As far as reunions go, Dinosaur Jr’s back in 2005 beggared belief. The acrimonious sacking of original member Lou Barlow in the late 80s may have seen the mighty J Mascis and Murph go it alone, but it was a journey some thought they took almost to spite their erstwhile bandmate. Yet, here they are, getting along, sharing a stage in Boston’s The Middle East and New York’s Irving Plaza.
This offers some compelling footage of lo-fi grunge’s most dysfunctional trio reliving their youth, performing an 18-track set with vigour and excitement alongside a, erm, giant pink monster. The additional bonus features, however, consisting of several live performances, as well as interviews with the band and other legends such as Thurston Moore, Kevin Shields and Steve Albini, seems a little sparse. The band retrospectives offer minimal insight into Dinosaur’s ferocity during their peak and the impact of their eventual implosion.
As one would expect from a feature film directed by Mascis’ own brother-in-law, Philipp Virus, Live In The Middle East isn’t brave enough to delve into the nitty gritty of the myth with any real intrigue. As Albini puts it, this is “bummer hard rock” at its best, but more of a treat for hardened fans.
