Baroness Live: A Sonic Journey Through Chromatic Landscapes
Photo: Steve St. Jean
Savannah, Georgia's Baroness, is hot off the release of STONE, their sixth studio album and second with lead guitarist and backing vocalist Gina Gleason. The band brought their Sweet Oblivion Tour with supporting act Spotlights to Toronto's Danforth Music Hall on November 19th, 2023, a show that is up there for one of the best metal performances of the year in my books.
A deep chill outside had fans huddling up around the merch table to pick up some of the freshest merch I've seen in a while, featuring a limited edition poster, one-off prints from Baroness' John Baizley and too many shirt variations that my bank account could handle. As I walked into the spacious floor of Danforth, New York City's Spotlights were on stage, bringing immediate grooves and sludgy guitar riffs to the night. Minimally lit, the band played amongst the shadows, hitting us with walls of distortion and core-shaking bass lines.
Spotlights were relentless in their approach, building atmospheric soundscapes, primarily instrumental, featuring massive builds and crescendos that came crashing down. Almost immediately, they had the entire audience swaying and subtly head-banging.
The energy of their set was turbulent. One second it was calm; the next, a barrage of guitars and drums sucking you into a repetitive groove you couldn't escape. The harmony between husband and wife Mario Quintero (guitar, vocals, keys) and Sarah Quintero (bass, vocals) balanced light and darkness perfectly. At times, Mario's tremolo picking sounded like a 747 nose-diving from 40,000 feet (at least that's my guess at what that sounds like) but then would abruptly halt to a slow, sludgy riff with Sarah's bass perfectly in sync. The guitars were topped off with Chris Enriquez's assault on his drum kit, as he delivered mind-numbing precision with his bass drum and fills in all the right ways.
They won over the crowd with their epic sound (myself included), successfully awakening us for what's next.
As Baroness took to the stage, they hustled from backstage, yelling at fans to get hyped. The energy was high from the get-go and didn't let up the entire set. Baroness's mission was annihilating us with their duelling guitars and machine gun riffs. Frontman John Dyer Baizley seemed to have adrenaline coursing through his veins, slaying his vocals and guitar parts (I didn't expect anything less). Sebastian Thomson held it down shirtless as he decimated his drum parts. Bassist Nick Jost kept us in check with his bass grooves, occasionally jamming together with Sebastian as if they were in their own world where gods of bass ruled.
But the show's star for me was Gina Gleason. Gleason dominated us with her unhinged energy, virtuoso guitar solos, and harmonizing vocals. The introduction of Gleason to the band has taken their sound to a whole new level, both live in concert and the studio. The fiery chemistry between Gleason and Baizley was contagious as they owned their respective roles but played off each other with precision.
The band performed a stacked setlist that spanned their discography, including "Isak" from 2007's Red album, "The Sweetest Curse" from 2009's Blue album, and closer "Take My Bones Away" from 2012's Yellow & Green album. But it wasn't all throwbacks; the band seamlessly integrated a handful of new tunes from their latest STONE and 2019's Gold & Grey, the end of the band's chromatically-themed records.
The last time I saw Baroness was in 2013 when they were touring Yellow & Gold at the then Mod Club in Toronto. Their live show has been dialled up to 11 and can't compare to their previous performances. This band's current lineup is the best yet, and I can't wait until I get a chance to see them perform again.
Check out our photo galleries from the night below featuring Baroness, followed by Spotlights.
PHOTO GALLERIES
BARONESS
SPOTLIGHTS
BARONESS SETLIST
Last Word
A Horse Called Golgotha
March to the Sea
Beneath the Rose
Green Theme
Under the Wheel
Cocainium
War, Wisdom and Rhyme
Anodyne
Chlorine & Wine
Seasons
Morningstar
Eula
Shock Me
Isak
The Sweetest Curse
Take My Bones Away
Relive the setlist with our Baroness playlist below:
Words / Photography by: Steve St. Jean