Sometimes you look forward to seeing new bands as much as you do the ones you have known and followed for years. Such is the case of these three bands that I learned were coming to Elevation 27 in Virginia Beach.
I had researched each band enough to know that they were intriguing, and it should be a pretty good night. I also discovered a little-known fact about one of them. I arrived for the show hoping for a good turnout despite it being a Tuesday and raining.
The night started off slow with a small crowd for the opener of the night Lybica, a dynamic instrumental band from South Florida. First conceived in 2020 by Justin Foley (drummer for Killswitch Engage). Jusin Foley proves to be just as talented a guitarist as he is a drummer alongside the other members of Lybica Joey Johnson (guitarist), Doug French (bass) and Chris Lane (drums). The instrumental journey of Lybica is akin to riding a musical wave. From the moment they opened with Octavist, from their 2022 self-titled album it was a steady build up, saving the best for last. Their set consisted of
- Oktavist
- Manifest
- Ferment
- Resonance
- Phaser
LYBICA
By the time Lybica wrapped up their set I discovered that the crowd had grown tremendously in size. I started to realize that I was one of the few people that had yet to discover Red Fang and Baroness, the co-headlining acts of the night. The diversity of the crowd was amazing to see.
Next to the stage was Red Fang, a Portland, Oregon based rock band formed in 2005. They have released 5 studio albums in the last 19 years and were taking the stage for the 2nd night of their 5-date co-headlining tour with Baroness. As Bryan Giles (guitar, vocals), Aaron Beam (Bass guitar, vocals), David Sullivan (lead guitar) and John Sherman(drums) took the stage you could feel the anticipation build and they did not disappoint their fans. Their set was high energy and they left everything they had musically on the stage with a set that consisted of
- Blood Like Cream
- Malverde
- Crows in Swine
- Arrows
- Into the Eye
- Antidote
- Wires
- Freeride
- Number Thirteen
- Humans Remain Human Remains
- Sharks
- Dirt Wizard
RED FANG
And it was time for the band that it seemed most had come out to see, I was soon to learn why the crowd had grown to almost capacity. Ans nothing I had seen in my preparation for the nights show had prepared me for the experience I was about to have. Baroness formed in 2003 by former members of the punk/metal band Johnny Welfare and the Paychecks. Members John Baizley (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Nick Jost (bass, keyboard), Sebastian Thomson (drums) and Gina Gleason (lead guitar, backing vocals) took the stage for a musical ride throughout their 6 studio album history that consisted of 12 songs
- Last Word
- Under the Wheel
- A Horse Called Golgotha
- March to the Sea
- Beneath the Rose
- If I Have to Wake Up (Would You Stop the Rain?) / Fugue
- War, Wisdom and Rhyme
- Shock Me
- Seasons
- The Sweetest Curse
The encore-
- Take My Bones Away
- Isak
BARONESS
In conclusion, I can say only that the night was beyond my expectations. I have become a true fan. You can find all three of these bands on all major streaming platforms and I would highly recommend checking out their tour dates to see if they are coming to a city near you. This show is one that is so good, people who have never previously heard of the bands will walk away, as new lifelong fans.
Red Fang will continue their 2024 tour throughout the USA before heading to Europe while Baroness will also continue their USA tour and then head to Asia, followed by Europe.
