The intimate, subterranean confines of Washington, DC’s Union Stage played host to night of heavy music Sunday, as Baroness made a stop on the band’s current tour. Ruby the Hatchet and Filth is Eternal played supporting roles for a handful of dates and rounded out the night of heavy music in DC.
Filth is Eternal kicked off the night, treating the still-assembling crowd to a quick, 30-minute set jammed with hardcore punk sounds. The Seattle-based band, led by dynamic vocalist Lis D’Angelo, hosted, as the band puts it, “their own brand of communal” exorcism at Union Stage. Unlike many hardcore bands who kick their way angrily through sets, Filth is Eternal brought a sense of joy and community to the stage. The band’s latest album is Find Out, released in 2023.
I was excited to see Ruby The Hatchet on the bill—I hadn’t seen them since they supported German doom metal band Kadavar at Baltimore’s Metro Gallery right before the COVID pandemic started in 2019. I enjoyed them then and was sure they’d be great at Union Stage. I was right.
The psych rock quintet, led by siren Jillian Taylor, has been around for over a dozen years. Emerging from New Jersey basements, Ruby the Hatchet (Taylor, Johnny Scarps, Lake Muir, Owen Stewart, and Sean Hur), relocated to Philadelphia and released their first EP in 2011. The band’s latest album is Fear is a Cruel Master, released in 2022. At Union Stage, the crowd got hit with RtH’s guitar- and organ-driven, 1970s influenced sounds. Coupled with Taylor’s charisma and smooth vocals, the result is sweet rock and roll honey. The entire set was fabulous, but I loved the cover of Quarterflash’s 1981 classic, “Harden My Heart.”
It was 10PM when Baroness took the stage, and the Savannah, GA doom metal band was enthusiastically welcomed by the rabid fans who came out on a Sunday night. Baroness originally formed in 2003, and the band’s lineup has changed numerous times over the years. The current lineup is John Baizley, Gina Gleason, Nick Jost, and Sebastian Thomson with Baizley the only remaining original member. Baroness’ sixth and latest album is Stone, released last year. It has been praised for reflecting the band’s willingness to experiment.
For ninety minutes Baroness delivered the goods to the fans in attendance. The set at Union Stage featured songs evenly selected throughout the band’s discography and included in the leadoff spot the sweltering “Last Word,” which put guitarist Gleason’s abilities on full display. Baroness puts on a non-stop, no frills rock show, which, judging by the crowd’s reaction at Union Stage, is exactly what their fans want.
Baroness wraps up the US leg of this tour on June 30 in Stroudsburg, PA. In July the band heads over to Europe, beginning an extensive tour of festivals and headlining gigs that extend into November.
FILTH IS ETERNAL
RUBY THE HATCHET
BARONESS SETLIST
Last Word
Under the Wheel
A Horse Called Golgotha
March to the Sea
Green Theme
Beneath the Rose
Chlorine & Wine
If I Have to Wake Up (Would You Stop the Rain?)/Fugue
Shock Me
The Sweetest Curse
Seasons
The Gnashing
Isak
Take My Bones Away
