Baroness Returns And Dominates Us Again

As it always does before a holiday, work had piled up over the weekend. The last thing I needed, I thought, was to be heading out late on a cold Sunday night to go to a concert at the Middle East. And yet, I couldn't resist the urge. As soon as I walked through the doors, I realized that I had made the right move. This show was, indeed, exactly what I needed.

Throughout the existence of the roomofzen, we have never missed a Baroness show in New England. The first concert we ever reviewed was a Baroness show at the Middle East (I also just came across Babcock's post from when we saw them in March). Ted Gilbert, who writes for our site (and with whom an interview is published in the current issue of Rue Morgue magazine) works for their label, Relapse Records. We have posted about ten times more Baroness videos on this site than we have any other band. We have mentioned their most recent album, the Red Album (hands down the best album released in 2007. Revolver Magazine named it the best metal album of 2007.), at least 100 times on this site. I would certainly not claim that they are the official band of the roomofzen (and we have certainly not contacted them about this possibility, as it would really benefit them in no way), but they are definitely our favorite. Their shows are the best we've seen, bar none. Sunday, November 23rd at the Middle East was no exception.


The show was kicked off by Boston's own Motherboar, about whom I had heard a great deal but never actually seen live. I have heard multiple people compare them to Motorhead, which pretty much automatically makes them awesome. We arrived a little late to their set, right as they began to play their Underwater Trilogy. What I saw of their performance sucked me right in. There was a ton of energy on stage and the music was sick (everything I've heard from Raise the Death Toll is great). I am definitely going to make a point of seeing them again.


Next up was Coliseum, another Relapse band that had been traveling with Baroness throughout the duration of the tour (and who opened for Rancid this summer). This trio from Louisville, KY had much more of a punk/hardcore sound and feel to them than Baroness and their performance gave us all the forceful kick in the face that we were craving.





As great as the music from Coliseum was, my favorite part of the set came towards the end, when lead singer and guitarist Ryan Patterson addressed the crowd. He thanked everyone for coming out, and talked about how appreciative he was to the crowd regardless of whether or not they were there for Coliseum. He spoke at length about how many people he knows that are in bands who don't have homes to go back to because they put so much of their passion, time, and resources into their music.

At the end of Patterson's address he said, "this time on this stage means the fucking world to us." We already knew that to be true. Coliseum sent that message to us with the raw energy and the honesty with which they performed. But actually hearing the words spoken had a huge impact on me and reminded me why I had come to the Middle East on that cold Sunday evening. I had come to see something real. Bands like these and shows like these are where we can still find the real essence of music. While millions of Americans were at home Sunday night watching plastic musicians churn out manufactured bullshit on the American Music Awards, we were seeing three bands that were bearing their souls to us and presenting us with something authentic and original that we could take or leave. Maybe I'm not explaining it right, but it was fucking badass. See Coliseum and buy No Salvation.


I don't need to tell you that Baroness took the stage around 11 for the final performance of the tour and fucking killed every note. They get better every time we see them, and are hands down the best live act on the planet. The setlist was different from the last shows we've seen. They opened with The Birthing instead of Rays On Pinion (which came later), but still closed with O'Appalachia. This was also the first time we've seen them since Peter Adams joined the group. If I had to pick a highlight of the show, I'd say that Wanderlust was particularly sick. But, there is really no way to break down or describe a live Baroness performance. It's impossible to do it justice. They are so raw and aggresive on stage, and yet the melodies are overwhelmingly present but unpredictable. If you haven't had the pleasure of a live show yet, then you're missing out. If you don't own their CDs (particularly the Red Album), then you must not value our opinion very much because this is about the 500th time we've told you.

I was there with Riley and Salsich, and all three of us agreed afterward that the goblet of rock had never tasted quite so potent as it did on that evening. Now, four days later, we all remain thoroughly quenched.

I don't know when they'll be back in New England, but I can't wait. As always, the roomofzen will be there.


Wanderlust:





Rays on Pinion:





Red Sky: