“Finally got to play at my preferred volume again” – Jason Isbell on X/Twitter.
Things are really getting interesting at these Dinosaur Jr. Where You Been 30th anniversary shows. Wednesday was Night 5 and had the most special guests yet during the second portion of the set. Jason Isbell, who had played with Punch Brothers at the Minetta Lane Theatre earlier in the night, joined the band to cover Neil Young & Crazy Horse’s “Cortez the Killer,” and right after that, Against Me!‘s Laura Jane Grace came out to sing and play guitar on The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven,” which closed out the night’s main set.
Before that, Dinosaur Jr had very old friends Don Fleming and Jay “The Rummager” Spiegel of B.A.L.L. onstage for a two-drummer cover My Bloody Valentine’s “Only Shallow” and they stuck around for “The Wagon.” Before that, comedian Claire O’Kane was on hand to sing lead in “In a Jar.”
The night, of course, began with a full album play of Where You Been, and things ended with a two-song encore of “Feel the Pain” and “Freak Scene.” Check out fan-shot video and the full Night 5 setlist below.
The run wraps up with shows tonight and tomorrow (tickets) — who could show up at these? Demand for surprise guests at indie rock residencies has suddenly gone up as Yo La Tengo’s 2023 Hanukkah run starts tonight at Bowery Ballroom.
If you can’t make it in person, Dinosaur Jr are livestreaming all of these MHOW shows via Nugs.net.
Night 4 had Kim Deal and The Hold Steady as surprise guests. Check out recaps, video and setlists of the whole Where You Been Run here.
In related news, Laura Jane Grace has shared a new song from upcoming album Hole in My Head. ”I think as you get older and go through life’s hurts and heartbreaks, it gets harder and harder to let yourself be open and vulnerable,” Grace says of “Cuffing Season.” “But when you do, it can be so worth it even if you just end up hurt and heartbroken again. In the end, I don’t think you regret those kinds of losses. I think you regret not trying.” Watch the video at the bottom of this post.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C0jyr-VOcTz/
https://twitter.com/JasonIsbell/status/1732627549564338470
https://www.instagram.com/p/C0imxwLOCiB/
SETLIST: Dinosaur Jr @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 12/6/2023 (Night 5)
Where You Been
Start Choppin’
What Else Is New
On the Way
Not the Same
Get Me
Drawerings
Hide
Goin’ Home
I Ain’t Sayin’
Garden
In a Jar (With Clare O’Kane)
Only Shallow (with Don Fleming and Jay “The Rummager” Spiegel)
The Wagon (with Don Fleming and Jay “The Rummager” Spiegel)
Cortez the Killer (with Jason Isbell)
Just Like Heaven (with Laura Jane Grace)
Encore:
Feel the Pain
Freak Scene