I’m not gonna lie; after the epic journey that was Tool last night, and a total grind of a Monday at work, I’m pretty beat by the time it comes to tearing myself off the couch on this already-dark Monday night. Still, I drag myself out of the house, head downtown, and as is always the case, I am glad I did.
New York trio Spotlights have already started by the time I arrive, and a sizeable crowd are already assembled inside Theatre Beanfield. Their brand of doom rock is deep and churning, and above all, LOUD. Its not the kind of music I reach for in the bright days of summer, but as the days get shorter, colder, and greyer, its a perfect soundtrack. They actually kinda remind me of Zeal & Ardor, who opened up for tonight’s headliners last time I saw them here, weirdly enough. They make one heck of a noise for the entirety of their 45-minute set, and the cheers that greet them as they leave the stage shows that I’m not the only one who loved it!
Baroness are one of those bands that need to be seen to be believed. Listening to them on record is one thing, but once you see frontman John Baizley and lead guitarist Gina Gleason shredding in front of you, its another thing completely. The set explodes with the epic Last Word from this year’s stellar 6th record Stone, and the solo that Gina belts out sets the tone for the rest of the show.
March To The Sea from the 2012 Yellow & Green record is a personal favourite, sounding absolutely massive tonight, and the sound issues that plague John in the early part of the set don’t detract from it at all. Still, he’s relieved by the time they are finally resolved: “We had a few problems the first couple of songs, but now I’m back!”
The set goes down a variety of musical paths during the 1 hour and 45 minutes, and it flies by as a result; at no point does it ever get stale or repetitive. Green Theme is entirely instrumental, while Little Things has the kind of indie dance beat that would make The Killers jealous. Chlorine & Wine is a bona fide stadium anthem, starting with a few swirling lights in the dark before building to an epic crescendo that explodes as John bellows “DON’T LAY ME DOWNNNN!” The way that Shock Me blows away the chill vibes created by If I Have To Wake Up and Fugue is a thing of astonishment too!
The crowd are incredibly polite throughout; for a metal show, there’s barely any moshing or shoving, and certainly no crowd-surfing or stage-diving. Heck, I even find myself on the fence by the end, which seems unheard of for this genre of music! Still, that’s not to suggest that the crowd are disinterested or not engaged in any way. The singalong that accompanies set closer, Take My Bones Away is deafening, and when John suggests that we sing the riff of Isak like it was a football song, the crowd duly obliges. Our efforts earn a “f*** yeah!” from John at the end!
John is effusive in his praise as the show comes to its conclusion, as he proclaims “thanks for always being there the past 20 years!” When the shows are as good as this, he can be sure that Montreal will be coming back for the next 20 years too!
Set List
- Last Word
- A Horse Called Golgotha
- March to the Sea
- Beneath the Rose
- Green Theme
- Under the Wheel
- Little Things
- War, Wisdom and Rhyme
- The Gnashing
- Anodyne
- Chlorine & Wine
- Seasons
- If I Have to Wake Up (Would You Stop the Rain?) / Fugue
- Shock Me
- Isak
Encore
- The Sweetest Curse
- Take My Bones Away
Review & photos – Simon Williams
Share this :
