New York, October 5, 2007 - In Dale Crover the Melvins have a drummer widely regarded as one of the best of the last twenty years and so it begs the question why do the Melvins have two drummers?  If Dale were somehow rhythmically deficient or missing an arm, then it would be understandable if the Melvins dealt with this by tucking a stage drummer behind the amplifier stacks to throw in the odd drum fill. 

But Dale is not merely an adequate drummer, he is extraordinary.  When it came time to record their ninteenth studio album (A) Senile Animal and fill a bassist vacancy nearly two years ago, not only did they plunder Jared Warren from Big Business, but they also hoovered up drummer Coady Willis.  The net result of a pair of exceptionally talented drummers comes in the form of two exclamation marks announcing a trademark sound that has captivated musicians from Kurt Cobain to Mike Patton.

Such was the exclamatory punctuation on Friday night's show at the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza before a capacity audience.   Melvins tore through close to ninety minutes of their extensive back catalog, including some rare outings into the albums Lysol and Bullhead.  As ever, vocalist and guitarist King Buzzo wore his signature stage robe replete this time with silk screened skulls and cross bones.  Coady's and Dale's drum kits were arranged side-by-side stage center while Jared and Buzzo acted as billowing bookends on either side of the dueling drummers.  If this lineup proves more than just a novelty and is given time to mature, then they will only get better, as they already have in a year's time.

Earlier in the evening Jared and Coady played a set as Big Business along with guitarist and sound engineer Toshi Kasai.  Although there was a thirty-six inch security barrier between the stage and the crowd, Big Business eventually got the crowd dancing to levels reminiscent of their show at the Knitting Factory this summer.

Melvins and Big Business will be on tour in the U.S. for another two weeks. - Damien Neva

Photos: Damien Neva