1. Backstage Bar and Billiards is only about half full on Wednesday night for Baroness’ first show in Vegas since a tour bus crash sidelined them for the better part of a year, and not surprisingly, the ratio of men to women inside the Downtown venue makes a Rush concert look like a Tegan and Sarah gig.
2. Baroness’ frontman John Baizley doesn't sing, per se. He deploys various levels of melodic-yell.
3. Baroness’ setlist pulls heavily from 2012’s Yellow and Green, on which the band frequently bridges the gap between metal and rock with its depth and layered melodies while its frequent use of harmonized guitar leads it unapologetically headfirst into metal world.
4. When I interviewed Baizley leading up to the show, he insisted Baroness was in “the best shape [they’ve] ever been in musically,” and after Wednesday it’s easy to believe him. The intricacies and flawless precision of their spirited performance are evidence of a band that not only rebounded from hardship but improved.
5. Baroness is the first national touring act I’ve seen at Triple B as the venue continues to expand its booking calendar in its first year of existence. The space has great potential to host intimate, high-quality performances and add to the expanding live-music options available Downtown. As for the décor’s House of Pain motif (DJ Lethal is a partner), well, let’s just say it didn’t make me want to jump around.
