In The Loop Magazine Melvins and Tomahawk Double Team The Riviera Theatre

Melvins and Tomahawk Double Team The Riviera Theatre

Aug 07, 2026 admin_bitlc Features, Music News, Reviews 0

By Kyle Decker

The term “supergroup” gets thrown around a lot. It sounds like a relative term, but really, in the music world, it just means a band whose members are or were in more established bands. Tomahawk is not really a household name, but the lineup reads like a fantasy creation of a 90s alt-kid: Mike Patton (Faith No More/Mr. Bungle) on vocals, Duane Denison (The Jesus Lizard) on guitar, John Stanier (Helmet) on drums, and, up until 2007, Kevin Rutmanis (Melvins) on bass. Rutmanis was replaced by Trevor Dunn of Mr. Bungle when the band reformed in 2011.

The band’s sound is hard to pin down, but “avant-hard-rock” seems apt enough for labels if labels are truly needed. They even did a whole album inspired by Indigenous music compositions (2007’s Anonymous). Which, given their name, seems apropos. I had listened to the band a bit around that time, and that was the first album I heard. I had kind of assumed that was their whole thing. Turns out, they don’t quite pigeonhole themselves like that.

As I write this, I realize that was almost 20 years ago. So, once again, my adventures in music journalism have made me acutely aware of the relentless passage of time. Honestly, the group kinda faded into memory for me until James at In the Loop reached out and asked if I’d be interested in the show. Being a teacher on summer break, Tuesday nights are not remotely a dealbreaker.

The big bonus here is that sludge rock legends and grunge progenitors Melvins were the other act of the night. Fifteen years or so ago, I missed two opportunities to see Melvins, and finally got to right that wrong. Melvins, along with Wipers, were the biggest influencers on Nirvana. Like Nirvana, Melvins were from Aberdeen, Washington.

They came up in the same scene and even briefly shared a drummer. Since their formation as a hardcore punk band in 1983, Melvins have had a rotating cast, with Buzz “King Buzzo” Osbourne the only constant. Although drummer Dale Crover has been with the band since 1985. So, his tenure literally extends for my entire life.

There’s that relentless passage of time again. They even recorded a pair of albums with Jello Biafra in 2004 and 2005. So, while Melvins is known to most people with an interest in hard rock, their name recognition didn’t quite achieve the mainstream name recognition of Nirvana. But, considering their influence on the “Seattle Sound,” it’s no exaggeration to put them on the list of all-time most influential bands.

Anyway, the first thing I noticed walking in was the giant Tomahawk banner behind the stage that had more square footage than places I have lived. As a middle-aged white male, I also noticed that I was comfortably within the demographics of the growing crowd. Hell, I was one of four people wearing the “Mickey Bomb” Jesus Lizard t-shirt. I also noticed that Melvins had two drum sets on stage. Drummer Dale Crover was joined by Coady Willis, which is something the band has been doing off and on for a few years. As Melvins took the stage, Buzzo’s iconic white mop of curly hair stood out spectacularly in front of the giant black Tomahawk banner.

The double drums added to the heaviness the band is known for, and Crover and Willis engaged in the occasional drum battle. I had settled into a sweet spot in the middle of the second tier of the main floor, which gave me a decent view of everything and a good balance of sound. It was around the third song that the mosh pit got riled up.

From my perch, I could see where the younger members of the crowd were: up front and in the pit. I remember my slamming days, but honestly, it sounds better by the mixing board. One kid had distinctive hot-pink hair and looked to be in high school. She was front and center and bouncing and head-banging so much that I feared she’d give herself whiplash. While the teacher in me was concerned about the long-term effects on her spine, the aging punk in me swelled with pride at the spirit of the youth.

The Melvins set did feature a couple of surprise guests. Clinton Jacob of mr.phlyzzz, a Chicago-based noise rock band, joined the Melvins on stage and sang “A History of Bad Men.” mr.phlyzzz had opened for Melvins about three years prior, and must have made a good impression. For the last few songs, Melvins were joined by Trevor Dunn, the bass player for Tomahawk and Mr. Bungle. So, between him and Steven Shane McDonald, Melvins now had two basses and two drums. It was HEAVY. As one would hope.

One thing I’ve come to appreciate about the mid-size venues in Chicago, especially those tucked in near residential areas, is how tightly they run the ship. When a sound ordinance looms, things need to start and end on time. So Tomahawk took the stage at 9 pm exactly.

Chicago was certainly happy to see Mike Patton. Especially since he had to drop out of Riot Fest a few years ago for mental health reasons. Honestly, I’m glad for that. You gotta take care of your head and heart. When I think of all the brilliant artists we’ve lost because they didn’t do that, my heart shatters.

That said, long-time fans of Patton’s many projects are aware of his past antics on and off stage. Mr. Bungle and Faith No More shows of the late-80s and early-90s were anything goes. He earned a reputation as an “anti-rockstar.” Of course, being 58 now, he has grown out of some of his more extreme antics (you can tumble down that rabbit hole yourself; I’ll stay here, thank you.) But the man is still every bit the vocal chameleon he’s always been, especially when he brought megaphones and modulators into the mix.

And while he spends much of his time behind his keyboard and noise rig, his face was extremely animated. If anyone in that crowd was still salty about Mr. Bungle and Faith No More backing out of Riot Fest a few years ago, it did not show. The pit was a meat grinder. Though it was tempting, I was happy to watch.

At one point, Patton introduced Duane Denison to the crowd. The guitar player is also known for The Jesus Lizard, who spent their heyday based in Chicago. “Hey, Chicago. I still think about you,” Denison said. “Do you still think about me?” The crowd confirmed it with whoops, cheers, and “devil horns.”

All in all, both bands proved every bit the seasoned professionals their credentials would suggest. They played tight, heavy sets and, despite most of them having done this for forty-plus years, were clearly still having fun doing it.

For more on Melvins, click here

For more on Tomahawk, click here

Melvins set list, The Riviera Theatre, Chicago, August 4th, 2026:

Working the Ditch

Never Say You’re Sorry

Sway (The Rolling Stones cover)

Evil New War God

Civilized Worm

It’s Shoved

A History of Bad Men (With Clinton Jacob of Mr. Phlyzzz on Vocals)

The Bit

Blood Witch