Baroness Had Thanksgiving Dinner at Perkins

Inside the welcomingly warm Triple Rock Social Club on a chilly, late-November evening in Minneapolis, Baroness frontman John Baizley evoked his band's gratitude to those in attendance at the end of the evening for the ever-increasing turnouts -- and high praise -- for the band's first tour to support its second full-length, 'Blue Record.'

"We've done a lot by ourselves; for four or five years we booked our own shows, drove and fixed our van, loaded all our gear and all that," Baizley told Noisecreep, before repeatedly thanking fans in attendance prior to Baroness' final two songs of the night. "If you haven't gotten your hands dirty, then you don't know what the lifestyle is and you might take so much in the day for granted. We've been in a van for eight years, but to respect the crews at the venues you have to know what that's like. I mean, those guys are there eight hours before we get to the venue and they're there for two hours after we leave for the next city."

How appropriate to be so thankful while a week in on the road, the day after much of America celebrated Thanksgiving in their own homes surrounded by friends and family. "Thanksgiving is definitely a big thing for us," Baizley told Noisecreep about being on the road during the holidays. "And I have a family back home too, so to not disrespect the sacrifice they've made to have us out on the road promoting our music, we have to be thankful. ... And we had a 'proper' Thanksgiving dinner at 9:30 at Perkin's [after pulling into Eau Claire, Wis., Thanksgiving evening]."

Currently on the road with Earthless and Iron Age (US Christmas provided support for the first 11 dates), Baroness is headlining a U.S. tour supporting the band's second full-length, 'Blue Record,' which saw an Oct. 13 release through Relapse. Next year is already shaping up for a busy one, too. Baizley told Noisecreep plans for another 2010 U.S./Canadian tour are already in the formative stages, including some likely appearances at American festivals, both metal and non-metalcentric.

"Who thought three or four years ago Coachella would even be an option?" Baizley elaborated to Noisecreep about the band's 2010 plans. "Or to be on tour with Faith No More and Jane's Addiction? That's ridiculous!" Baroness will play alongside those two venerable bands in Australia in late February, and follow that up with a trip to Japan with Isis in the spring.