Lou Barlow leans into intimacy with house tour

This weekend, Two Dollar Radio Headquarters will host two songwriters – Lou Barlow and Bobby Bare Jr. – whose combined careers span nearly 100 years and who have both been at the forefront of shaping the underground and indie music scenes over the past four decades. 

Barlow first came to prominence as one of the founders of Dinosaur Jr, later helping launch Sebadoh and the Folk Implosion, all the while carving out his own solo career. Bare was only 8 years old when he was nominated for a Grammy alongside his father, the legendary country singer Bobby Bare, for their duet on the Shel Silverstein-penned “Daddy What If.”  

Both musicians found mixed success on major labels, with Barlow reaching No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 with the Folk Implosion song “Natural One,” from the soundtrack to the movie “Kids.” Bare, meanwhile, had a minor hit with “You Blew Me Off,” released with his first band, Bare Jr., in 1998.

Both fared far better in the indie realm, with Barlow’s Sebadoh emerging as one of the guiding lights in the American underground scene amid a run of albums in the ’90s that are now a part of the indie-rock canon. Bare, meanwhile, has been an active member of Guided by Voices since 2016, setting aside his own remarkable recording career to help give life to Robert Pollard’s endless fountain of songs.

Barlow also has a long history with Ohio and Columbus, which will likely serve as a point of discussion when he teams with Bare for an intimate concert at Two Dollar HQ on Saturday, Aug. 23. (Tickets can be purchased here.) What follows is an edited, condensed version of my email conversation with Barlow from earlier this week.

You have been touring since you were a teenager. What do you feel has changed about it for you?

I enjoy performing more than ever. I used to be paralyzed by stage fright and was blindingly self-conscious (which was exacerbated by success). I have regrets about how I mismanaged my career, but I am grateful that I didn’t totally destroy it and that I can be comfortable on stage now. 

You have this wonderful weekly podcast (“RAW Impressions”) with your wife, Adelle. What has this experience brought to you?

It’s an extension of what I wanted to do from the very beginning, connect with people, whether by doing something goofy or revealing something personal. Initially, I wanted to be a part of the punk rock scene which, in the early ’80s, varied widely in musical style and delivery. Punk rock seemed free: casual, irreverent and deadly serious and intentional. The podcast is a continuation of that ethos, in my opinion. Because my family is the center of my life, I’m lucky Adelle enjoys it as much as I do. Being creative is important to both of us, and the pod is a great way to document our life together. 

Is there a change you have noticed in how you approach your bigger shows with Dinosaur Jr compared with these more intimate “house” shows? 

I feel anonymous with Dinosaur Jr. People, in general, are not watching me, so I can just dance like I’m alone and enjoy the fruits of the idiosyncratic musical chemistry I have with J and Murph. It’s really wonderful and I rarely feel any pressure. When I play solo, I can be as nervous playing for 5 people as I would be playing for 500. But I also have the ability to intimately connect, which can be rewarding in a way that nothing else can be. I truly get the best of both worlds. 

Can you tell me more about your Ohio roots?

My mother was born in Columbus. A great uncle drowned in the river as a child. Generations of my family, on both sides, lived all over Ohio – and in most cases so far back that there is no record of where they arrived from. I was born in Dayton. My namesake great grandfather was the mayor for a brief period in the 1950s. I moved east as a kid, but my roots are all Ohio.