Venue:
Brick By Brick is a charming venue with low ceilings, which fits well with that intimate and atmosphere vibe I seek when seeing a metal concert. The venue is walking distance to a couple breweries. I chose to grab some drinks at Coronado Brewing Co., leave my car at the brewery, and walk to Brick By Brick.
The venue has a large smoking area that is parallel to the front entrance. The security and staff were very welcoming and relaxed. When you walk through the front entrance, you have a large merch area on the left side of the room, the full bar in the middle, and the stage to your right. I thought the venue space was divided up well to provide a good amount of room for people to be comfortable and not distracted.
Music:
The Los Angeles band Lamp Of Murmuur came on the stage second; unfortunately, I didn’t catch the set of opening act Dödsrit. Murmuur showcased their atmospheric, raw black metal, often with gothic and melodic overtones. They introduced complex textures, intricate rhythms, and a blend of aggressive riffs with haunting, clean vocals and even post-punk influences. There were times during their set that I could hear 80s new wave influences such as New Order and The Cure. The lo-fi groovy song "Seal Of The Dominator" was a highlight for me.
As soon as Blackbraid came on stage, fans started making Native American war cry-like howls. They started their set with "Wardrums At Dawn On The Day Of My Death", which really set the pace of their set. The song displayed a relentless energy and aggressive melodies that had the pit moving and heads banging. Other tracks on the setlist that were among my favorites live were "The Spirit Returns", "The Dying Breath Of A Sacred Stag", and "Twilight Hymn Of Ancient Blood". One aspect of the show that clearly stood out was the founder and vocalist Sgah’gahsowáh's (Jon Krieger) charisma. He not only has a great stage presence, but really pours out his heart on stage. At one moment, he jumped off the stage with burning sage and went through the crowd, later playing his Native American flute, and grabbing a drumstick and furiously banging the cymbals!
I highly recommend grabbing tickets and heading to see Blackbraid for this tour. Below is the rest of the setlist; I’ll be covering the Deafheaven second leg of their Lonely People With Power tour in October if you’re interested.
Blackbraid setlist:
01. Wardrums At Dawn On The Day Of My Death
02. The Spirit Returns
03. The Wolf That Guides The Hunters Hand
04. Moss Covered Bones On The Altar Of The Moon
05. The River Of Time Flows Through Me
06. The Dying Breath Of A Sacred Stag
07. Twilight Hymn Of Ancient Blood
08. As The Creek Flows Softly By
09. Sacandaga
10. Barefoot Ghost Dance On Blood Soaked Soil
