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As fans began to line up out front of the Roxian Theater in McKees Rocks, Pa., one could think that after the turkey festivities of Thanksgiving and the super-sale shopping of Black Friday, a rock show would be the best way to shake off the cold of fall and warm the body up on a Saturday evening. The Sweet Oblivion tour rolled into Pittsburgh, featuring Baroness, hot off their latest album release, Stone, which came out in September. Baroness, hailing from Georgia, have been touring and performing since 2003. These seasoned veterans are no strangers to the Steel City and are looking to put on another memorable show.
The opening band, Spotlights, was up first. This band is a mix of melodic rock and folk; it reminds me a lot of Russian Circles at first listen, with somber vocals. This band sets up the groove with drums and heavy bass and isn’t afraid to build an atmosphere out of the riff. At points during the set, the band felt primal, with chants and screams accompanied by a driving drum rhythm. The band’s stage performance is stripped down and minimal, placing the band in a shroud of darkness, with the only lighting coming from LEDs that are mounted to the band’s amplifiers.
Next up was punk rock outfit Soul Glo. This band comes with all the attitude of a high-energy hardcore punk band, with a bit of Lo Fi thrown in. Fast-paced and furious is the music, filled with rampant vocal lines that rip right through the crowd. Vocalist Pierce Jordan even jumped down into the photo pit to get closer to the crowd as their music played on. This quintet continued to push the envelope live while pacing the stage like a caged animal let free.
Baroness came out swinging right out of the gate with Isak. This Pittsburgh erupted into a sing-along, ripping through the lines as fast as vocalist John Baizley could belt them out. A fan favorite, the band really got the crowd going as they kicked into “A Horse Called Golgotha.” As heads in the crowd bobbed along to the music, the twin guitars of Baizley and Gina Gleason brought the shred. Other notable songs performed were “Tourniquet,” “Shock Me,” and “Chlorine and Wine,” before coming back to finish things out with an encore of “Take My Bones Away.”
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