Oct 4

Oct 4 Show Review: Black Label Society Bring Epic, Sold-Out Rock Show to Sacramento

Black Label Society
w/ Obituary, Prong
Ace of Spades
Sacramento, CA
October 1st, 2021

Photos and review by Jared Stossel

On March 1st, 2020, I ended up photographing Black Label Society’s show at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco. It was the first time I had ever seen them. Towards the end of the show, I made my way up towards the balcony to watch the last few songs. A few moments later, Zakk Wylde appeared next to me, playing a dueling guitar battle with rhythm guitarist Dario Lorina on the adjacent balcony. It was a great night. It was also one of the last shows I would attend before the world shut down for eighteen months.

It was surreal to be back in a sold out venue watching the same band I had seen eighteen months before, not losing their step for even a moment. While Wylde didn’t make his way out into the crowd as he did on that night in San Francisco (times are different now, friends), he brought that same energy to a sold-out crowd at Sacramento’s Ace of Spades on Friday night. The show began around 7:30 with a fierce opening set from Prong, and a blistering support set from Obituary (who also opened for the band back in March of 2020).

The setlist was similar to sets performed on the previous Black Label Society dates prior to the pandemic, which does make sense; it’s the band picking up right where they left off. A few songs were moved around (for example, “Suicide Messiah” being placed towards the end of the show rather than the beginning), but the same energy, passion, and flair for showmanship present in a Black Label Society show remained. It’s truly amazing to watch these musicians perform, Wylde in particular. Even during slower, ballad-driven moments of the show, you’re not inclined to turn away; you want to see where it’s going to take you.

That aforementioned guitar duel did still happen, albeit it was on the stage rather than up in the balcony section of the packed Ace of Spades. Ending in a “draw”, the band went full force into “Stillborn”, closing out the show close to the 11:30 PM mark. But for Black Label Society fans, this was still too early. That crowd could have easily gone all night. Beating his chest and hoisting his guitar over his head, Zakk Wylde looked out at the crowd with a gigantic smile. I’m sure that an encore would have been great, but BLS clearly ended the night on a high note.

Black Label Society Set List
Bleed For Me
Demise of Sanity
Overlord
Heart of Darkness
A Love Unreal
The Blessed Hellride
Spoke In The Wheel
In This River
Trampled Down Below
Destruction Overdrive
Set You Free
Fire It Up
Suicide Messiah
Stillborn