The original trio of J Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph will play six shows across Australia and New Zealand in January, bringing their latest album *There Near* into a new run of live dates.
Dinosaur Jr will return to Australia and New Zealand in January 2027 for six headline shows, reuniting audiences with the original line-up of J Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph for a tour following the release of their thirteenth studio album, There Near.
There Near, released by Jagjaguwar on 28 August 2026, is the follow-up to 2021’s Sweep It Into Space. Its 11 tracks include the lead single “Several Got Away”, alongside songs such as “No Friends”, “Everything At Once” and “Blowin’ Up”. The album is the trio’s sixth studio release since reuniting in 2005, extending a second chapter that has produced a substantial body of work without losing the character of the band’s original recordings.
Dinosaur Jr’s history began in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1984, when Mascis, Barlow and Murph formed the group after playing together in hardcore band Deep Wound. Their early records helped establish a distinctive sound built around Mascis’s heavily distorted guitar, unexpectedly melodic solos, loose rhythms and understated vocal delivery.
The band’s second album, You’re Living All Over Me, released in 1987, became a defining record of the American alternative underground. Bug, released in 1988, further established the trio’s combination of volume, melody and abrasive guitar work. The albums influenced musicians who would subsequently take alternative rock into the mainstream, while Dinosaur Jr continued to operate outside conventional commercial expectations.
Internal tensions eventually fractured the original line-up. Barlow left the band after the Bug period, with Mascis continuing Dinosaur Jr alongside replacement musicians. The group moved to major label Sire Records and reached a broader audience through albums including 1991’s Green Mind, 1993’s Where You Been and 1994’s Without A Sound.
Mascis eventually retired the Dinosaur Jr name in 1997, pursuing solo work and other musical projects. The original trio reunited in 2005, initially reconnecting around the band’s early catalogue before returning to recording and touring together.
Their first studio album following the reunion, Beyond, appeared in 2007. It was followed by Farm in 2009, I Bet On Sky in 2012, Give A Glimpse Of What Yer Not in 2016 and Sweep It Into Space in 2021. The release of There Near continues that sequence, demonstrating the longevity of a line-up once considered unlikely to remain intact.
The January itinerary also follows Dinosaur Jr’s previous Australasian visit in February and March 2024, when the band toured to mark the 30th anniversary of Where You Been. That run included Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Auckland, making the 2027 dates a return to several familiar venues and markets.
The new tour will open at Auckland Town Hall before reaching The Fortitude Music Hall in Brisbane, Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, Forum in Melbourne, Hindley Street Music Hall in Adelaide and Ice Cream Factory in Perth. The schedule concludes in Perth on 26 January.
Dinosaur Jr’s enduring influence rests partly on the way Mascis combines the language of classic rock guitar with the abrasion of punk and hardcore. His solos can move from sustained feedback into sharply defined melody, while Barlow’s bass and Murph’s drumming provide the framework for a sound that remains immediately recognisable.
For a band whose original run ended in the 1990s, the reunion has become far more than a retrospective exercise. The group has continued to make new records while retaining the three musicians responsible for its formative work. With There Near now in the catalogue, the January 2027 tour will bring that continuing story to audiences across Australia and New Zealand.
Dinosaur Jr Australia And New Zealand Tour 2027
Saturday 16 January, Auckland, Auckland Town Hall
Tuesday 19 January, Brisbane, The Fortitude Music Hall
Thursday 21 January, Sydney, Hordern Pavilion
Saturday 23 January, Melbourne, Forum
Sunday 24 January, Adelaide, Hindley Street Music Hall
Tuesday 26 January, Perth, Ice Cream Factory
Tickets: Frontier Member presale begins at Visit Frontier Touring for tour and ticket information local time on Friday 23 October 2026 and runs for 92 hours or until the allocation is exhausted. General tickets go on sale at 12 noon local time on Tuesday 27 October 2026. Visit Frontier Touring for tour and ticket information.
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