The MELVINS Shack - The Troubadour 1 September 1998

Melvins
The Troubadour
Hollywood, CA
1 September 1998

********Pre-Show Fun********

Went through 100 miles of hell that is midweek SoCal freeway traffic. It was 113 degrees at home and the radio said 101 in Hollywood. Damn what a scorcher! I was hoping the power wouldn't go out for the show. One over-turned minivan and two dead guys later (for wearing no seat belts), I found myself at Santa Monica and Doheny. It's only 6pm so I cruised around Beverly Hills (yeah the Troubadour is on the border of Hollywood and Beverly Hills) and hob-nobbed amongst the residents on their fine residential streets for an hour or so. And who do I come across during this high society socializing? Why, it's Kevin cruising shotgun in an old convertible with some BUDS of his. I guess they were giving Kevin the grand tour of LA.
Returned to Santa Monica and Doheny and wouldn't you know it, there is no damn parking! So after cruising around for a 1/2 hour trying to find a spot, I met these fine fellows that let me park my car in their fine parking lot for only $3. Stood in line and sold my extra ticket to a young kid who was there with his Mommy. And BTW, Mommy dug the show! The Troubadour management decided to let the old geezers (21 plus) in first so we could tank up and get a buzz-on while the youngsters had to wait in the heat and the grime until we were sufficiently watered. But, being the self proclaimed anti-anti-anti that I feel the need to be, I refused to comply and did not partake in their libations. Plus, I was buzzed already, dudes and dudettes! TIME FOR GREEN REVOLUTION!!

********On With the Show********

Well, they finally opened the doors and let everybody in. First band up was FAR FLUNG (I though it was supposed to be FART PLUG!) and they were kind of an experimental/jazzy-psychadelic/beatnik/quasi-elektronika thang. Strangely enough, their sound reminded me of some of the trippier stuff MONSTER MAGNET does. The sound mix was good except for the vocals were way lost in there. Dale and Laurie were hangin out on the floor checking the band out. Laurie was taking pictures and drinkin' beer w/Dale. This whole time, I didn't see Buzz anywhere. He was probably out front in the street doing a meet and greet. You think? Maybe he was doing the frisking.
Next, ACID KING. Fuck'n-A Right!! Laurie Crover and Co. know how to lay down some beefy riffs. Those riffs be so full of meat, that there ain't no room for taters! YeeHaw. I don't know too much about ACID KING and have never heard them before, but I know now I must hear more. That bass player did some wicked stuff that was going through my brain like hot molasses in the Hemet sun (inside joke; it's been 105 to 117 degrees here for weeks. Them Texans know what I mean. And Arizonans, and New Mexicans, and ...) Maybe hanging on the monitor helped, but that is the heaviest bass playing I've heard in a long time. The drummer kicks ass too and was really into the music. The sound mix still sucked and I couldn't understand anything Laurie was singing. Too bad, too. Damn that Troubadour! She plays a mean guitar. Finally caught a glimpse of Buzz up in the control/VIP booth. Hopefully he was setting them straight about that mix.
Then came the MELVINS. Same set except for 1 exception. I don't know the name of the song, but it was written on the set list but I couldn't read. They did the extra long psycho version of "5" with Dale doing most of the drumming. They he stopped and came out to do the vocals. After a while, some guy they knew (a roadie? help?) came out and filled in until Dale kicked him off. Kevin had a Remington electric razor that he and Dale used for effects during "5". Kevin ended up shaving his little Hitler 'stache off during the song. Kevin kept spitting, too, and it was coming a little to close to me. I hate getting spit on. He had the sweat flying and almost popped me and Catherine with his whirling dervish style bass during "5". He also did this AMAZING effect where he placed his guitar cord to his ass, farted---and grabbed some gnarly feedback!! Wotchoo talkin' 'bout Willis!?! That was BAD! The vocal mix was pretty good. It was a little hard to understand Buzz a couple times, but it was way better than it was for the other two bands. DAMMIT, they refused to come back for an encore! They were supposed to do "Shevil" according to the set list. There was some chanting and cheering, but if failed to convince Buzz to return.

********Musings and Endings********

Got to meet two people from the list. Catherine (lilricky) and Steve (mule) and his brother. Nicer people you could not ask to meet. Hung out and visited w/Steve and his bro during FAR FLUNG. Did the ACID KING thing solo. Hung out w/Catherine right on the edge of the stage in front of Kevin for the Melvins. She is a real trooper. Didn't even see her flinch when that bass head was being jousted towards us by Kevin. Cheers Catherine ;)!
I thought this was their last show for a while, but I hear their supposed to do some Southern East Coast shows. Anyone know more about this? Mr. R?
I heard no cameras or recording devices so I got nothing. But others had cameras.
Midnight and it was over. I zombied my way home through East LA and Pomona not stopping for even that crazy old guy walking in the fast lane of the freeway. What a blast.
--gene

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