The Melvins NYC marked their 23rd stop on the North American tour. Melvins are touring in support of their double album A Walk With Love & Death which was released on July 7, 2017 via Ipecac Recordings. The tour stop was heavily promoted here in New York City and turned out to be a major success. How inspiring it was to be told by fans that The Sound Live would be shooting and covering the legends and pioneers of sludge metal. There was not just one demographic of fans, yet a variety of all ages, those who supported Melvins in the 80’s to a younger generation of appreciative fans. Melvins have paved the way for bands like Eyehategod, Crowbar, High on Fire and Neurosis. Melvins will be touring with Spotlights as direct support until the beginning of October 2017.
Spotlights hit the scene in Brooklyn, NY in 2012 with what they define their music as Sludge/Gaze. They opened their set with an array of solid red and blue strobe lighting which offers a visual to the mood of their music. Drummer Chris Enriquez is a heavy hitter on drum fills and puts a lot of emphasis on the ‘gaze’ entity of the Spotlights sound with cymbal intricate executed crashes and chimes. Bassist and guitarist/vocalists, also married couple Sarah and Mario Quintero, work incredibly well together to create a tasteful barrage of distortion during their performances. Spotlights can easily be considered a thinking person’s music, tunes that set the tone for inspiration and that many can jam to. Spotlights are atmospheric, trance like, and heavy for those who enjoy the elements of hard rock and heavy metal.
The band were excited to announce their third studio album Seismic to be released on October 6th via Ipecac Recordings where they are label mates with the Melvins. The new album was proudly produced by Aaron Harris, drummer for Isis. Spotlights performed at Irving Plaza that night with an immaculate stage presence and we enjoyed watching Sarah Quintero get in the pocket with an occasional hair wind mill. Spotlights will conclude their tour with Melvins on October 3rd, just in time for ‘Seismic’s launch and back on the road in support of the new release. Fans can find the rest of their tour dates HERE. Anyone looking to purchase the new album can receive updates from the Spotlights Facebook page at this link.
As Spotlights concluded their set, Melvins fans began to flood the general standing area of Irving Plaza, some sporting Vocalist/Guitarist Buzz Osbourne’s iconic hairstyle. As someone who had never been to a Melvins concert, the uniquely quirky demeanor of fans in attendance offered up an idea of what we were to expect from the Melvins, and this alone was intriguing. Red was the chosen color of the evening for the Melvins as they opened their set with a Flipper’s cover of “Sacrifice”. Buzz Osbourne’s outfit of choice that night resembled that of an alien sorcerer, who naturally walks on stage as if everyone else should be dressed the same way. Osbourne’s get up is definitely a highlight during their performances. Filling in on bass was Steve McDonald of OFF! who donned a furry vest, jumping and making dreamy facial expressions during their set. For older fans, it was like reliving their youth and it was reliving history for younger fans, everyone shouting in unison. The Melvins are born of dark and odd and have drawn an international mass of fans who consider themselves to be just that.
Melvins performed covers of “Saviour Machine” by David Bowie and a rowdy, distorted garage band version of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles. Buzz Osbourne appeared to mockingly walk across the stage in a drunken manner as he played on stage with a head bang to every one of Dale Crover’s cymbal crashes, sending his raised hair into a flip flop. For the much slower paced songs, Steve McDonald sat at the front of the stage with legs hanging over as he performed. Buzz Osbourne’s vocals are filled with a tone of frustration and anger, interloped with a painful and sorrowful pitch. The entire set list included classics such as “Oven”, ‘Anaconda”, “Queen”, “The Kicking Machine”, “It’s Shoved”, “Euthanasia”, “The Bit”, “Hung Bunny” and “Roman Dog Bird”. Newer songs on the set list included “Edgar the Elephant”, “Sober-delic (Acid Only)”, “Onions Make the Milk Taste Bad” and “Amazon”. Check out future Melvins tour dates below and purchase the album here.
Melvins Tour Dates 2017:
9/5 — Phoenix, Ariz. — Crescent BallrooM
9/6 — Tucson, Ariz. — 191 Toole
9/8 — Austin, Texas — The Mohawk
9/9 — Dallas, Texas — Tree’s
9/10 — San Antonio, Texas — Paper Tiger
9/11 — Houston, Texas — Warehouse Live (Studio)
9/13 — New Orleans, La. –One Eyed Jack’s
9/14 — Pensacola, Fla. — Vinyl Music Hall
9/15 — Jacksonville, Fla. — Jack Rabbit’s
9/16 — Tampa, Fla. — The Orpheum
9/17 — Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. — The Culture Room
9/18 — Orlando, Fla. — The Social
9/20 — Athens, Ga. — 40 Watt Club
9/21 — Atlanta, Ga. — The Masquerade (Hell Stage)
9/22 — Nashville, Tenn. — 3rd & Lindsley
9/23 — Memphis, Tenn. — Hi-Tone
9/25 — Madison, Wis. — High Noon Saloon
9/26 — Rock Island, Ill. — Rock Island Brewing Co.
9/27 — Des Moines, Iowa — Wooly’s
9/28 — Omaha, Neb. — The Waiting Room
9/30 — Ft. Collins, Colo. — Aggie Theatre
10/2 — Albuquerque, N.M. — The Launchpad
10/3 — Flagstaff, Ariz. — The Green Room
Spotlights:
