We Went There: Melvins and Tomahawk at First Avenue
I’ve seen the Melvins more times than I can think of at this point, despite never really buying many of their records. They’re just a constant presence in our world, a band you assume will always be passing through town yearly if not more. Tomahawk is both a past and a newer curiosity. I’ve been slowly re-evaluating (or for the first time) Mike Patton’s discography lately, and out of the bunch, Tomahawk is the one that’s stuck the most. Not because of Patton, but because of who’s standing next to him. Mr. Bungle and Faith No More never grabbed me the same way Duane Denison and John Stanier do.
If there’s one thing I like to do especially in a room this sold out it’s scour the audience for what t-shirts they’ve chosen to wear tonight. The crowd surprisingly skewed my way, there were plenty more Jesus Lizard and Am Rep band t-shirts than what I’d associate with fans of Mike Patton. At one point two guys end up five feet apart at the bar wearing the exact same Melvins shirt.
The curtain stayed closed to open, a wailing Star Spangled Banner playing before it pulled back into the set proper. Two drummers (Dale Crover and Coady Willis) pounded through it. Longtime bassist over the past decade Steven McDonald brings a classic rock showman energy, a rock sleaze that never was really a part of the Melvins of the past. It seems infectious, both towards the audience, and on stage as Buzz Osbourne has a bounce I don’t remember from Melvins shows of the earlier 2000s. McDonald himself even took the lead mic for a great cover cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Sway” three songs in.
The set spread out across the catalog with a clear lean toward Houdini and A Senile Animal with the rest of the hour long set crossing different parts of the catalog. The closing combo of “Honey Bucket” got the biggest reaction of the set and Trevor Dunn came out for “Night Goat” and an extended intro jam, himself and McDonald dueling basses to close things, a nice preview of the crossover to come.
Between sets the room stayed loud, though you could pick out strains of Captain Beefheart’s “I’m Glad” fighting through the PA. This was a dudes heavy evening and it was very much reflected in the very long men’s room line between.
Patton came out with his voice contorting through every register it’s ever had, tight braided ponytail, black shirt, a whole cart of effects parked next to him, opening “Flashback” through a CB mic. He stayed close to his station most of the night, sometimes breaking back but always returning to orchestrate his vocal sounds. But it was Stanier’s drumming, his signature that absurdly tall cymbal setup included, that was the most fun thing to watch on stage all night as he expertly propelled things. Denison’s guitar did the heavy lifting on connecting this to the Jesus Lizard-heavy crowd, yet sometimes showed flashes of things that caught my ear differently than I’m used to. The bands later Duane Eddy cover showed one of his big influences, but there were flashes of Eddie Van Halen chords in there that threw me off.
The set leaned hard on Tonic Immobility, which made up nine of the twenty songs played. Patton took his time to address the crowd for the first time about five songs in. Later in the set, Denison got into a bit about how to pronounce Minneapolis (“It’s Minne-an-apolis right?”) and what city this even was (“Duluth?”), Patton cutting in with “it’s all a frozen tundra” before Denison gave a shoutout to Manny’s Steakhouse. “Point and Click” closed out the main set.
The encore opened with Patton introducing “Stalkin'” as featuring “Mr. Duane Denison on guitar”. The Duane Eddy cover played both straight yet pulled into the Tomahawk world all at the same time. A “world premiere” followed: the live debut of “Dog Eat Dog,” Patton’s vocal harmony pitched up into helium territory. The crowd ended giving the thumbs up and Patton agreed they’ll keep playing it. The fan favorite “God Hates a Coward” closed it out after a little under 90 minutes.
Mike Patton is the face of this band and his legendary vocals are still impressive. He croons, wheezes, and whispers his way through impressive accrobatics that seem completely unique to him, but Denison and Stanier are why this band works and why, of everything he’s touched, Tomahawk is the one that’s finally pulled me in. The Melvins remain a sure thing. Turns out this one is too.
Full Photo Set
Adam Bubolz is a co-founder, writer, and photographer at Reviler, covering the Minneapolis/St. Paul music scene since 2009. His concert photography has appeared throughout the site’s coverage of local and touring acts.
