A legendary band in the rock and sludge-metal sphere is making a long-awaited return to Reno.
Melvins have managed to toe the line between being extremely successful—and largely unknown among many fans of popular rock acts. Even though their pioneering mix of metal, punk and heavy influenced the likes of Nirvana, Soundgarden, Tool and others, Melvins have remained a consistent-force in the venue scene, opting to never “sell-out” and tour arenas or stadiums.
The band is set to perform Friday, June 6, at Virginia Street Brewhouse in Reno. According to a tour archive on MelvinsWiki, this is the band’s first Reno appearance in 15 years.
“I don’t really have much of a relationship with Reno,” said Buzz Osborne, the Melvins frontman, during a recent phone interview. “The first time we played there, I think, was in 1985, and we played in the basement of a guy named Tony Toxic. We played there with a girl band from L.A. called Brazebra, and played in the basement, and then hung out there. It was fun. … The people were very nice. I met some of the original guys, like Tommy (Munist), who used to be in (Reno hardcore band) 7 Seconds, and his brother; they had a band called Jack Shit. We had a relationship with lots of people there.”
Osborne said he routes the band’s tours himself, so he is both to blame and thank for Melvins’ return to Reno after the lengthy absence.
“We haven’t played there a ton of times, because it’s a little off the beaten track,” he said. “You kind of have to make a side road to get to it. On this tour, I said, ‘We’re playing Reno.’”
In 1998, Melvins played with Tool at the Livestock Events Center. It was an evening filled with peak performances from two of rock’s most inventive bands—yet Osborne’s most notable memory involves a completely nude crowd-surfer.
“They pulled him over the barricade, and the cops just descended on him,” Osborne said. “They dragged him outside to the parking lot in the back and handcuffed his hands behind his back. They sit him down in the middle of the parking lot and just say, ‘You sit right there; don’t move.’ He said, ‘Can I have something to cover me?’ They’re like, ‘No, you can’t. You want to be nude? There, you’re nude, right in front of everybody.’ The paddy wagon eventually came, like half an hour later, and they threw him in the paddy wagon, completely starkers. I thought that was the funniest thing. ‘You want to fucking crowd-surf nude? You’re sitting right out here now. Don’t ask for a blanket at this point, fuck you.’”
Osborne brought up his love of film to express his love for the Reno area.
“I’m a massive, massive John Huston fan; he’s my favorite director, and he did a movie that was filmed in and around Reno called The Misfits,” Osborne said. “It was Marilyn Monroe’s last movie, Clark Gable’s last movie, and also had Montgomery Clift in it … and it has a vibe that I think really describes the Reno element to me as an outsider better than anything. I’ve watched it over and over, and it’s in black and white, so I always envision Reno in black and white. I think everything looks better in black and white. That movie, if you’ve never seen it, I would highly, highly recommend it. The opening scene is: Marilyn Monroe and this girl are standing on a bridge, because she went to Reno to get a quickie divorce, and there’s a bridge in the middle of town over a river, and she’s throwing her wedding ring into the river for good luck.
“Apparently, (Monroe) was a total drugged-out pain in the ass the whole time in the movie, but she’s phenomenal in this movie. It’s maybe her best movie. John Huston said that he got paid $40,000 to do that movie, and he lost it all at the casinos while he was staying there, making the movie. If you do the math on that, $40,000 in 1958 or whatever was a lot of money. John Huston, he knew going there was the right thing to do. It’s about cowboys going out and rounding up wild mustangs, and then the whole premise is that she thinks that they’re rounding up the mustangs as pets, and they’re rounding them up for dog food. I just can’t even begin to tell you how great that movie is. I can’t think about Reno without thinking of the Donner Party and The Misfits.”
Melvins’ Reno performance is a part of a co-headlining tour with grind-core pioneers Napalm Death. The last time both bands toured together was in 2016.
“Every time Trump gets elected, we tour with Napalm,” Osborne joked.
Available at the merch booth (if copies remain) will be Savage Imperial Death March, a limited-edition split record featuring new songs and performances from both bands.
“We’re all playing on the same songs,” Osbourne said. “Two of them came over (from England), and then Barney (Greenway), the singer, recorded overdubs in the studio in England. The tour is called the Savage Imperial Death March Part Two, and the record is Savage Imperial Death March. I came up with a tour name, which I thought was good. ‘Savage Imperial Death March’ says it all, doesn’t it?”
Melvins are also supporting Thunderball, their 28th studio album, which was released in April. It’s a part of the band’s series of ‘Melvins 1983’ releases, featuring original Melvins member Mike Dillard on drums. Thunderball offers an exciting musical twist on the OG Melvins sound, however, as it prominently features contributions from Void Manes and Ni Maîtres, two electronic noise artists.
“I really wanted to do something with them. That record is with the original drummer, and then I’m doing all the instrumentation and all the vocals,” Osborne said. “It was as close to the original lineup as we can get, and I always wanted to do something with the two noise guys, so they’re all over the record. I think it came out really cool.”
Osborne, a movie lover, wants to make things clear: Thunderball has no connection to the 1965 James Bond film.
“I just love the name,” he said. “We did a record a few years ago called A Walk With Love and Death, which is the name of a John Huston movie. It has nothing to do with the movie, but I just love the name.”
Osborne has a profound appreciation for the arts.
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I have a very severe fascination with movies and music,” he said. “It’s gotten me through the worst parts of my life, and I think music is probably the most powerful art medium that there is, and I’m happy to bring it to places like Reno.”
The Reno date of the Savage Imperial Death March II tour is show 51 of 52. While others may criticize the consistent touring and release schedule of the band, Osborne said he relishes the fact that he is a professional musician and has no plans to ever hit the brakes.
“I’ll go out on tour and do 52 shows everywhere I can think of, and then come back and do all the places I didn’t play in the fall,” he said. “I’m happy to be a musician. They asked Bob Dylan, ‘Why are you still touring at your age?’ And he said, ‘That’s the deal I made.’ This is the deal I made. I’m a professional musician, it’s what I do. I make records; I go on tour; I write music. I think people who are professional musicians should realize the position they’re in, and they should work harder than anybody at their craft. Make records. Go play live. Do all of it; put your ass on the line, and don’t worry about the results. While they’re sitting there comprehending whether you should have made this record, or whether you should have played Reno, you should be on your way to doing something else. Don’t give people enough time to think about if it’s good or not.”
Melvins will perform with Napalm Death, Hard Ons and Dark Sky Burial at 8 p.m., Friday, June 6, at Virginia St. Brewhouse, at 211 N Virginia St., in Reno. Tickets are $41.23, and attendees must be 21+. For tickets and more information, visit renobrewhouse.com.