Black Rebel Motorcycle Club recently returned to 9:30 Club with the swagger of a band that has been perfecting its nocturnal blues for more than two decades. The San Francisco trio — Peter Hayes, Robert Levon Been, and Leah Shapiro — commanded the darkened stage with their signature mix of fuzz-drenched riffs, throbbing bass, and hypnotic rhythms.
Nalinee Darmrong was there to photograph the show for this Snapshots photo essay.
ChatGPT produced this overview to accompany original photographs by Nalinee Darmrong.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club stormed into 9:30 Club on Oct. 12 with steely purpose, delivering a night of grit and shadow that felt like a baptism in electric blues. They tore in with “Shuffle Your Feet,” immediately setting a throbbing pace, before plunging into “Howl” and “Devil’s Waitin’” — the latter a furious, fuzzed-up rumble that reminded everyone why BRMC still live in that sweet spot between menace and melody.
The band leaned deep into their catalog: “Ain’t No Easy Way” and “Still Suspicion Holds You Tight” tugged at the darker corners, while “Fault Line” and “Weight of the World” offered expansive, emotionally charged space for Hayes and Been to trade vocal lines. “Promise” softened the edges briefly, its more contemplative tone allowing the audience to catch its breath before the storm returned.
Watch the official music video for “Weight of the World” by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club on YouTube:
Leah Shapiro’s drumming was a revelation all evening — muscular yet flexible, she drove “Mercy” and “Complicated Situation” with a jazzlike precision and punk’s urgency. The trio let loose, textures unraveling, layers of guitar and reverb bleeding into one another while the crowd leaned in. They closed with a lean, devastating “Open Invitation” — a bookend that felt less nostalgic and more declarative: BRMC here, still dangerous, still alive.
Visually, the show matched the weight of the sound. Deep reds and inky blues washed the stage; fog curled at footlights. Between numbers, silence stretched long, as if the band let the echoes speak. And speak they did.
Opening the night was Humanist, the project led by guitarist Rob Marshall (also known for his work with Mark Lanegan). The UK collective’s performance was a brooding, cinematic prelude to BRMC’s storm. Drenched in reverb and shadow, their sound fused post-punk melancholy with widescreen guitar heroics. Songs like “Best of the Nation” and “English Ghosts” unfolded like movie soundtracks for lost souls — elegant, heavy, and haunting.
Watch the official music video for “English Ghosts” by Humanist featuring John Robb on YouTube:
Marshall’s textured guitars filled the club, and the band’s intensity earned them more than polite applause; they won over a room eager for new dark hymns. By the time they finished, Humanist had proven themselves a perfect match for BRMC’s mood — equally atmospheric, equally relentless.
Here are some photos of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club performing live at 9:30 Club on Oct. 12, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Nalinee Darmrong.
Here are some photos of Humanist opening Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at 9:30 Club on Oct. 12, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Nalinee Darmrong.
