The Melvins Crush Great American Music Hall

The Melvins
Great American Music Hall
September 5, 2022

Photos by Raymond Ahner

Because supporting Ministry on the Industrial Strength Tour, and then headlining the Electric Roach Tour so far this year wasn’t enough, the legendary Melvins just hit the road for The Five Legged Tour, which will see them traverse across the country for seven weeks, before returning to the West Coast to play the Halloween Freakout on October 29. The band recently kicked off the tour at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, which has hosted the band more than any other during their storied existence.

Taking the stage to the theme song from Sanford and Son, the Melvins opened their set with their blistering cover of Flipper’s “Sacrifice,” and proceeded to put on a sixteen song set that crushed just as much (if not more) than usual. Buzz paced his side of the stage while laying down his signature riffs, while bassist Steve McDonald and drummer Dale Crover kept the low end sounding just as heavy as ever.

As always, the Melvins let their music do the talking, as the set spanned most of their career. Highlights included “Anaconda,” “Mister Dog is Totally Right,” and a ripping version of “Honey Bucket.” Wrapping up their set with “With Teeth,” it was quite apparent that despite two tours so far this year, they are not road-weary in the least.

Support for the tour comes from We Are the Astroid, as well as Taipei Houston, who were only slated to open the first six California dates, but were recently added to a handful of future dates.

Here’s a slideshow with more photos of all three bands by Raymond Ahner: