Buzzo in Portland

[GiveMe45]

Steve Turner just about to go on.  Merch booth looking extremely bank account draining and I plan to do just that.

[Idlehanz]

Steve Turner just about to go on.  Merch booth looking extremely bank account draining and I plan to do just that.

Have fun fellas.  I'm missing this one. 

[blacksanta]

Krist Novoselic was there too.

[blacksanta]

That's me on the right, my friend Rich on the left.

[GiveMe45]

I know Buzz is cool about pictures but I decided I was a little too buzzed after the show to bug him.

Awesome show.  Need to wake up a bit and I'll give more of a review.

[deatheats]

Here's my review of the evening...

I was blown away by Buzz's performance last night!  Awesome stage presence...he oozes, sulks and confronts all at the same time. The acoustic performance really gives him the opportunity to shine. It is fairly easy to overlook his skills (both in vocal delivery & guitar playing) when hes got the full band with him. 

Definitely unlike any acoustic performance I've ever seen.

Steve Turner opened up with acoustic solo/Phantom Ships material and Buzz briefly joined the crowd as an observer. 
Steve jokingly mentioned that this was the James Taylor part of the show.  He also thanked Buzz for giving him a call a
couple of months back to ask him to play on this tour. 

Steve opened his set with 'Zero on the on the Scale' and mentioned how he was happy to see Buzz embrace Skate Folk
(which I didn't even know was a genre) by having someone (I forget who at the moment) open for him on this tour. He also played 'Searching for Melody' which he described as a song about skating and a tune called 'I-5 Corridor' which speaks
for itself.  At least those are the ones I remember off hand.  Steve also mentioned he will be playing with his band Phantom Ships next Friday at Bunk bar.

As Buzz was taking the stage after Steve's set I noticed to the left of me a very tall individual walking by and since I'm
around 6' 3" it takes a pretty tall dude for me to take notice, turns out to be Krist Noveselic.  Glad to see these
guys are hanging out again...can't wait to see what the next Melvins album delivers!

Pretty sure Buzz played an identical set to his other shows.  Started off with, by far, the best version of Boris I've ever
seen him play.  The sheer range of vocal delivery and emotion on display was outstanding.  He followed up with the Ballad of Dwight Fry (with some crowd sing along, which I find a bit annoying, but whatever, I get it, they are excited).  After the first three songs Buzz started digging into the new album.  Was super fun seeing Buzz play songs I hadn't heard yet (as I haven't had a chance to pick up the CD or listen to the vinyl yet).

We got a couple of stories out of Buzz, the one about Iggy Pop and Weezer as well as him discussing his favorite person to
ever come out of Portland, Phil Irwin (aka the Whiskey Rebel) from the band Rancid Vat and author of Jobjumper.  Looks like I got some reading to catch up on. 

As Buzz was wrapping up the show he mentioned he was going to finish with 3 songs, one of them being the favorite song he has ever written, 'We are Doomed' off of the Bulls & the Bees EP.  A damn good song indeeeed!

We had a few minutes to talk to Brian Walsby before the show began.  Super nice fellow.  We ended up picking up Vol 2 & 3 10"s of This Machine Kills Artist and a couple of Walsby originals as well (see below).  Just overall a kick ass evening and all for $12 a ticket. 

[GiveMe45]

Good summary and not too much else I can add.  I was a bit worried about it being in such a big venue and not in a more intimate setting but the crowd managed to be attentive and respectful for the most part, unlike times that I've seen solo/acoustic stuff from people like Michael Gira, Steve Von Till and Scott Kelly where they all ended up yelling at the crowd.

I enjoyed Steve Turner a lot.  I had not heard any of his solo/Phantom Ships stuff before.  He wasn't far off the mark with his James Taylor comment.  He sounds like all the good parts of 70's singer/songwriter mixed with a tiny bit of old country with some of his Mudhoneyish chord progressions.  His songs seemed genuine and soulful and after his set it just left me wanting to give him a big hug.  And yeah, Buzz stood out in the crowd watching for a good 4-5 songs.  I guess Phantom Ships has a show coming up so I may have to check it out.

Buzz was just plain awesome.  I've always enjoyed his stage presence but being up there by himself brings it to a different level.  Not like any other solo/acoustic act I've seen, he was all over the stage, constantly moving around and rocking out just like a regular Melvins set.  His in between song banter was entertaining and funny.  You can really tell he's enjoying himself.  Boris was a perfect opener and made me feel like a teenager again.  His acoustic spin on the Melvins songs he does gives them a whole new life.  He goes back and forth between his usual wraspy loud sing voice to a soulful crooner.  I agree with deatheats that people who sing along too loudly in an environment like that can be annoying but when he did Revolve I couldn't help myself.  I'm extremely tempted to drive up to Spokane for his show on Sunday.

Walsby definitely is a nice dude.  I got the shirt with the king playing card early but wanted to hold off on artwork/vinyl/cds until after the show.  I ran into someone I hadn't seen for a while and we ended up chatting outside for a while and by the time I got back inside Walsby had everything packed up.    Oh well....my bank account is probably thanking me for being a moron.

[deatheats]

It seems regardless of the show you are going to you have a handful of people who are there to talk to one another.
With a normal Melvins show it can be kind of entertaining watching people trying to scream over the din, but at an acoustic show it really just makes them seem like self-important douches who feel their conversation is more important than the artist who is standing less than 20 feet from them and who EVERYONE else paid to see/hear.

I am not a violent person by nature, but I really get an urge to shut someones mouth for them in situations like that.

[meezer]

It seems regardless of the show you are going to you have a handful of people who are there to talk to one another.
With a normal Melvins show it can be kind of entertaining watching people trying to scream over the din, but at an acoustic show it really just makes them seem like self-important douches who feel their conversation is more important than the artist who is standing less than 20 feet from them and who EVERYONE else paid to see/hear.

I am not a violent person by nature, but I really get an urge to shut someones mouth for them in situations like that.

I hate that. I'm usually alone at shows. Sometimes my wife goes with me. It's almost always a group of at least five people, posted up in the best real estate for enjoying the show. Do whatever you want to them, we're not judging. 

[GiveMe45]

Same thing as deatheats, I'm in no way a violent person but when people in the crowd disrespect the band that I'm there to see or disrupt the listening experience for those who really want to be there, I'm so tempted to yank their tongues out.  I was really happy with the crowd last night.

[GrimReaper]

The show was great. Buzz really has it down at this point.

I saw Steve Turner at the old Funhouse. Beto told me to get him Steve Turner's solo stuff so I was familiar with it. Everyones an Ex is about his old label Super Electro and how everyone from the scene is an Ex. So I yelled Kent 3 and totally befuddled him. Sorry. The guys talking were over to the right of me and after what happened in Santa Anna they where harmless. Everyone in the crowd took a bath before the show and smelled like deoderant. I saw Buzz watching Steve to the left of stage.

Buzz's performance was incredable. Driving back home I couldn't help thinking what a great night it turned out to be.

Saw Mr. Kilgore and he said hello, and Walsby also. Stuff is selling out fast. I was suprised.

Stayed on Powell Street about a mile from the venue and there were about 6 strip bars in the area. I ended up crashing out. Next time. 

[black stallion]

yes! thanks Grim

[deatheats]

Agreed...this crowd was overall pretty damn good and Buzz gave one of the best performances I've ever seen on stage.
The more I think about this show, the more amazed I am by it.

Fun having members from 3 of the best bands to ever come out of Washington state in the house.

[black stallion]

Fun having members from 3 of the best bands to ever come out of Washington state in the house.

good point

[blacksanta]

Agreed with everything here. I'm glad I went, it really felt special. Couldn't have been more than 150 people. Watching Steve Turner along with Buzz and Krist in the same audience, and no one fucking with them, was a moment that money cannot buy. You could tell everyone wanted to be there, ie more intentional than a packed rock concert. I keep going back to it in my head and the memory of the show keeps getting better. Drunken Baby was one of the heaviest things I have ever seen.

Glad my wife goaded me into doing the pic. I have probably shaken his hand half a dozen times over the last 20 years, and that photo is a pretty cool thing for me. I'm pretty damn shy generally, what do you say to a personal hero without turning into that Chris Farley character? Thanks Buzz, for indulging us!

I try not to sing along but did a few times, couldn't help it. Even the few tallkers' topic seemed to be drunkenly praising the show to each other.