If you’ve ever wanted to be seduced by Melvins frontman Buzz Osborne, go see his solo acoustic performance: King Buzzo! Touring on his solo album, This Machine Kills Artists, Buzzo is an engaging entertainer. He may strut around the stage strumming the same few notes over and over, but it’s utterly engaging hypnotic even and sensual like pan with his flute.
Wednesday’s twenty-one and over show at Portland’s Hawthorne Theater on June 18th had a large turnout for which Buzzo was openly grateful. He played a mix of songs from This Machine Kills Artist in addition to Melvins covers.
Throughout the show Buzzo told personal stories with an honest, comedic air. “Sometimes I don’t want to hear the truth! I don’t want anybody being straight with me! Lie your ass off when you’re talking to me!” exclaimed Buzzo. The audience cheered and gave adulations of love in response.
He told many stories of his heroes, one of which was about the author, The Whiskey Rebel a.k.a. Phil Irwin, his all time hero from Portland (http://www.whiskeyrebel.com/).
Buzzo also offered to tell a story about one of two of his heroes, Iggy Pop or Mike Patton. The crowd went wild for Mike Patton, but eventually Buzzo went with Iggy Pop as a confused fan in the front row asked who is Mike Patton? “I know who Iggy Pop is, but I don’t know who Mike Patton is,” he slurred. What? Who is Mike Patton?
Buzzo tells story of Iggy Pop hating Weezer and refusing to play a show for fans of Weezer:
Buzzo closed the show with “We are Doomed” from Melvin’s free album The Bulls and Bees (QRO review),which he described as his all time favorite song to perform.
How anyone can call this music folk is beyond me; it’s dark, it’s brooding, it’s melodic, it’s rock even if it is only one person performing and there are fingerpicking riffs in the mix of Buzzo’s masterful guitar playing.
There’s no sitting around in this acoustic, solo performance, Buzzo paces the stage, looking deep into your soul as it vibrates to his strumming. He’s not shy. He’s seductive and knows his way around a stage.
