Dinosaur Jr. played on the latest edition of NPR’s “Tiny Desk (Home) Concert” series, performing several tracks off their new album Sweep It Into Space.
The band filmed the five-song clip, which was directed by Joe Salinas, in the empty Shea Theater in Turners Falls, Massachusetts. The set included three songs from Sweep It Into Space, “I Ain’t,” “Garden” and “I Ran Away,” as well as “Feel the Pain” from 1994’s Without a Sound and “Freak Scene” from 1988’s Bug.
Dinosaur Jr. released Sweep It Into Space in April via Jagjaguwar. Originally scheduled for mid-2020, Sweep It Into Space is the band’s first LP since 2016’s Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not, and was recorded at Amherst’s Biquiteen in late autumn of 2019 following a U.S. tour. Kurt Vile co-produced the album, and performs the lead 12-string guitar on “I Ran Away.”
In the midst of the pandemic, the band’s singer J Mascis participated in Third Man Records’ at-home live performance series, appearing alongside Olivia Jean, Kelley Stoltz, Redd Kross, Dale Crover, Luke Schneider, and more. Meanwhile, his bandmate, Dinosaur Jr. bassist Lou Barlow, commemorated the 15th anniversary of his solo album Emoh with a reissue, released in July via Merge Records.
Dinosaur Jr. recently announced an extensive fall 2021/winter 2022 North American tour, but the band has since added a few shows to precede that trek, including a pair of socially distanced May concerts and a headlining slot at their Camp Fuzz II fest in Big Indian, New York, from July 27th to 30th.