Psychedelia and Mysticism: The Brian Jonestown Massacre in San Diego

This past Sunday night, The Brian Jonestown Massacre graced San Diego with their presence at the House of Blues, before an eager audience ready to profess their love for Anton Newcombe, the leader and vocalist of the psychedelic rock band founded in 1990. True to his style, he responded with a "shhhh" and banter between songs.

With two new albums in hand, TBJM seamlessly blended fresh tracks with those familiar to the audience. They kicked off the night with "#1 LUCKY KITTY" and "The Real," both from the album "Fire Doesn't Grow on Trees" (2022), and "Fudge," a track from "The Future Is Your Past" (2023). Seasoned performers accustomed to Anton's temperament, TBJM delivered the show that had brought them back to San Diego since 2022.

The acid sound and disillusioned attitude characteristic of TBJM dominated the atmosphere and the audience, which consisted of a mix of younger generations and middle-aged fans who remembered Anton's rise and fall as a 90s promise. True to his personality, Anton called out drummer Uri Rennet for a mistake after a song, engaging in a verbal exchange with other band members, a scene reminiscent of the documentary they starred in back in 2004, "Dig!".

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In the night's setlist, as they have done for years, TBJM included classics like "Pish" and "Anemone," which are considered cult anthems. With 21 studio albums and 30 years of career under their belt, TBJM has an abundance of songs to perform, and with two new productions, Anton Newcombe's flame continues to lead the path that once revived the essence of psychedelic rock.

To set the stage for psychedelia, The Asteroid #4, another veteran from the 90s, opened the show.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre continues their tour across the United States and will hop across the ocean to Australia, where they will conclude their tour on November 24th. This tour began on January 28th in England.