Photo: Aaron Sammut

As pleased as tonight’s crowd is that Dinosaur Jr. are playing an intimate club show, there is a definite vibe entering the Zoo tonight that at least The Lost Weekend would have been well-ventilated. Kitchen’s Floor are tonight’s only support band. Noise punks with an indie rock sense of minimalism, Kitchen’s Floor show the far-reaching influence of tonight’s headliners. Reckless and sometimes grating in their use of amplifier buzz, Kitchen’s Floor are too loud for the older portion of tonight’s crowd.

Lou Barlow trudging across the Zoo’s sweat-locker stage signifies the low-key beginning of Dinosaur Jr.’s set. Swaying back and forth like a small child with a big secret, vocalist J Mascis’s stage presence is Dinosaur Jr.’s sound personified: fluid and hypnotic; understated yet powerful; sardonic but heart-felt. Maybe it’s his Om t-shirt, or how his Jesus-length silver hair is pushed back at the insistence of a pedestal fan, but Mascis stands on stage with an aura of spirituality. Like a prophet he delivers a sermon of tightly controlled distortion, scratchy guitar tones and warm bursts of fuzz. Instead of disciples, Mascis is closely surrounded by a semi-circled enclave of Marshall stacks, producing a noise both punishing and pretty. Where Mascis commands the near-total crowd attention during ’90s tracks like Feel The Pain, Lou Barlow and the bald-headed, bare-chested Murph help create a richer atmosphere for songs composed by the original trio, like Freak Scene, In A Jar and Over It. Underneath the lore and ironic haircuts, Dinosaur Jr.’s fuzzed-out encore performance of Repulsion proves that the three-piece haven’t exhausted the elixir that made their early works so vital. They might just be the best iconic indie rock band in Brisbane this week. Before they leave the stage, bassist Lou even offers, “Have fun at Pavement tomorrow.”

TOM HERSEY

CHECK OUT MORE PHOTOS FROM DINOSAUR JR. HERE!

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