live @ Black Cat 10.28.2000
When J. Mascis led Dinosaur (later Dinosaur Jr.), he reliably produced three things during live shows: a very loud guitar sound, a bevy of guitar solos (some great, some not) and a laid-back demeanor. It wasn’t too surprising then, that during J.’s performance with his new group, the Fog, at the Black Cat Saturday night, those three elements were as strong as ever.
On the road to promote his solid (and Dinosaur-like) new album “More Light”, Mascis’ Fog lifted to reveal bassist Mike Watt (ex-Minutemen) and drummer George Berz, who played in a late edition of Dinosaur Jr. Mascis’ mellow stage persona is often mistaken for laziness, but longtime observers have come to appreciate his varying degrees of placidity, and this show was comparatively lively. The set list reflected as much, as J. went all the way back to “Severed Lips” from Dinosaur Jr.’s 1985 debut, picked standouts like “Back Before You Go” from his new album and even essayed “The Lung”, perhaps his former band’s finest song.
Watt was unusually restrained (though he did wail the Stooges’ “TV Eye”) and mainly served as anchor for the solos Mascis cut loose from his blockade of punishingly loud Marshall amplifiers. Especially fried and histrionic (read: good) were the solos in “Ammaring” , “Waistin” and “Little Fury Things”, the latter always a highlight of Dinosaur Jr. shows. There were a few awkward ones (“I’m Not Fine” lived up to its’ title) but Mascis fans know that J.’s live shows should be savored for the electrifying moments, not the occasional misfires. Overall, the savoring at Saturday’s show was pretty good.
Washington Post, September 2000
