By Jessica Garson

While walking into the 9:30 Club to see the Melvins, I immediately noticed the fact that the crowd seemed older than the 20-somethings that usually pack the place. In the mosh pit, that opened up one song into the Melvin’s set the youngest person bumping into his neighbor appeared to be in his late 20s. The club was full but not sold out. The show was part of an extensive 30th anniversary tour that hit much of the U.S.

When the Melvins hit the stage, frontman Buzz Osbone—better known as King Buzzo—came out sporting his signature gray, out-of-control afro and wearing a black robe with galaxy pattern looking much like a cult leader. They opened up with “Hag Me” off of the classic album Houdini and skipped the typical encore in favor of a drum solo. Buzz’s wailing vocals draw you into a new dark world of a metal/rock hybrid band that is utterly captivating. Backing up Buzz’s breathtaking vocals is two drummers, Dale Crover and Coady Willis who were perfectly in sync with each other.

I often consider the Melvins to be one of my favorite bands, but it was surprised by how little I recognized of the songs being played. Over the course of their 30 years as a band. The Melvins have been hugely influential helping to birth the entire grunge scene. It’s amazing how much music borrows from their sludgy sound. It’s exciting to see a band who has been around for so long continue to new music and reinvigorate their classics.

Austin’s Honky, featuring Jeff Pinkus from Butthole Surfers and Bobby Ed Landgraf, opened the show. For the night, they were borrowing the Melvins drummer Dale Crover. They looked and sounded like a bizarre version of ZZ Top—Pinkus and Landgraf both sporting long, gray beards. Pinkus returned to the stage later in the night to play bass for the Melvins filling in for Jared Warren.