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The Wagon

Here are some thoughts about last night's Dinosaur Jr/Black Keys show at the Ridglea:

-No, the ticket had the line-up correct. Dinosaur played before the Black Keys.

-As much as Dinosaur should have headlined, their 45-minute set was the perfect length. It wasn't too long and it wasn't too short. Their songs easily blur together -- as evidenced by the recently-released live DVD -- but not during last night's set.

-A couple of songs from Beyond were played ("Almost Ready" and "Back to Your Heart") as well as classics such as "Freak Scene," "The Wagon," "Little Fury Things" and "Feel the Pain." Yes, "Feel the Pain." And it was incredible.

-Despite wearing earplugs, my ears were sore by the end of the set. J's eight amps probably had something to do with this.

-The Black Keys were enjoyable to watch, but I'm not really inclined to check out their records. Just not really my cup of tea.

-That said, I saw how drum fills are really essential if the band is just a two-piece. Keys' drummer Patrick Carney proved that. See also Two Gallants, Mates of State and the Like Young.

-I'd never seen a half-circle tambourine be used as a drumstick. I also had never seen cymbal stands move so far after being hit by this tambourine.

-Major kudos to the Ridglea for putting on a well-run show. Plus, I was really thankful for the abundance of parking space. It was nice to leave the venue once the show was over, get into my car and drive home without ever having to slow down.

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