Legendary trio Melvins stopped at Washington, DC’s Howard Theatre last Friday night, a date on their massive 40th anniversary “Twins of Evil” tour, a coheadlining tour with Boris.
Formed in Washington State in 1983, Melvins (currently Buzz Osborne, Dale Crover, and Stephen McDonald) are credited with merging the worlds of punk and heavy music, influencing the development of sludge metal and grunge. The “Twins of Evil” tour is not just a 40th anniversary tour for Melvins, but a showcase for their 1991 album Bullhead. This album is what is cited as a turning point for the band, the point at which Melvins became a true metal outfit with a more chugging sound and longer songs.
Melvins kicked off the coheadlining set Friday night to a packed and steamy house—one unfortunate fan succumbed to heat before the show even got started. The legends played all of Bullhead with a few additional tracks thrown in for good measure to the delight of the crowd. They were impressive over the course of their hour-long set.
Singer/guitarist Osborne’s voice and playing have stood the test of time and bassist McDonald hammed it up for the crowd. Coady Willis, filling in for Crover on tour, pounded away tirelessly on drums. Melvins played on stage with a backdrop of actress Agnes Moorehead in full Endora makeup (from the old TV show Betwitched) and vibrant, almost psychedelic, lighting—all pink and orange. It was a heady experience coupled with the sludgy metal. They ended with, of course, “Boris.”
I say “of course” because Boris took their name from the song. Formed in Tokyo in 1992, Boris (drummer Atsuo, guitarist/bassist Takeshi, and guitarist/keyboardist Wata) is one of the many bands influenced by Melvins; their work is generally categorized as heavy metal even though the band does not associate itself with any one style of music. On the “Twins of Evil” tour, Boris performs their 2002 album, Heavy Rocks, in its entirety. The album was rereleased this month on vinyl via Third Man Records.
Wata is a beast—her skill on guitar made her a compelling figure against the the theatric drummer Atsuo, and Takeshi, with his rad double neck guitar/bass. Together, Boris sounded fabulous on Friday night, most notably on tracks like “Heavy Friends” and “Wareruraido.” Not to be outdone by Melvins, Boris ended their set with a cover of “Boris.”
The massive “Twins of Evil” tour wraps up in San Diego on October 14.
BORIS
MELVINS
Melvins Set List
Ligature
Your Blessened
It’s Shoved
Anaconda
Zodiac
Cow
A History of Bad Men
Honey Bucket
Revolve
Night Goat
Boris
Boris Set List
Heavy Friends
Korosu
Dyna-Soar
Wareruraido
Soft Edge
Dronevil
Death Valley
Koei
Kane-The Bell Tower of a Sign
1970
Boris (Melvins cover)
