A little bit of disclosure, this review will get a little personal and might just fall apart completely.
It’s been a little bit of a rollercoaster ride as everything tries to return to normal after the past couple of years. The world of live music, in particular, is trying its best to get bands and fans into the same room once again. We’ve seen tours delayed, moved, or even canceled, and Baroness hasn’t been an exception to any of that. Originally scheduled to roll through Dallas in March, Baroness decided to postpone the 2nd leg of their intimate shows for a couple of weeks due to the rise of Omicron. On top of that, thanks to the lovely Dallas fire marshals that have been poking around and causing headaches in Deep Ellum, the show had to be moved across the street from Three Links over to Trees. But even with all the moving around and rescheduling, last night Baroness proved that good things come to those who wait. Really, really good things!
The idea behind this ‘Evening With…’ tour is a Baroness fans’ dream; the band is playing smaller venues for a more intimate in your face interaction with the crowd. Fans that purchased tickets for these shows got to vote for their 10 favorite songs out of 80, and the top 10 songs would be included in that night’s setlist. The band would then add their favorites to the setlist, and in the case of the Dallas stop, there would be a total of 23 songs played.
Starting promptly at 8pm, the band took the stage and proceeded to blaze through almost two and a half hours of music that spanned their entire catalog and really showcased the dynamics of their material. Frontman/guitarist John Baizley and guitarist Gina Gleason seemed to play off each other like peanut butter does with jelly, often exchanging riffs and even stripping down to acoustics mid-set. Bassist Nick Jost kept the low end in place while occasionally providing keyboards and backing vocals, and Sebastian Thomson brought the thunder on the drums. This lineup has been together since 2017, and out of the eight times I have seen Baroness, this was the tightest I have ever heard them. They also appeared to be having a lot of fun, exploding with energy on the stage and constantly laughing and joking with each other.
For those unaware, Baroness has spent a lot of time in Dallas recording the iconic Blue Record and the masterpiece double Yellow & Green. Towards the latter part of the last night’s set, John talked a little bit about his time in Dallas before the band ripped through several tracks from the Blue Record. The evening ended with a masterful rendition of Isak that really punched home the ringing in our ears.
But nothing will ever be as impactful for this photographer/writer as seeing Eula this time around. Not only is this song one of my favorites the band has ever written, this particular version felt haunting and emotional. It was absolutely beautiful. There never is a good time to receive tragic news, but as John and Gina followed Eula with an acoustic Cold-Blooded Angels off the Gold & Grey album, I received a phone call that my father had passed. It was shocking, strange, and difficult to process. I still haven’t fully processed it. But luckily, I was with some of my closest friends and family, and little did they know on stage, that I had one of my favorite bands helping me through the night as I stood helpless in a music venue 1400 miles away. Life is strange, and sometimes it feels like the world is playing a joke on you. Being in a place surrounded by your passions (friends, family, live music), doing something you’re passionate about (photography), especially after a lengthy hiatus (thanks covid), and then it all gets ripped out from under you.
If Baroness wasn’t already one of my favorite bands, then this show cemented them into my personal history. It will be a little while for my head to stop echoing:
“Settle Down / This Won’t Last Long”
Baroness Setlist for April 6, 2022 at Trees, Dallas:
1. Ogeechee Hymnal
2. Take My Bones Away
3. Rays on Pinion
4 A Horse Called Golgotha
5. March to the Sea
6. Green Theme
7. Chlorine & Wine
8. Swollen and Halo
9. Cocainium
10. Tourniquet
11. Shock Me
12. Eula
13. Cold-Blooded Angles
14. I’d Do Anything
15. Can Oscura
16. Borderlines
17. Little Things
18. War, Wisdom, and Rhyme
19. If I Have to Wake Up (Would You Stop The Rain?)/Fugue
20. The Sweetest Curse
21. Jake Leg
22. The Gnashing
23. Isak
