Call it alt rock, call it punk pop, just please don’t call Dinosaur Jr. indie; at least not by today’s standards. Born in Massachusetts in 1983 out of the break-up of aptly titled hardcore band Deep Wound, J Mascis and Lou Barlow formed Dinosaur with the addition of drummer Emmett Murphy (Murph).

Utilizing the help of grunge rock legends Sonic Youth, the band signed to their first record label, added a Jr. for legal reasons and quickly kicked the emotional asses of punk rock kids everywhere.

While its original run was fast, hard and good, just as real rockers like it, with the removal of Barlow from the band in 1989, Dinosaur Jr.’s fate became shaky. Triumphantly returning in 2005 with a tour reuniting all original members, this epic comeback, which is also laced with uncertainty, is documented in Dinosaur Jr.’s new DVD, Live in the Middle East.

With old school classics in new school venues, the DVD features live performances throughout the band’s tour including Boston’s Middle East and New York’s Irving Plaza and interviews with the likes of Mike Watt (Minutemen, the Stooges) and Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine).

What the DVD doesn’t advertise is the flicker of hope it offers that music’s revival is just beyond the blue horizon. Or maybe that flicker is just a temporary reflection of nostalgia on a time when the music industry bowed to bands like Sonic Youth and Nirvana. You decide.

Grade: B+

Live in the Middle East is currently available.