In the Dark With
BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB
Live at Observatory | Santa Ana
October 12, 2025 Review by Shane Pase
As I walked into The Observatory Friday night, I could feel the anticipation in the air. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club was kicking off their Howl 20th Anniversary Tour, and the packed crowd was ready for something special.
What they got was an incredible evening of atmospheric rock—even if half the time you couldn’t actually see it happening.
From the moment Peter Hayes stepped on stage with just an acoustic guitar, BRMC made it clear this wasn’t going to be your typical rock show.
The venue plunged into near-complete darkness as Hayes opened with “Devil’s Waitin’”—a song that longtime fans reported the band hadn’t played frequently in recent years. It was haunting, soulful, and according to my 21-year-old son – a music junkie (musician, historian, and radio DJ) – it was reminiscent of early Bob Dylan at his most raw and compelling.
But here’s the thing about BRMC’s lighting—or lack thereof. If you came expecting to actually see the band play with bright lights, you were out of luck. For most of the 22-song set, the stage remained shrouded in darkness with lighting that ranged from backlit dark reds and purples and a stage filled with smoke, to three large spot lights dimly lit and pointing directly at the crowd from behind the band, to single spotlights casting shadows on the floor and lower half of the backs of the band.
Yet somehow, it worked. The darkness wasn’t a bug; it was a feature. BRMC has always been about mood over spectacle, and the minimal lighting created this intimate, almost sacred atmosphere that perfectly matched their brooding sound. We weren’t watching a concert so much as experiencing one.
The setlist was a gift to longtime fans, packed with rarities that hadn’t been played frequently in some time. According to the excited chatter from diehard fans around me, songs like “Howl,” “Restless Sinner,” and several others were rare treats that the band doesn’t break out very often. The crowd erupted in genuine excitement as they recognized these deep cuts.
Musically, the band was absolutely on fire. Leah Shapiro’s drumming drove everything forward with precision and power, while the interplay between Hayes’ guitar work and Robert Been’s bass created those signature walls of sound that BRMC does better than almost anyone. The multiple guitar effects and layers of reverb filled every corner of the venue, creating an immersive sonic experience that justified the band’s reputation as one of rock’s most compelling live acts.
The highlight came midway through the set when they launched into “Red Eyes and Tears.” The crowd absolutely lost it—this was clearly what many had been waiting for. The song hit with the force of a freight train, Hayes and Been trading vocals while Shapiro pounded out a rhythm that seemed to shake the building’s foundation.
In a rare moment of levity, Been took to the mic after the song, laughing as he gave Hayes grief for flubbing something in the performance. “Man, we’ve been playing that song for almost 25 years and now you decide to fuck it up,” he said, drawing laughs from the crowd. Hayes, true to form, offered no visible reaction, maintaining that stoic presence that’s become part of BRMC’s mystique.
The band barely spoke to the audience beyond that one moment, letting the music do all the talking – perfectly in character for a group that’s always prioritized atmosphere over crowd work. They’re not here to be your friends; they’re here to create an experience.
And what an experience it was. Songs like “Whatever Happened to My Rock ‘n’ Roll” and “Beat the Devil’s Tattoo” reminded everyone why BRMC became essential listening in the early 2000s garage rock revival. These aren’t just songs—they’re statements of purpose from a band that’s never compromised their vision.
The night closed with “Shadow’s Keeper” and “Open Invitation,” sending the crowd home satisfied but somehow wanting more. That’s the BRMC effect—they give you everything and nothing at the same time, leaving you to fill in the blanks with your own imagination.
Sure, it might have been one of the most visually challenging concerts to photograph in recent memory. And yes, if you wanted to actually see the musicians play their instruments, you probably should have stayed home with headphones. But that misses the point entirely. BRMC isn’t about what you see—it’s about what you feel. And on this night in Santa Ana, what you felt was the power of a band completely in command of their craft, uncompromising in their vision, and utterly committed to creating something transcendent in the darkness.
For the uninitiated, this might have been a puzzling introduction to BRMC’s world. But for the faithful, it was a reminder of why they fell in love with this band in the first place. Sometimes the best rock and roll happens in the shadows, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club proved once again that they’re masters of that dark art.
SHOW PHOTO GALLERY
by Shane Pase Photography
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SID 251010 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
