The Melvins… man, those guys were one of the bands that always stood out for me.
I first heard them around ’90 or ’91 when a friend handed me a worn-out tape of Ozma. I put it on and couldn’t stop listening. The sound was so different that I kept rewinding it again and again. Buzz Osborne’s guitar and Dale Crover’s drumming just had this thing that got under your skin. From that first listen I was hooked. I’ve always had a real soft spot for the Melvins.
I got to see them live on March 6th, 1992 at the Paramount Theatre, the same night I caught Soundgarden. They played a long set and the room felt completely full the whole time. That night is still burned in my memory. One of those shows you don’t forget years later.
They never chased the big time the way some other bands did. While everyone else was blowing up and showing up on MTV, the Melvins just kept doing their own thing, year after year. They influenced a ton of bands without ever really getting the attention or the money. That’s part of why I’ve always respected them so much.
These days in 2002 they’re still at it, still making records and playing shows. Buzz and Dale have been doing this for so long it feels like they’ve always been around. I still throw on Ozma, Bullhead, or Houdini when I want to go back to how the early scene sounded before everything got huge. Their music never tried to fit in, and that’s exactly why it still works for me.
The Melvins weren’t just another band from Seattle. To me, they were one of the few that stayed true from the very beginning. And I’m really glad I got to see them when I did.