Down returned to the stage for the first time in two years last night (June 20th), with the crow-stoning icons kicking off their pair of homestate pop-up shows at Jefferson, Louisiana's Southport Music Hall.
As previously reported, the show had originally been scheduled to take place at Mescalero, New Mexico's Inn of The Mountain Gods Resort and Casino, but was moved due to wildfires going on in the area. Instead, Down played Southport Music Hall as a benefit, confirming that five dollars of every ticket sale will go towards the Mescalero Apache Nation - South Fork Fire relief fund.
As for the set, the band kicked off with acid-swung II opener "Lysergik Funeral Procession," but primarily spliffed through heavy favorites from 1995 debut NOLA, like "Stone the Crow," "Lifer," "Hail the Leaf," and a closing "Bury Me in Smoke."
The set reunited Pantera's Philip Anselmo, Corrosion of Conformity's Pepper Keenan, Eyehategod's Jimmy Bower and bassist Pat Bruders. Founding Down guitarist, and Crowbar lifer, Kirk Windstein is temporarily sidelined from the band, but had his riffs filled by friend and onetime Down member Bobby Landgraf.
Ahead of tonight's pop-up performance at Baton Rouge's Varsity Theater, you can relive a bit of Down's smoked-out stoniness via a mix of official and fan-shot live clips down below.
Down setlist 6/20/24:
Lysergik Funeral Procession
Hail the Leaf
Lifer
The Seed
Ghosts Along the Mississippi
Rehab
Losing All
New Orleans Is a Dying Whore
Pillars of Eternity
Swan Song
Eyes of the South
Stone the Crow
Bury Me in Smoke
