Recap Dinosaur Jr. rocks First Avenue like it's 1985

There was almost zero stage banter throughout Wednesday night's set, save for bassist and sometime vocalist Lou Barlow's "Man, is it good to be back here," in reference to First Avenue. Dinosaur Jr. came to work, and work it did.

The stage was piled with amps (at least six Marshall stacks with extra mics), which gave it an almost Spinal Tap-like appearance. But this trio doesn't do punch lines. Lead singer/guitarist J Mascis—who, without his signature glasses, is looking more than a little like Edgar Winter these days—seemed to hardly move his fingers as the melodic, intricate riffs, often punctuated by a staccato crunch, pummeled the crowd. Drummer Murph must have had a pile of sawdust at his feet by the time the show was over. Barlow, the most animated member of the band, seemed to be punishing his bass at times.

Their sound, an odd mix of classic rock and punk, never fully gave way to either. It's never derivative, never snarky. It's also hardly changed since their 1985 debut album but, amazingly, hasn't gotten old or worn out. The 75-minute set was filled mostly with new material (much from this year's Farm), which is as good as if not better than much of the "classic" stuff, but the old favorites they threw in blended seamlessly, underlining the fact that this band is somehow stronger for having barely grown sonically in more than two decades. That's not a backhanded compliment. Dinosaur Jr. is the rare band that can get away with this, and it and its fans should be ecstatic about it.

Lou Barlow

Murph

J Mascis

Lou Barlow

Lou Barlow

J Mascis

Murph and Lou Barlow