We move onto ‘ Drawerings’ and then another heavier faster song ‘Hide’. Again a good track and a great live experience. The last two songs are ‘Going Home’ and ‘I ain’t saying’ with ‘Going Home’ another catchy riff driven tune with the addition of a subtle organ.
So, there you have it, we got through the album and they decide to treat us to some fan favourites like ‘The Wagon’, ‘Little Fury Things’, ‘Feel the Pain’ ( the most successful song of theirs).
They then bugger off stage and come back with encore of ‘Freak Scene’ and The Cure cover ‘Just like Heaven’. Nice.
So how was the night, in a word, Awesome. If given the chance I’ll try to see these guys when ever they tour our shores as they are such a part of my younger years and they are timeless in that they are unique and you wont hear anything like them.
