LIVE: THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE – Nashville, TN, USA – September 5, 2025

Venue: Basement East

Date: September 5, 2025

Review and Photographs by: Jacob Smith (https://www.jhs-photo.com)

The crowd was very excited for the show this evening. The room was filled to the brim with fans of all ages, of one of the best and sometimes chaotic acts to hit the stage. Known for their onstage shenanigans over the past 20+ years. You never know what to expect from The Brian Jonestown Massacre once the show begins. This evening was exceptionally chill, and they put on one of the best live performances I have ever seen. Having been a fan since the late 90’s, but never fortunate enough to catch a live performance, this was a highly anticipated show for me to cover. Everyone in the band seemed to be in high spirits, and Anton Newcombe seemed in the best of moods for the evening.

They started the night off with a more recent number called “Maybe Make It Right” followed up with one of my favorite songs by them, “Vacuum Boots.” Throughout the course of the evening, they played selections from the majority of their vast catalog of music, leaving everyone fully satisfied with the evening. The lighting was exceptionally moody and fit the vibe of the band. They sounded even better in person than on their albums, which left me blown away. There were several people who had no clue who they were and were just randomly at the show to catch music. When I chatted with them near the end of the evening, they were, every single one of them, instant BJM fans. As a side note as well, when I went to pick up a tour poster from merch, I was blown away by the pricing. Normally anymore shows you pay upwards of $50 for a shirt or poster. I was able to pick up several items for the same price. That’s really showing appreciation to the fanbase. Overall, this was pretty much a bucket-list gig for me; since they rarely, if ever, swing through Nashville until recent years. If anyone is even remotely curious about Brian Jonestown Massacre and cares to just go to an amazing evening of neo-psychedelic brilliance. You absolutely need to snag a ticket and catch them live.

Setlist: Whoever You Are – Vacuum Boots – Do Rainbows Have Ends – #1 Lucky Kitty – Fudge – Days, Weeks and Moths – That Girl Suicide – Don’t Let Me Get in Your Way – When Jokers Attack – Sailor – Anemone – Nevertheless – Pish – Whatever Hippie Bitch – Servo – Wait a Minute (2:30 to Be Exact) – Forgotten Graves – Super-Sonic

[Show as slideshow]

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Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries