Review & photos by: Linda Carlson
Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue, which offers an intimate concert experience, was an ideal fit for Melvins and Boris, who are co-headlining the Twins of Evil tour with opener Mr. Phylzzz.
Mr. Phylzzz is a duo based in Chicago (with some Cincinnati roots) featuring Clinton Jacobs (guitar/vocals) and Danny Sein (drums). Their quirky yet dynamic grunge rock is an overall fun watch.
Next, Melvins brought their iconic Seattle sludge metal brand to the stage. Amazingly, this band first formed in 1983… can it really be 40 years ago? Hard to believe, as the band is certainly going full-bore strong in 2023. This notable band easily provided grinding influences that undoubtedly helped pave the way for the genesis of the 1990s Seattle grunge scene.
The band is touring with founding member Buzz Osborne (guitar/vocals), Steven Shane McDonald (bass), and Coady Willis (drums). Willis is covering for Dale Crover, who is unable to tour due to an unexpected medical surgery.
Osborne is a striking persona on stage, offering brilliant visuals, impressive guitar riffs, and haunting vocals. McDonald was excellent as well, a vibrant showman, and Willis was a force on drums. Overall, a memorable sonic and visual journey.
Melvins performed a relatively short set, about an hour, but the crowd would certainly have welcomed more:
Ligature
Your Blessened
It’s Shoved
Anaconda
Zodiac
Cow
A History of Bad Men
Honey Bucket
Revolve
Night Goat
Boris
Closing out the evening was Boris, a talented trio from Japan. Boris formed in 1992 and is comprised of founding members Takeshi (bass, rhythm guitar), Wata (lead guitar) and Atsuo (drums). Their meditative music is a sonic blending of electronics with (very) occasional vocals, complemented by visual streams of colored fog that amplify the moody experience. There is an experimental, dreamy quality to their music. Of historical note, it is said that Boris took its name from the first track of the Melvin’s 1991 Bullhead album (and the the final song of this evening’s Melvin set).
The tour continues aggressively (nearly nightly!) well into October, so check out the schedule for a stop near you: https://themelvins.net/wiki/index.php/Melvins_Tour_Dates_2023
More images from the night’s performances are in the carousel below. Check them out!