Sonic Youth share rare footage of impromptu set with J Mascis in 1987
The gig was at a benefit for Forced Exposure.
Photo: Gary Malerba / Corbis via Getty
Sonic Youth have shared rare footage of an impromptu set they played back in 1987 with Dinosaur Jr. guitarist J Mascis.
The two-song set, performed at a benefit for indie magazine Forced Exposure, comprised two covers: Crime’s Hot Wire My Heart and the classic Stooges banger, I Wanna Be Your Dog. Mascis played guitar on the latter.
The gig took place at the Rat (also known as the Rathskeller) in Boston, Massachusetts. It was the venue known for hosting band such as the Pixies, Talking Heads and Dead Kennedys, before closing its doors in 1997.
Sharing the footage onto their official YouTube channel, Sonic Youth wrote: “The short, unannounced SY set consists of two covers – performed on gear borrowed from Dredd Foole And The Din”. Watch it below:
In other Dinosaur Jr. news, the band released a new studio album last month through Jagjaguwar. Sweep It Into Space featured Kurt Vile as a co-producer and is the band’s 12th studio album to date. In our review of the LP, we said it featured “some of the most engaging songwriting and guitar work the band have ever committed to record”.