An evening with the Melvins

Upon arrival at the Fox Theater, the crowd waiting outside to get in the venue made me feel like I was in the 90s. All black outfits, boots and silver accessories illuminated the bodies of the Melvins fans. Walking in, my ears were met with sounds of WE Are The Asteroid. The Austin, Texas based freak rock band elevated the audience.

“With all of its membership drawn from veteran -hell, legendary-Texas noise, psych and power rock bands, there’s no way WE Are The Asteroid isn’t the ultimate power trio,” said The Austin Chronicle about the band.

The trio of WE Are The Asteroid, Frank Gary Martin, Gary Chester and Nathan Calhoun lead the audience to form as one, dancing and moshing.

A series of calming jazz music took over the venue after the openers finished their set. The irony humored me as I knew I was going to leave the theater having half of the hearing capacity I entered with.

Amid all the commotion, I was able to speak with fans.

“I haven’t heard the term grunge used since the 90s. I grew up in the era of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Metallica, obviously Melvins had a huge impact on that scene,” said Karim, a fan of the band. When asked about what roots he had to the grunge scene and what brought him to the show, he says“I’m trying to get back into it at my grand old age of 41.” “grunge is slowly dying.”

I also spoke with a mother daughter duo and gained insight on the Melvins today vs. years ago. “I’ve been seeing them for 20 years now and absolutely love them. I brought my 16 year old daughter with me,” said mother, Monica Manley.

“I have been listening [to] them for a couple of years and heard the name for years from my parents. I can’t say that I can sing to the songs but I love their sound. When I heard they were playing, I wanted to come with my parents,” said Manley’s daughter.

“When she said she wanted to come with me, I was thrilled,” Manley claimed.

“I feel like they sound just the same. There are so many people from all cultures who can respect their music and love them. Nothing has changed. The crowd is mostly my age, but it is great to see the parents that bring their children,” she gathered.

It wasn’t until the Melvins hit the stage that the crowd was overcome with joyous cheers. The band formed in Montesano, Washington, in 1983 and became an integral part of the development of the grunge and sludge metal drama.

Buzz Osborne, the lead vocalist, appeared in a black gown accompanied by his overly fried and crimped, bleach blonde hair. Strumming an ominous guitar solo, head banging and Rock N’ roll symbols shaped the crowd. I felt a sensation as I felt that I had been time warped into the 90’s grunge scene with the once calm folks around me who quickly shifted the energy in the room.

Bassist Steven Shane McDonald, irradiated by a red hue, joined Osborne and drummer Dale Crover quickly followed. It was euphoric when you first heard the lyrics, “can you hear the war cry.”

“I have been seeing the Melvins since highschool in 1992. 6 years ago I saw them in Denver and the crowds have been consistent. It’s great to see young people out here tonight, “ said a fan.

The show was a hit with the crowd and it was refreshing to see a grunge band in an era where pop music is enamoring the world.The Melvins influenced artists such as Soundgarden, Nirvana and other bands who emerged from Seattle. They were impactful in the development of grunge, metal and alternative music. The setlist comprised the best music throughout their decades. They dabbled in other genres, but this show was a grunge-sludge dream.