Photos and Review: Tanner Rawleigh
Syracuse’s Westcott Theater had the honor of hosting Washington’s rock legends, The Melvins on June 29. The Melvins brought along with them Harshmellow and Helms Alee for this leg of their tour.
First up was Harshmellow, featuring Otis B who fans might now from his impeccable photography work over the past four decades. They went on a bit earlier than schedule, so I missed a large portion of their set but what I was able to see I loved. On bass they have Sarah Linton. What struck me most about Sarah was her unique tone that was able to cut through the stellar guitar work from Otis. Not much needs to be said about who they have on drums, Dale Crover who also plays in The Melvins is as tight as they come and is an elite group of drummers who can make playing two sets in one night look effortless. Be sure to get to the venues earlier to check these guys out and buy some merch!
Helms Alee was formed in 2007, hailing from Washington, as well, they have a lot to live up to and they did not disappoint. With a unique vibe of elegance and anger they kept the crowd hooked during their set that seemed too short. They just released another album this April titled Keep This Be The Way and of course the set list featured several new tracks.
To close the night, The Melvins. If you don’t know the Melvins, then what are you doing with your life? I heard someone say once “The Melvins might not be your favorite band, but they’re your favorite band’s favorite band.” Never has a truer statement been uttered. Formed in 1983 they helped form a revolution in music and since then have reinvented themselves repeatedly to never become stale and boring like their contemporaries. Something that really struck me about the band was lead vocalist Buzz Osbourne’s stage presence. There was no Paul Stanley-like stage banter to be heard, he was straight to the point balls to the wall rock and roll. Bassist Steve McDonald was all over the place, showing off his impressive deep squats he was the envy of all of us folks in the crowd. As I said before Dale is an unstoppable drum machine who seemed like he didn’t even break a sweat as he performed a long set after already performing earlier that night.
What else can be said about the Melvins? The crowd was filled with young kids, their parents, teenagers, and AARP members. This band has withstood the test of time and doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere anytime soon. If you have never seen the Melvins live, you are certainly missing out. Get to a show as soon as possible!
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