MR. BUNGLE, THE MELVINS and SPOTLIGHTS join forces this spring, resurrecting Ipecac Recordings‘ storied “Geek Show” tour, with the labelmates performing several shows across the Western U.S.
“The ‘Geek Show’ tours of the past were some of the best live show experiences I’ve ever had,” says MR. BUNGLE frontman Mike Patton. “Hanging out with friends that are also some of my favorite musicians is a great way to spend a couple weeks. This iteration is a mindblower. You will want to be the first one there and the last to leave this party! The mighty MELVINS and SPOTLIGHTS will prove to be a challenge for MR. BUNGLE to follow. I only wish we could take this package around the globe.”
Ipecac Recordings co-owner Greg Werckman adds: “It was always nice to be able to coordinate schedules and put a bunch of Ipecac bands together on the road. This is a fantastic lineup. All three bands deliver in their powerful and unique way. I wish it could have been an eight-band bill. Hopefully this is only the beginning in getting the ‘Geek Shows’ going again. Enjoy!”
Not only do the dates mark the label’s first bundled tour since 2004, but most of these cities will see their first MR. BUNGLE performances in 22 years.
Tickets go on sale this Friday, January 27 at 10 a.m. local time.
Tour dates:
May 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Palladium
May 13 – Las Vegas, NV @ Sick New World Festival *
May 16 – Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
May 17 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Union Event Center
May 19 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox
May 21 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
May 23 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
* No SPOTLIGHTS
MR. BUNGLE released “The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny Demo” in 2020, an album that saw the Eureka, California-born band record songs from their 1986 cassette only demo. The collection’s release was preceded by seven February 2020 shows (Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York). The newly revamped version of the seminal band sees Trevor Dunn, Mike Patton and Trey Spruance joined by Scott Ian (ANTHRAX, S.O.D.) and Dave Lombardo (DEAD CROSS, ex-SLAYER, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES). Rolling Stone dubbed the album “a feast of ingenious riffs… and pure manic energy,” Stereogum said “MR. BUNGLE are reliving their very earliest days and kicking a whole lot of ass in the process,” and Decibel declared it “one of the best thrash records of the year.”
Photo credit: Buzz Osborne