Since their debut album, B.R.M.C., in 2001, San Francisco-based rock band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club have garnered a steady following of fans. Though their name brings to mind a band that might have more heavy metal leanings, the trio actually has a foot solidly in the rock and roll world, releasing albums that range from psych-rock to shoegaze. Currently in support of their eighth studio album, Wrong Creatures, BRMC played a mostly rock-filled set for the first show of the year at Austin’s iconic concert venue, Stubb’s, on Friday, January 19.
The set began heavily stacked with new material from Wrong Creatures including the psychedelic “Spook”, the solid rocker “Little Thing Gone Wild”, and the funky “King of Bones”. Before long the trio began to play crowd favorites from past releases, like “Beat the Devil’s Tattoo,” “Berlin,” and “Stop,” all of which found many in the crowd singing along. However, about midway through, the set hit a bit of a slump when BRMC decided to group together “Haunt”, “Questions of Faith” and “Echo”, the slowest songs from their new album. Thankfully, it was broken up by playing the excellent “White Palms” from their 2001 debut. After a fairly uninspired acoustic cover of Ewan MacColl’s “Dirty Old Town”, the show kicked back into gear with a series of older material. The high energy “In Like the Rose” and “Six Barrel Shotgun” from 2003’s Take Them On, On Your Own were mixed in with other older tunes like “Awake” and “Shuffle Your Feet”. After closing the set with their breakthrough single, “Spread Your Love”, the band returned to stage with a cover of “Let The Day Begin” by 80’s rockers The Call. The meandering “Ninth Configuration” from Wrong Creatures began softly but crescendoed into a high-energy close, which was a perfect transition into the fast paced “Whatever Happened to My Rock ‘n’ Roll (Punk Song)”.
Though the show had its share of inconsistencies, as a whole it showcased a band that isn’t afraid to play what they want in an era where the casual concert-goer just wants to hear the “hits”. Most of the set was kept in the high-energy fashion that fans expect from BRMC, and though the weather was definitely a deterrent for some, those that stayed for the whole two-hour set left satisfied with a solid performance and some real bangers to close it out.
