When I went to see Dinosaur Jr's afternoon show at the Casbah last Sunday I wasn't even expecting there to be an opening band. So I was milling around at the bar enjoying a cold one like everybody else, and just barely took notice when three unimposing dudes ambled onstage and broke the silence. Looking over, the first thing I noticed was the conspicuous absence of a singer.  It was just the three of them jamming, and right off the bat they sounded pretty good. My ears pricked up enough that I moved in to get a closer look. Good thing I did.

Turned out those guys were Earthless, a San Diego-based trio that have been around for several years now and just hadn't popped up on my radar screen yet. Instrumental jamming is what they do, and they do it very well. In fact once they started playing they didn't stop - not even a song break - for about a half-hour (apparently a short show by their usual standards.) To me it was like rock music meets tantric sex. You weren't sure if or when they were going to stop, or if you even wanted them to.  It was also the best thing I've seen or heard in a long time.

Earthless are as gutsy and original as they are technically skilled, which is saying a lot because they are all very good at their respective instruments.  They distinguish themselves from most rock bands I've seen not by having a more outlandish stage act, but by the uniquely serious approach they take to playing their music. (They actually come across as three of the mellowest guys you're likely to meet.)  Even in the absence of lyrics the music speaks volumes.  With a lot of tight, heavy jamming, they take their sweet time exploring the musical space while sticking just close enough to a recognizable theme for us to follow along.  For my money it was the perfect balance of improvisation and structure.  Not to mention enough raw noise and power to blow through you like an x-ray.

It's all a bit of a sonic blur now, but best as I can recall their set seemed to consist of two or three distinct pieces that they wove together seamlessly, and by doing so made them into something a lot bigger.  I do remember the last 15 minutes or so being centered on one particularly excellent riff that they just kept on chiseling away at. I think they know when they've come up with a good one, and just aren't content to let it go until they've really had their way with it.  So the guitarist would drift off into some superb soloing while the drummer and bassist held the groove, then he'd come back to the riff and they'd all pound away at it relentlessly. It really was a beautiful thing to see. In the end they wound everything down to an achingly slow rhythm, like batteries dying in a boombox, and crept toward the finish line with unflinching commitment.  You could feel the intent behind every pulse of the bass and crash of a cymbal.  These guys play like they have nothing to lose, and seeing them reminded me how awesome and rare a thing that is.  I loved every minute of it.

So Dinosaur Jr would come on later and put on a fine enough show.  But Earthless's set is what stays with me the most from that afternoon. I don't know of too many bands who are doing what these guys do. Through a little internet research I learned they're often described as “psychadelic rock”. I myself wouldn't use that term, although there is most definitely a mind-expanding element to what they do. Presuming you're as used to the 3-minute verse/chorus rock song format as everybody else, Earthless will rattle your cage and challenge your perceptions.  Sound-wise it's tough to compare them to any one act (try imagining a mix of Living Colour and Pat Metheny and you'll be in the ballpark). Descriptions aside, all I know is I really want to see these guys again. Checking their MySpace page (myspace.com/earthless) it looks like I'm going to have to wait as they're touring Europe right now. Lucky for me I caught them before they took off for the summer.