Melvin’s Rock Rubber Gloves in Denton
It was a lovely Sunday evening as friends and fans piled into Rubber gloves rehearsal studios to see the amazing Melvins and the guests they brought along to give us an incredible night of music. Parking was scarce early in the evening as you pulled into the parking lot to find your spot and make your way into the venue. As you got to the doors, you could see inside that the fans were already packing the place. They were getting set up in their spots for the night and grabbing merch before the show.
The First band kicking off the performances tonight was Taipei Houston out of San Francisco! They’re a brand-new band that just started putting out music this year. However, if you look them up, they already have a good following and are continuously building. As the lights dropped from the back and side of the stage, two guys walked out, one sat behind his drum kit, and the other carried his bass guitar! As soon as the singer/bass player struck the first notes of their opening song with sounds I’d never seen or heard coming out of a bass guitar, the crowd erupted with cheer and applause. As this dynamic duo continued through their set, they stopped a few times and talked to the group to let them know this was their first time playing at this venue, and they were glad to have new people and fans there listening to their music. They continued rocking and thrashing through their set with the bass and thunderous drum hits. They made very well use of the time they were set to play and showed some incredible music that you could hear and feel as you could see many fans rocking to the sounds of the music. They also let the fans know they recently released two singles and would release a full-length album in a couple of weeks. The two brothers are just starting, and I recommend checking them out when they have a show nearby. Be sure to follow them, as they are just beginning, and I cannot wait to see where they go from here.
Next up was the Power Trio known as We are the Asteroid from right down the road in Austin, Texas! The lights went low, and the trio walked out onto the stage and got set to kick things up another notch for the night! This power trio has a great history between the members and a great collection of songs. The bass player stepped up and told the fans in Denton, Texas, that they were glad to be back home in Texas. They came out with power chords, screams, and heavy riffs from the start, and the fans immediately started swaying around to the beat of the drums and dancing around singing the songs with them. They continued rocking and assaulting their instruments for our auditory pleasures as the guitar player and the bass player took turns singing Future Gods and interacting with the fans standing against the stage and further back in the venue. As they made their way through their setlist, you could tell that this freak, psych, and power rock band is one of the ultimate power trios today. They are a relatively new band together, but their music pedigree makes up for that, and you could tell they were comfortable being up there playing music for their fans, old and new. I will be watching for the next time they come to town to be able to experience another one of their amazing loud and heavy shows that make you want to move and groove on through the night. The band also made sure to play us a cover by what they say is the best punk band in Texas the Dicks and the crowd started cheering and singing along. They set up the last song by thanking the fans and saying this was their 42nd night of touring this year and were glad to be there with us.
The Melvins were about to take the stage as the staff broke down and set up for the night’s final show. The crowd grew even denser, leaving you almost nowhere to move, and everyone was pressing up against the stage so that they could be in the moment as soon as the legendary Melvins took the stage. Moments after the staff finished and walked off the stage, the Sanford and Son song started playing over the speakers, and from the back of the stage, the Melvins made their entrance, and the crowd cheered as they waved to the fans and got set to show us what we have been waiting to see. As they got established, King Buzzo started strumming his guitar with the opening lines from their first song, Sacrifice, which is a Flipper cover, and the fans started yelling out and moshing around. Buzz kept dancing around and charging the front of the stage as he played his guitar right up at the edge of the stage. Melvins Bass player Steven McDonald was dressed in all white and kept walking to the end of the stage and playing right next to the fans, and they were taking it all in and listening as they carried out the song. They immediately jumped into their second song, Oven, with the heavy thunderous drum hits from drummer Dale Crover who looked out into the crowd between drum strikes and cymbal crashes. During one of their songs, you hear Buzz screaming out I want it faster, and with laser-like focus, the drummer annihilates his drum set with some of the fastest drumming seen for the night. The crowd was hanging onto every note and song they played as they danced, sang, and moshed all over the venue. The Melvins continued rocking through the night, showing the fans why they were legends of the music scene with a wide array of songs and music they put on display for the fans here tonight. As they got towards the end of the set, they even played Happy Birthday for their drummer Dale Crover and finished off with one of their hit songs Bad Teeth. As they struck the first notes of Bad Teeth, the fans lost it and started yelling and thrashing all around, running into each other and enjoying the close to an incredible set that the Melvins brought to us here tonight.
Make sure you go and check these bands out when they come to your town and continue supporting them and live music. You cannot go wrong even if you can catch one of these bands when they are close to you. They all put on some incredible performances tonight and played great music that brought many people together from all walks of life. When looking around at the crowd, you could see men, women, old and young, and so many more that were just there to enjoy the show. It was a great show, and seeing the Melvins in such an incredible venue was an added highlight for the evening.
Words and Photos by Craig Youngblood
The Melvins Setlist:
