John Baizley guested with Mastodon at a club show in Atlanta on Friday. By Saturday night he had a job for the next six weeks.
The Baroness guitarist and singer will appear on stage with Mastodon at every date of “The Poisonous Weapons Tour“, which opens on Wednesday in Orlando, playing a segment built from songs the band has left alone for years.
“We had a blast at the Earl last night! A great pre-tour warm up before we break out the lasers and LED screens. Our good pal, John Baizley from Baroness joined us, we had so much fun, we’ve invited him join us on stage during ‘The Poisonous Weapons Tour‘ to play a special set of Mastodon songs we haven’t played in a long time! We’re really excited to bring this special set on the tour. It’s going to epic! Who’s ready to party?” the band said.
The Atlanta show on September 11 was billed under Big Hairy Elephant, the alias Mastodon use for unannounced hometown club dates. They did the same thing before their 2024 tour.
Baizley came out for the second half. According to those present, he played on:
- “Curl Of The Burl” — first performance since 2013
- “Oblivion” — first since 2019
- “The Czar”
- “Sultan’s Curse”
- “Colony Of Birchmen” — first since 2018
- “Blood And Thunder”
Earlier in the night the band gave first live performances to three songs from Marrow Deep: “Barbarians Blood“, “In The Ruins” and “Poisonous Weapons“.
There was a neat piece of timing in the rarities. “Colony Of Birchmen” comes from Blood Mountain, which turned 20 the following day.
Baizley is not a stranger to the role. He filled in on guitar for Bill Kelliher with Mastodon back in 2010. Both bands come out of Georgia, and the two have shared bills and members’ goodwill for close to two decades.
He joins a live lineup that has already grown. Alongside founding members Brann Dailor, Troy Sanders and Kelliher, Mastodon now tour with guitarist Nick Johnston and keyboard player João Nogueira.
The run covers 27 dates with Deafheaven and Alcest supporting throughout, opening September 16 in Orlando and finishing October 24 at Sick New World in Dallas. It is the band’s first full North American tour behind Marrow Deep, released on August 28 through Loma Vista Recordings.
The album is also at the centre of a civil suit filed this month by the estate of Brent Hinds, which the band has denied and said it does not intend to discuss further.
Tour Dates
- Sep 16 – Hard Rock, Orlando, FL
- Sep 18 – Asheville Yards, Asheville, NC
- Sep 19 – Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA
- Sep 20 – Louder Than Life, Louisville, KY
- Sep 22 – Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA
- Sep 23 – House of Blues, Boston, MA
- Sep 24 – Brooklyn Paramount, Brooklyn, NY
- Sep 25 – The Anthem, Washington, DC
- Sep 27 – MTELUS, Montreal, QC
- Sep 28 – Rebel, Toronto, ON
- Sep 29 – Buffalo Riverworks, Buffalo, NY
- Oct 1 – The Fillmore, Detroit, MI
- Oct 2 – The Riviera, Chicago, IL
- Oct 3 – Palace Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
- Oct 6 – The Complex, Salt Lake City, UT
- Oct 7 – Revolution, Boise, ID
- Oct 9 – The Fox, Oakland, CA
- Oct 10 – Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA
- Oct 11 – The Sound, San Diego, CA
- Oct 14 – Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, CO
- Oct 16 – Val Air Ballroom, Des Moines, IA
- Oct 17 – The Pageant, St. Louis, MO
- Oct 18 – Satellite Music Hall, Memphis, TN
- Oct 20 – Agora Theatre, Cleveland, OH
- Oct 21 – Piedmont Hall, Greensboro, NC
- Oct 22 – The Eastern, Atlanta, GA
- Oct 24 – Sick New World, Dallas, TX
