The Black Angels at the Commodore Ballroom, 10/22/17
On a dark, October evening (Oct. 22), the Black Angels dropped in again to Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom. Catering to the city’s now significant psych community, the Black Angels, an Austin, Texas based band rightly regarded as a godfather group of the neo-psychedelic genre, performed a sold-out show in celebration of their newly released fifth album, Death Song.
Providing support for the evening was Ron Gallo, a ferociously energetic guitarist who leads a spastic, jam-prone three piece. Frontman Gallo read a notice in a deadpan voice before jumping with his guitar onto the dance floor, all on the first song. The Black Angels have toured with more-like minded collaborators such as Wall of Death, the Warlocks, Sleepy Sun and the city’s own Black Mountain.
On the Black Angel’s opening number, “Currency,” excited fans goers threw fist-fulls of fake dollar bills into the air in celebration of the song’s critical theme. With thick, bold, reverberating guitar and rumbling bass, the songs from Death March made up the majority of the Black Angel’s setlist. Though relatively un-dynamic in length or range, the Black Angel’s newest songs were acutely executed with mesmerizing visuals, such as on the early performed “I Dreamt,” which the Black Angels debuted years ago at the Levitation Vancouver festival at Stanley Park’s Malkin Bowl. The projections of the Black Angels, provided by the Bob Mustachio light show make an essential component to the modern Black Angels experience. Each song featured vivid, shifting geometric patterns that highlight the tones and throbbing bass; the band’s rotating rhythm section including multi-instrumentalist Kyle Hunt, who trades off with Bland, Maas and Garcia for bass duties. Stephanie Bailey’s drums sounded sharp and thunderous throughout the night.
Beyond the new record, the Black Angels shared a few select hits from their now rather vast catalogue such as “You On the Run,” “Bad Vibrations,” and “Black Grease,” but left out any deep cuts. The band’s performance, dedicated mostly to their newest album is the sign of the band’s continued artistic vibrance.
Highlights of the evening were the album standout “Half Believing,” which showcases leader singer Alex Maas at his most passionate moments; guitarist Christian Bland switched up instruments and crossed the stage to accompany mellotron. “Life Song,” written by Jake Garcia, the newest member of the group ended the band’s main set with particularly dark and dream-like impressions accented by singer Alex Maas’ haunting calls
On their fourth performance at the Commodore Ballroom, the Black Angels unleashed a dark, refreshing set with the appropriate mind-melting accompany by the Bob Mustachio light show. After helping to deliver the Levitation Vancouver to the city in 2015-16, it was fitting that the Black Angels were treated to such a warm reception. After he band crashed through the genre-defining neo psychedelic classic “Young Men Dead” to the sight of twisted black and white geometric patterned projections, the Black Angels bid a friendly goodbye to a happy, buzzing and hypnotized audience. The Black Angels’ Death March is a real trip.