This Weekend’s Concert Picks: Dinosaur Jr., Sloan, Owl City, Peter Gabriel, Eddie Vedder
Photo by Brantley Gutierrez
Dinosaur Jr.
FRIDAY, JUNE 24
After ending an eight-year hiatus in 2005, Dinosaur Jr. released two albums, but their current five-stop tour (which started in their hometown of Northampton, Mass.) will only be featuring their third album, Bug—the whole grungy, feedback-filled, ’90s alt-rock masterpiece in its entirety. The band toured in support of its last two albums, but this tour is undoubtedly crafted to allow fans to indulge in the nostalgia of Bug. Providing the material for reminiscing will be long-time friend and Black Flag front man Henry Rollins, who will conduct a 15-minute interview before Dinosaur launches into their set, talking about the album’s creation, poking around for amusing anecdotes and such. According to a review by the Hartford Courant, the first go at the on-stage Q&A was pretty awkward, with Rollins being far more talkative than the reticent Dinosaur band members. But if fans are curious enough to hear the backstory of the beloved album, they can bare with it. Dinosaur Jr. plays with Off! at 8:30 p.m. at the Electric Factory; tckets for the all-ages show are $29.50. —Danielle Wayda
The May 2011 release of Sloan’s latest album, The Double Cross, marked the Canadian band’s 20th year together. In all that time, their line-up has remained (almost miraculously) unchanged. Sloan is also noted for another oddity in the music industry: each of its four members (all Halifax natives) has contributed songs for every album. This balance is perhaps why they’re still together two decades later. Their 1991 debut, Smeared, is consistently voted one of Canada’s top albums of all time, coming in ahead of Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, and they’ve been dubbed “Canada’s Nirvana.” But their music is more power-pop than grunge; it slides between punk rock jams and catchy ballads with ease. Sloan performs with HotKid at 7:30 p.m. at Kung Fu Necktie; tickets to the 21+ show are SOLD OUT. —Kiley Bense
Also playing: Katy Perry + Robyn, Marina And The Diamonds at Wells Fargo Center (7:30 p.m., $39.50-$47.50); Koo Koo Kanga Roo + Brick and Mortar, Ecomog, Attack Slug at The Fire (5 p.m., $10); Pat McGee + Deep River, Boots Factor at World Cafe Live (8 p.m., $29-$39)
SATURDAY, JUNE 25
Owl City + Mat Kearney, Unwed Sailor at The Mann Center (7 p.m., $28); Peter Gabriel + The New Blood Orchestra at Susquehanna Bank Center (8 p.m., $45–$280); Eddie Vedder + Glen Hansard at Tower Theatre (7:30 p.m., SOLD OUT); Garland Jeffereys at Sellersville Theater (8 p.m., $29.50); Bootsy Collins at The Keswick Theatre (8 p.m., $36-$50.50); June Divided + Kingsfoil; Alright, Junior, Weatherstar at The Trocadero (6:30 p.m., all ages, $12)
SUNDAY, JUNE 26
F*cked Up + Jeff The Brotherhood, Dry Feet at First Unitarian Church (7:30 p.m., all ages, $12-$13); Legendary Shack Shakers + The Sideshow Prophets, The Rumblers at North Star Bar (8 p.m., 21+, $12)