A repeated recording of "Say hello to Sebadoh" introduced the band, before a long pause that begged you to wonder if they had just broken up again ended with the band's actual appearance on stage. Blue Lou was true to reputation, admonishing the crowd for its reaction to opener The Bent Moustache. "They said you're the worst crowd they've ever played for," he said before the set started. Hopefully, it was a tongue-in-cheek remark, or maybe Barlow is still the curmudgeon he was known for being in the late-'80s, or maybe it was an act now and maybe it was an act then. He may seem -- he may be -- a depressant, but he's really a nice, sweet guy.
As more and more artists from my golden age of music -- mid-'80s to mid-'90s college rock and late-'80s through early '90s hip-hop -- regroup and hit the road, and as one who used to snub such revival acts, I'm glad I'm seeing things differently these days. The original three members of Sebadoh at the 9:30 Club is why it's wise to cast aside such apprehensions.
The real draw was Eric Gaffney performing with Lou Barlow and Jason Loewenstein. Most people in the crowd probably had a chance to see the latter two play live with Bob Fay or Russ Pollard on drums, but few ever had the chance to see them with Gaffney, and Gaffney made the set great. He and Barlow started the group after Gaffney provided percussion for Barlow's Dinosaur Jr. side project, Sentridoh, and after Barlow's frustration with Dino Jr. singer/guitarist J Mascis led to his departure from that band.
On Tuesday, Sebadoh started out with a song from the first Sebadoh tape, the acoustic yet noisy "The Freed Man," with Gaffney -- in a collared shirt looking like a gaunt James Spader, conjuring thoughts of "Pretty in Pink" from the balcony -- on guitar and vocals with Barlow on bass and Loewenstein, who joined the group after that first recording, on drums. Barlow, despite his penchant for folk-pop, is an incredible rock bass player, as he demonstrated in the reunion of Dinosaur Jr. -- he and Mascis are friends again -- and his bass playing was the best musicianship of the show.
After a couple more of Gaffney's songs, including "Scars for Eyes" and "Violet Execution" from the album "III," the trio switched things up, with Gaffney taking over the drums and Barlow, looking gracefully aged and slightly more clean cut than he was in Sebadoh's youth, passing the bass off to Loewenstein while he picked up the guitar and singing responsibility. Over the next four songs, the set rocked harder and was more accessible, but not necessarily in a good way. Barlow's songs are more listener friendly than Gaffney's or Loewenstein's, and the set was heavy on his compositions, but the show's edgiest moments were not there. Nevertheless his songs, particularly the Barlow favorite and usually more downbeat "Brand New Love," were heavier and grungier than in the past, like having Gaffney back in the fold -- and having played with Mascis again -- has reenergized him.
Next time they switched instruments, though, was when they really took off. Loewenstein went back behind the kit and Barlow picked up the bass and Gaffney fronted the band again. This is the perfect lineup. Gaffney's noisy songs are the group's best rockers; Loewenstein's drumming is superior to Gaffney's; and Barlow's bass, as stated before, is one of the best in the biz. Gaffney's second stint at the mic included another number from "The Freed Man" and adrenaline-filled noise-punk classics "Crisis" and "God Told Me." This group of songs proved to be the show's highlight -- the most raucous and inspiring and moving segment of the set. But it could have been better if he hadn't abandoned his screeches and howls in order to sing straight, and flat.
Jake's compositions took a backseat, but he did take a turn at lead guitar and vocals after Gaffney and Barlow had each fronted the band twice. He tended to lean to the punk and angsty power pop side of his repertoire, especially with the swaggering adrenaline rush of "Drag Down" from the band's 1999 swan song "The Sebadoh." Loewenstein looks better than he has in years, and he's as ever-annoyed as always.
All of this switching of instruments did at times disturb the flow of the set, but Barlow kept the mood light with his tongue-in-cheek antagonizing. He hung his head in shame after knocking over a glass of wine. He rained on the parade when banter turned to how lucky D.C. was to be experiencing spring. In response to questions why even his guitars only have four strings, he reasoned that "six is just too many" and that he only has four stubby fingers. And he delivered a treatise on sound waves, explaining to one front-and-center fan who complained about not hearing the vocals that he was standing in between and in front of the PA pillars. He then invited that fan onstage to lay his ear by the monitor. Unfortunately, the fan did get up and stretch out on the stage in front of Barlow for a song, an awkward, mood-threatening moment.
Considering Barlow's patched relationship with Mascis, "The Freed Pig" was an unexpected choice. But that signature song about Dino Jr.'s frayed relationship soared to close the set. It's really Loobie's band, and he somewhat surprisingly rose to the occasion, but it was Gaffney's presence that made show a draw and made the set sound fresh.
The encore stretched into a Guided By Voices-style longcore, with both Gaffney and Barlow leading the band through a few more songs and Loewenstein making another contribution. But no song in the band's catalog could be more perfect to close on than slacker anthem "Gimme Indie Rock!" While alternating between post-hardcore throttle and sludgy college rock, Sebadoh lampooned the very scene it helped forge, name-checking other indie legends like Pussy Galore and Sonic Youth along the way and taking one more swipe at Dinosaur Jr. (On tour in May.)
