I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: March 6, 2026] Baroness

I have seen Baroness twice before this show.  The first was an acoustic record release show at a Record Store.  The second was at a sold out Kung Fu Necktie in which I couldn’t see anything because of where I was.  So I felt I hadn’t really seen them.

I really wanted to see their Red and Blue tour (where they played both of those albums), but it sold out before I got a ticket.  So this was my chance.  It turned out that they were playing the following night at Starland Ballroom, but they were OPENING for Acid Bath, who I’d never heard of. Crazy.

But here they were headlining.  It feels like the band is really John Baizley (they only person who has been with the band from the start) and new(ish) lead guitarist and amazing shredder Gina Gleeson.  I had thought that the bassist and drummer were kind of new to the band, but Nick Jost has been bassist and Sebastian Thomson has been drummer since 2013–so, they’re long time fixtures for sure.

I hadn’t really listened to their last album that much (I can’t believe it’s 3 years old), but I lovethe sound of Baroness, so anything they do is going to be great.  The first few songs were from the new album and I was super close and was really enjoying myself.

They played The Sweetest Curse from Blue but when they started The Birthing, I’m guessing that 100 guys who were hanging back all rushed forward, crushing everyone and starting a massive pit.  There was a little kid (with his dad) up front and I was a little worried about him, but he was well secure from everything. I’m not a pit guy–I’m there to watch the band.  And this new addition of bodies meant that I was shoved off to the side more than I wanted to be.  I could still see everyone pretty well, although I couldn’t ever seen Gina all that well.

But the moshers were very excited because they played a bunch of old stuff in a row.  Green Theme starts slow but then gets nice and loud, but it was March to the Sea that rally got them going.  It also starts slow, but the kind of slow that gets everyone really psyched for what’s coming next, and when the song exploded so did the room.

I’ve seen ula all three times and it’s a great song, so that’s cool.  They followed it with a short quite segue that led to the massive Swollen and Halo–a huge, loud song that runs for over 6 minutes and has some great jamming to stretch it even further live,

If I Have to Wake Up slows things down but has the band getting even more intense and tacking Fugue on the end gives a clapalong moment that’s somewhat unexpected at a show like this.

The first song by them that I ever heard was Shock Me and I love it so much.  It was great to hear it live (again) and by this point I was practically even with Baizley on the side and could see him really getting into it as he sang.

Earlier, Baizley said that the show was going to be a long one, but I don’t think it was (~90 minutes) but I think they’ve been doing opening slots, so maybe this one felt longer (surely the KFN show was longer).  So they only had two songs left.  And they ended the set with The Gnashing, a killer song if there ever was.

John had spent most of the night thanking everyone for coming and for opening. So it was no surprise that he waved and left the stage (especially since I had seen the setlist and knew there were encore songs coming).  And moments later they were back on stage playing the iconic Isak.  And they ended the night with the insanely catchy Take My Bones Away–a song that got the whole room singing along.

It was a hot and sweaty show on a fairly cool night and it was awesome.  I don’t feel the need to see them again, but I enjoyed this show so much I absolutely would see them again.

§ Stone (2023)
Ø Gold & Gray (2019)
¶ Purple (2015)
¥ Yellow & Green (2012)
ß Blue Record (2009)
® Red Album (2007)