The Last SummerStage Concert for 2009

This past Sunday was a scorching hot day with highs in the low 90's in Manhattan. I'll admit, I wasn't looking forward to spending 5+ hours in the afternoon sun, but it seemed a fair price to pay to see Dinosaur Jr. free of charge. The crowd this time was definitely different from that at The Pretenders show last week. There were lots of ponytails and tattoos on men and women alike. Everyone seemed excited for the show and packed the field despite the heat.  As with previous shows, there was an art tent with psychedelically bright paintings.  There was something about these iridescent green lips, in particular, that caught my attention.

The show opened with Saviors, a heavy metal band out of California. I wasn't able to get any pictures, but there wasn't anything too original about this band. The second act was The Walkmen, an indie-rock band from NYC. They played mostly new music, saying they'd be recording these new songs this week. It was good, but once again, nothing original and nothing I'd pay to see.

Dinosaur Jr. came on around 5:45pm with the sun still blazing away, which made taking pictures a bit difficult. Dinosaur Jr. formed in 1984 and is a band that many consider to be one of the grandfathers of alternative rock. 

I was somewhat disappointed that J Mascis wasn't wearing those gigantic, 1980's style glasses, but I thoroughly enjoyed their set and even managed to get some dancing in -- which for me, only happens when I truly love the music.

Amanda