Oshawa, ON - On Friday June 24, 2022, WHEATUS brought their 2022 tour to Oshawa’s Biltmore Theater. The 4 band event saw Durham Region’s own MELLOHONEY performing 2nd on the bill.
I had first come across this 2-piece while covering the Oshawa Music Week show at The Atria in Oshawa on April 8, 2022. I was thrilled to be able to hang with the guys from the band for a few hours ahead of their gig to get to know them a little better.
MELLOHONEY is a 2-piece rock band from Oshawa, Ontario who have been playing several shows in the Greater Toronto Area in the past few months, playing at classic venues such as Sneaky Dees, The Bovine Sex Club and Oshawa’s Biltmore Theatre. They have played in front of some bigger name artists such as Midnight Echo and this show with the Teenage Dirtbags themselves, WHEATUS.
The June 24th gig, saw the 4 band lineup of BUD, MELLOHONEY, KICKSIE, and WHEATUS. Ahead of the Oshawa band’s set, they hung out at their merchandise table which saw them interacting with their fans. I’ll say, they are a couple of the coolest musicians who actually take a genuine interest in their fans, completely taking the time to engage in conversations. It’s not completely unusual, but they were the most active of the bands in this regard, on this evening.
The Band:
Dave Saliba – Guitars and Vocals Andrew Charles – Drums
At 8:50pm, the lights went out and we hear the band’s distinct speech sample fill the venue. Then we hear the band’s soft, slow intro to Genuine People as the lights slowly come to life. And then a dynamic switch as the pounding, heavy riffs kick in for a much heavier, louder sound. These transitions are the band’s mantra. It's something they strive for in their music and they’ve certainly mastered what they aim to perfect. They keep the crowd on their toes, then give them a bit of a rest, and then punch it up again.
SETLIST:
Genuine People
Cheap Steak
Carnal
My Dad’s a Boomer
Right From Wrong
Britney
Man I Wanna Be
I Don’t Wanna Fuck Up
Coward
With the completely original setlist the band stayed true to their style of dynamic transitions, within tracks, and from one song to the next. Even their rendition of the Britney Spears track “…Baby One More Time” MELLOHONEY took a 90s pop song and turned it into something truly their own. To make a successful cover, you need to make it your own, and they nailed it!!
Gratitude
Lead Singer Dave Saliba maintained the band’s gratefulness, as he thanked Wheatus, the Biltmore Theatre and the fans for the opportunity and support. Outside of their performance, their humbleness is a real way of showing their gratitude and these guys are definitely thankful for where they are.
As they closed their set with “Coward”, the crowd burst into a chant of “one more song, one more song, one more song”. In my 40 years of concert going, this is something I do not recall ever hearing for an opening act. Unfortunately, the crowd did not get their wish, but they deserved it. And the band deserved it.
As is typical for a smaller venue show, the bands will have a merchandise table at the back. At the end of their set, the Durham Region duo headed back to their table, to find the hyped fans buzzing around. All looking for an opportunity to chat with the band, and tell them how awesome their set was. Perhaps also to buy one of 2 t-shirt styles available for purchase. It is without a doubt, these guys have built a foundation with devout followers, and undoubtedly gained several new followers after this Friday night gig.
With all due respect to the other opening acts on the bill (this was an enjoyable show to photograph), MELLOHONEY deserved more than their allotted 40 minute set. I expect it won’t be long until they get their due. In their words “keep grinding” boys! You’re right there!
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