Baroness 11.29.23 Webster Hall NYC

Words & Photos by Marco Denzer

Saying that Baroness put on one hell of a show at Webster Hall is an undeniable fact, but it’s also a tremendous understatement or downplay of the phenomenal performance they gave. The band spent the months of October and November on the road bringing the Sweet Oblivion Tour to their fans throughout the U.S. and several cities in Canada. It was an extremely busy concert schedule for the Philadelphia based quartet, no doubt, but it was also an excellent opportunity for fans to enjoy listening to music from Stone, their latest release, in addition to a variety of tunes from their previous albums in a live setting.

A track from the Rolling Stones’ new album played over the chatter of the crowd, and a noticeable vibe of
excitement filled the air before their performance started at the legendary New York City venue. As the music slowly faded and the house lights dimmed, John Dyer Dyer Baizley (guitar/vocals), Gina Gleason (guitar/backup vocals), Nick Jost (bass), and Sebastian Thomson (drums) walked to their respective posts on-stage, one by one. They were ready, and it was clear the audience knew exactly what to expect. A heavy rocking Baroness show was about to be unleashed.

The set began quietly with a few bars of an acoustic intro that led right into “Last Word”, the hard-driving
opening song on the “Stone” album. It felt like a sudden blast off at 100 MPH from a standing still position, a powerful burst of energy driven by an astonishingly tight rhythm section with Nick and Sebastian at the controls. The two musicians appeared to effortlessly generate and float grooves providing the perfect foundation for John and Gina’s contagious guitar riffs and shredding leads. It didn’t take much for the audience to enthusiastically join the band in singing the chorus of the song.

Having set the pace for how the evening was going to unfold, Baroness proceeded with an outstanding setlist consisting of tracks selected primarily from the albums “Blue Record”, “Yellow & Green”, “Purple” and “Stone”, including one song each from their “Red Album” and “Gold & Grey” productions. The quartet passionately pounded away through cuts like “A Horse Called Galgotha”, “Beneath The Rose” and “March to the Sea’ before settling into a slightly slower groove for a bit with tunes like “Under the Wheel” and “Cocainium”.

The quartet continued playing each song on the setlist with an incredibly exuberant level of energy, they
performed exhibiting that rare and elusive form of talent that’s forged on the road. The one developed by
touring and playing countless gigs to refine a craft with love, passion, rage, and grit against all odds. As
Baroness approached the end of their setlist, the scene in the room became other-worldly when the disco light hanging from the ceiling began spinning while they played “If I Have to Wake Up / Fugue”. This was a truly special moment during the show that everyone in the crowd enjoyed.

Baroness delivered an extremely impressive and memorable performance. Members of the band share an undeniable chemistry, a comradery that drives them to create and play great music together, and
this vibe is most definitely shared with their audience. To paraphrase John as he addressed the crowd in his parting words. You, the audience, are the fifth member of the band and your contribution is vital to what we do… we couldn’t do this without you. Thank you!

Setlist:
Last Word Stone
The Sweetest Curse Blue Record
A Horse Called Golgotha Blue Record
March to the Sea Yellow & Green
Beneath the Rose Stone
Under the Wheel Stone
Cocainium Yellow & Green
Anodyne Stone
Chlorine & Wine Purple
Seasons Gold & Grey
If I Have to Wake Up/Fugue Purple
Shock Me Purple
The Gnashing Blue Record
Encore:
Isak Red Album
Take My Bones Away Yellow & Green