Aug 16, 2018 Echoplex - Melvins and Boris

[jules]

I know it's early, I just can't stop typing Melvins and Boris.

[Fureon Nectarmoon]

Nice. The more reasons to type Melvins and Boris, the better

[Captain CoryCory]

I think a full tour involving Melvins and Boris needs to happen.

[ilduclo]

Boris was pretty tame when I saw them recently...Melvins & Endon or Melvins & the Thing instead?

[jules]

I'd like to see Boris playing "Boris" for 90 minutes, then Melvins playing Boris's take on "Boris" for a further 90 minutes. With free hot Saki for the duration.

[linoleum blownapart]

I hope there will be buckets, as that will lead to a lot of hurling. He head is spinning just thinking about that.  Spinning around the wrong way.

[ilduclo]

  Spinning around the wrong way.

correalanus effect

[PepsiMike]

I know it's early, I just can't stop typing Melvins and Boris.

Go on, indulge yourself!
MELVINS BORIS
MELVINS BORIS
MELVINS BORIS
MELVINS BORIS
MELVINS BORIS
MELVINS BORIS
MELVINS BORIS
MELVINS BORIS
MELVINS BORIS
MELVINS BORIS
MELVINS BORIS
MELVINS BORIS

[jules]

Don't get me started....

[amazonAMAZON]

BORIS
It was delicious. Having never seen Boris I didn't know what to expect. They won me over for sure. Outside of the music, I kept thinking about how gorgeous Atsuo's hair is, about whether that gong was traveling with them or rented backline, about how if you told me Wata was twenty-two I'd totally believe it, and tried to imagine how Takeshi works out playing that hybrid bass/guitar. I had heard Pink and maybe a few other records but will delve into more.

MELVINS HIGHLIGHTS
Melvins were great. Between Troubadour and Echoplex I had different favorite songs. "Let It All Be" really fired on all cylinders, the best rendition I think I've heard. "Anaconda" and "At a Crawl" also really worked well.

MISHAP
Something happened with Buzz's guitar maybe during "Sesame Street Meat" or one of the early songs and there was a roadie delivering a backup guitar and some treading water while they got it tuned up or plugged in. It was really smooth, though, never quite felt like downtime or anything.

VOCALS
Steven has some good howls that have been added on important downbeats, like in "Sesame Street Meat." It felt like they've really incorporated those now. "Don't Forget to Breathe" fell apart a bit from what I could tell, or maybe it's morphing into a new arrangement.

"Saviour Machine" did not tally a win tonight for me. I've generally felt the audience tuning out on that, too. I'd prefer it with heavy psychedelic feel, maybe a chorus effect on Steven's vocal.

"Stop Moving to Florida" was well received. They had a thick long delay on the vocal, and Buzz seemed to get really deep into drawing out the Floridian voice and maybe matching the delay timing. He went so deep that the whole first verse of the next song he still sounded mentally challenged.

No real stage banter. I think Dale or Buzz announced band members at some point and Steven threw in something like "Buzz Osbourne" during one of the later songs. Dale came out and thanked everyone and sang over "So Long, Farewell" or whatever that song is from Sound of Music.

MORE SETLIST
"Kicking Machine," "The Bit," "Honey Bucket," and "Evil New War God" were mean and monstrous. I don't recall any surprises in the setlist.

MERCH
Merch was present. It looked like a subset of what they had at the Troub. The Ozma shirt was enticing. They had a few hand/limited PAT vinyl of which I got one. I also grabbed a Walsby poster.

STEVEN ON STAGE
Steven Shane McDonald really has the weirdest stage presence in the Melvins. I don't quite understand it. The best way I can describe it is it's like a South Park animated rendition of Conan O'Brien doing KISS with no makeup. He seems to be having fun, and I get that he's going for these sort of big, evil hair metal moves and faces. It's comical but I don't feel 'in' on the joke and it ends up just sort of awkward and distracting. I think he either should wear makeup and go full metal (and ditch all those flange effects) or just consider some other modifications.

[Nizamark]

^good synopsis

let it all be was pheeeenomenal. my highlight for sure.
i will never ever tire of the bit. it was a pummeling.
i had purposely avoided youtubes of the sway cover so i could hear it in person and i'm glad i did. uglybeautiful version. mick taylor would be proud.

the echoplex is the worst venue of its size in l.a. and it didn't help that it was 90 degrees with 100% humidity in there. but the sound was excellent, at least up front where i was. very good mix. the separation of the two basses was very clear and i enjoyed watching both pinkus and sm.

i overheard more than a few people hoping at least one of the bands would play the song boris.

i enjoy sm's antics. his moves are so NOT traditionally melvins, which i think is why i like em.

[bUTTHOLEmAN]

Great review amazonamazon, thanks!

STEVEN ON STAGE
Steven Shane McDonald really has the weirdest stage presence in the Melvins. I don't quite understand it. The best way I can describe it is it's like a South Park animated rendition of Conan O'Brien doing KISS with no makeup. He seems to be having fun, and I get that he's going for these sort of big, evil hair metal moves and faces. It's comical but I don't feel 'in' on the joke and it ends up just sort of awkward and distracting. I think he either should wear makeup and go full metal (and ditch all those flange effects) or just consider some other modifications.

DEFINITELY. I thought his poses/etc work well with OFF!, but it just seems different when he's playing with the melvins.  For some reason I agree about the makeup part; a warriors/kiss style look might just work.

[jules]

Thanks for the reviews! There are some photos here:

http://larecord.com/photos/2018/08/18/melvins-boris-we-are-the-asteroid-the-echoplex

[))))((((]

I thought his poses/etc work well with OFF!, but it just seems different when he's playing with the melvins.

Yes, i never thought his moves stood out or were a problem in Off! but with Melvins it's very incongruous.

[Captain CoryCory]

If you look at that first photo and can't crack a smile at it...