Conny Chavez June 17th, 2022 - 2:24 PM
The legendary Melvins made the crowd go wild during their performance on Wednesday, June 15th at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach, California. The band performed at the punk rock bar as part of their Electric Roach Tour. Melvins were accompanied by bands Harshmellow and Helms Alee during their opening night of their U.S. tour.
The band is recognized as the pioneers of sludge metal, influencing Tool, Boris, Spliknot, and even helped create bands such as Nirvana. Celebrating nearly 40 years, Melvins have kicked-off their Summer 2022 U.S. Tour at Alex’s Bar on Wednesday night. Fans swarmed the bar just to see the iconic trio which currently consists of frontman Buzz Osborne, drummer Dale Crover and bassist Steven Shane McDonald.
The night began with a performance by Harshmellow with Otis B. on guitar and vocals, Sarah Linton on bass, and special guest drummer Dale Crover from Melvins. The crowd cheered for the band’s spectacular performance filled with incredible guitar riffs and Crover’s astonishing drum skills. The venue remained in a thrilling atmosphere as Helms Alee took the stage. The Seattle rock band, Helms Alee, hypnotized the crowd with their intense guitar shreds. One fan was deeply into the set as he continuously excitedly shouted in support of the band.
One thing that kept the crowd on their toes was Buzz Osborne’s casual walks through the venue between sets, those that recognized him remained starstruck to be in the presence of such legend. Guests were able to enjoy drinks, purchase merchandise and mingle as they waited during intermissions.
Close to 9:30 p.m. attendees huddled around the stage as Osborne, Crover and McDonald were signaled in for their grand entry. The bar’s side door opened as their funky theme song played as Osborne and McDonald dressed in their black mumus made their way on to the stage followed by Crover. As the crowd fiercely cheered, the trio grabbed their instruments and blew the audience away.
The trio opened with “Oven” from their 1989 album Ozma. After teasing the crowd with their classic sludge metal sound, the band performed hits such as “Lovely Butterfly,” “Charlie,” “Hooch,” and much more. Of course, it wouldn’t be a hard rock concert without a mosh pit. The crowd formed a wild pit mid setlist during “Honey Bucket” which resulted in someone throwing their shoes in the air, which hopefully were returned to the rightful owner. A few audience members dared to crowd surf in the venue, nearly hitting the ceiling and dangling lights multiple times. The trio concluded the night with a cover of Alice Cooper’s “Ballad of Dwight Fry” leaving the crowd shouting for several minutes asking for an encore.
It was definitely an incredible night to kick-off the Electric Roach Tour. The Melvins will be in Tucson, Arizona on Thursday, June 18th followed by several shows throughout the U.S. before they return to California on July 20th for a show at the Cornerstone Berkley. For more tour dates and information visit TheMelvins.net.
