Black Rebel Motorcycle Club returns with a ‘Howl’

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, which hasn’t released a new album in over seven years and has played live only sporadically for the past few years, at last returned to the stage for a headlining tour to mark the 20-year anniversary of their third LP, Howl.

BRMC played the album in full, followed by some of their hardest rock songs, lighting up a crowd packed “like sardines” into the Summit Music Hall in Denver on Sept. 28. Although Howl has been described as an “acoustic gospel album,” its roots are more in folk music. 

Indeed, BRMC took the stage as the labor union folk song “Which Side Are You On?” played. Then they launched into the gospel-tinged “Devil’s Waitin’” before playing the rest of the LP’s tracks mostly in order, including the stand-out singles “Shuffle Your Feet,” “Ain’t No Easy Way” and “Weight Of The World.”

Been (top) and Hayes, with trombone.
All photos by Christopher Windle

The band, singers and multi-instrumentalists Robert Levon Been and Peter Hayes and drummer Leah Shapiro, impressed at every turn. That included stints at a seemingly taped-together upright piano by Been and the trombone by Hayes. They didn’t miss a beat until Been flubbed the opening lines to “The Line,” after which the apologetic singer restarted the song and sang it to perfection along with Hayes.

Howl straddles the line between folk, blues and old-time country, with some gospel for good measure. The angelic voices of Been and Hayes keep the music from sounding like that “twangy cowboy shit” that Been recently said he hates “so much,” according to Spin magazine. Been’s songs definitely sounded the least like country music in the setlist, including “Weight Of The World” and the gentle “Promise.”

Hayes had the stage to himself for a few songs, including “Complicated Situation” and “Fault Line.” The rest of the band returned to close out the Howl tracks strong with “Sympathetic Noose,” “Gospel Song” and “The Line.”

Then they truly went electric, storming through some of their biggest songs, including “Beat The Devil's Tattoo,” “Whatever Happened To My Rock ‘n’ Roll (Punk Song)” and “Spread Your Love.” Been teetered at the edge of the stage, at times holding his bass guitar like a shotgun. Hayes, his face obscured by a mop of gray curls, was a whirlwind on guitar, and Shapiro pounded the drums, attuned to every move by her bandmates.

BRMC closed out the concert with the highlight of the evening, a roaring, extended jam of “Shadow’s Keeper,” then circled back to Howl, winding down the anniversary show with “Open Invitation,” the LP’s “hidden” closing track.

One hopes that BRMC gets to a point at which they want to record a new album together again. But in the meantime, a tour revisiting one of their best LPs is just as welcome.