What is your favorite Melvins related experience?

[cara]

i'm curious to know, since most of you are long time fans, what's your favorite Melvins experience?
even if you haven't seen them live before, there must be one!

[seas of luck]

It's a toss up between meeting Buzz or getting to see David Yow sing three songs with the Melvins.  That's a concert moment that's very unlikely to be topped.

[John Schuller]

15 years old, 1987. At the Tacoma Mall in Tacoma Washington with my dad. Who do I see walking? The Melvins. Matt, Buzz and Dale. They must have had a show in Tacoma that night and were killing time.

[gesundheit]

I was just thinking about creating a similar, related thread just like this. Though mine was more like, The Lengths You Have Gone to See The Melvins Play Live. Which, for me, are directly associated with some of my favorite Melvins related experiences.

Though, if nobody minds, I'd rather just describe each of the times (and elaborate slightly on a few) that I've seen them since I couldn't have a single favorite. I know we aren't going to get this type of response from some other members because some of them have probably seen like three or four times as many of their shows as I have. I've technically seen them seven times. I was robbed of the eighth recently when Buzz fell ill. But I'm glad he got to heal in time for going international and so Beto could see him. Not that I was dramatically worried about him not making it since he took those shows off for a reason. I believe I've reviewed all of the shows on this board already but for the sake of this thread I am forecasting to get kinda longwinded since I feel so strongly about it's subject matter. I'm very interested in knowing the answer from other members.

My first show was actually a Halloween show in SF at the GAMH and The Melvins didn't actually play any Melvins songs. They did the Jello stuff and didn't play beforehand due to an immensly stacked list of punk and eclectic folk music. So that show was sweet but I didn't even get to hear a Melvins songs at my first Melvins show (or so I thought it was going to be). Fun nonetheless and I love all of those songs. Sorry to say though that this show would be ranked last for this question.

But the real first show was quite a doozy for me. It was on the very same little tour Jello and the Melvins did together and was about a week after Halloween. This time I got to see Altamont open too. I also met Sasha and told him he was fuckin' raw as fuck up on stage and I was stoked on his performance. I bought the 20 years, pooping dog shirt off of him. I remember moshing and going nuts at that show I was so happy to be seeing them and Jello again. I was mesmorized and happy and rawr all at the same time. You know, the first time feeling. Sir David Scott Stone opened the Melvins set with his crazy stuff too. He had played bass at the Halloween show prior as well. I had driven all the way to the Boardwalk in Sacramento from the Bay Area to see this show and THEN I actually kept driving towards Lake Tahoe. When I saw the show I was in the midst of moving back to Lake Tahoe and starting to work at Sierra At Tahoe Resort. The show happened to coincide with me having a day of training up at the resort. I didn't want to pay for a hotel since I had no money (no job) after buying the shirt and some Taco Bell so I ended up sleeping in the bed of my pickup truck on the long and winding road that goes from Placerville to South Lake Tahoe. I have a shell on the bed so I wasn't exposed to the elements really but it still was really cold. I remember playing POTRE and falling asleep to it. Since it was so cold I left my engine on while I was falling alseep and then turned it off altogether once I was getting really dozy. A great first "real" Melvins experience.

The next time I got to see them was at Slim's quite a while later. This show was the show with Trevor Dunn and they did all of Houdini. I loved it. Also the first show for my girlfriend. She loved it. I love her. Didn't really get crazy in the crowd since she was there so it was a very mellow and laidback but fun show. Goin' Blind stole the show for us that night, if not the opener Hag Me. The next night and show I went back to see them play all of Eggnog and Lysol. A back to back Melvins extravaganza. An epic two night adventure that left me in awe, obviously. My girlfriend didn't come the second night. I was with my buddy so we got crazy and it was much less tame and relaxed. I was right up on the stage nearly the whole time and right in front of Buzz. I had gotten eye contact from him at the Boardwalk show but this time was a little different. There seems to be something about when it happens during those Alice Cooper songs that really stabbed me direct. He instilled a fire in me. An eternal flame for being a fan of this band and liking their music. Thanks Buzz. I was also wasted this evening but somehow, the memories are very sharp and the clarity of this show is still present in my mind. A mellow first evening. A monstrous, exhausting second evening. Suitable for those two/three albums.

The next two times were funny. Also a two night extravaganza in SF at GAMH this time. These were the recent shows with Jello for his 50th birthday. I have a review posted of this show but I can quickly summerize. It wasa funny because I had recently gotten knee surgery so I was on crutches but it was all good since I got to sit upstairs and had an epic view both nights. The Melvins opened with Dillard on drums and DC playing bass. Played all those old songs and yea, it was awesome. The Melvins came back on with Adam Jones to close the show with Jello. Pretty much the same set both nights. I took some pictures of the show on the second night. These shows were really cool because I stayed at a buddy's place in the city so it was like a hills of San Francisco, San Franciscan adventure on crutches. Since those hills are pretty hard to avoid when walking around that town.

The most recent time I've seen them was again at Slim's in SF at the beginning of the NA NWB tour. This time I had driven all the up from San Diego with only one stop at the Lost Hills/Paso Robles exit for gas and a break. I was with my girlfriend again and this was her second Melvins experience and the first for both of us with BB and the two most recent albums. Everybody here knows the songs that they are playing on this tour and I hope most everybody on here has gotten to see them on this tour. I posted a pic or two and I actually have THREE rolls of FILM that I STILL need to develop from this show. A present to myself that I am waiting to go through the process of "opening" for some special occasion. Not sure what or when that will be but just to let you all know I have some pictures from that show that will be posted in the future. I already developed a roll of black and white for school and I will have to scan the good ones that I print out so I can show you guys and girls. I've only printed one of them so far.  

The two Melvins experiences at Slims were the best. The recent NWB show and the two nighter playing Houdini and Eggnog/Lysol show. Those tie. I can't choose between those three shows for a favorite.

Next would be the show in Sacramento and the post show experience. I felt like a true fan.

Last but not least the shows at GAMH. Nothing against the venue at all but I didn't get to see the Melvins play the more modern Melvins songs that I love so much live. But being there and witnessing all that I did was priceless.

Truely, there is no favorite. I enjoy every single thing this band has ever done and nothing can compare. The only thing I wish about my love for this band is that I wish I had become a fan sooner in life so I could've gotten to see The Melvins with Kevin.

[FartLips]

really? cracker barrel. melvins. me. same table.

[senatorgreaves]

Meet my wife at a Melvins show back in 2000. 

[Mad Arab]

I have two. The first is when I first heard Houdini which was the first time I heard them. The intro to Hooch forever changed my taste in music. They were the loudest and most ponderous drums I have ever heard in a song.  The second one is when my wife went with me to see them once.

[cara]

i think mine was when i got to meet Buzz and he stopped to talk/take a picture. After it was taken he gave me a really nice, expectant smile like he was willing to be accomidating for a fan and stay there for a while longer if i wanted even though he was clearly really fucking ill. i had mentioned coming such a long way to see the Melvins, and he was just being really great about it. i realised what an insanely nice guy he is.. totally putting a fan before himself.

that sounds really cheesy but seriously, it was awesome. Its great when bands treat their fans well.

[lovelessrapture]

First time I went to see them (the houdini gig at the koko in london) a few years back. Had only heard that album and hadn't read much into the band at all, it was my older brother's influence that got me to the gig as he'd gotten me into them. So I get down to the front and the minute they get on the stage I heard someone behind me shout to his friend next to him, "fucking hell man, look at his hair!" lol It was just such a funny moment. Plus I nearly died in the pit when they played honey bucket. Ah well didn't they tape that gig and make the the live history release?

[nickoctane]

Leaving the Henery Ford Theatre in LA, drunk and seeing Jared hanging out with some girls behind the venue. I came up to him and asked for a hug, he replied that I was too sweaty to hug, I mentioned that it was his fault that I was so sweaty due to the bad ass show they just put on. I agreed that I was to sweaty to be  hugged and would settle for a hand shake. He then said screw it and gave me a big bear hug.

[(PAUL)]

Two of my favorites are also two random events that I didn't know were gonna happen. The first was when I went to see them down in Chicago in 2002. They were touring behind HAT and Jucifer was opening. While waiting in line there's a van with what sounds like a generator running. I don't notice but there's a drumset set up inside the van, and before I know it a man dressed in a bear outfit starts playing a bass really loud with another guy playing keyboards and a guy pounding away at the drums. They only played I think 3 songs and on the last song they had some big bubble that they guy in the bear suit was bashing it around/getting bashed by it. It was pretty awesome and not expected by me at all. I learned later they were touring around with the Melvins and were sort of unofficial openers.

The second was seeing them again in Chicago in 2004. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to see them as I was all set to see them in Milwaukee but they cancelled the show because the venue has a pay-to-play policy for opening bands which the Melvins (rightfully) are against (they have since not played this particular venue). Luckily I was able to find someone to work for me and got to go to the show, which featured an encore with Jello Biafra which I also wasn't expecting. Good times.

[grays harbor mafia]

i would say, it would have to be shooting the shit with buzz for about a half hour before the early show at hells kitchen in tacoma in 06.  that was pretty sweet.

[FartLips]

i would say, it would have to be shooting the shit with buzz for about a half hour before the early show at hells kitchen in tacoma in 06.  that was pretty sweet.

i also did that for my birthday  in '97 at a mutual friend's house. two shows, two days, guest list and a melvins paper plate.

[GrimReaper]

Two of my favorites are also two random events that I didn't know were gonna happen. The first was when I went to see them down in Chicago in 2002. They were touring behind HAT and Jucifer was opening. While waiting in line there's a van with what sounds like a generator running. I don't notice but there's a drumset set up inside the van, and before I know it a man dressed in a bear outfit starts playing a bass really loud with another guy playing keyboards and a guy pounding away at the drums. They only played I think 3 songs and on the last song they had some big bubble that they guy in the bear suit was bashing it around/getting bashed by it. It was pretty awesome and not expected by me at all. I learned later they were touring around with the Melvins and were sort of unofficial openers.

The second was seeing them again in Chicago in 2004. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to see them as I was all set to see them in Milwaukee but they cancelled the show because the venue has a pay-to-play policy for opening bands which the Melvins (rightfully) are against (they have since not played this particular venue). Luckily I was able to find someone to work for me and got to go to the show, which featured an encore with Jello Biafra which I also wasn't expecting. Good times.

What was the name of the bear suit band? We talked about that crazy band here I think.

[norecess]

Could it be Friends Forever?