On a stormy night in Baltimore, MD, Ghost kicked off the US leg of their Skeletour with a mesmerizing ritual at the CFG Bank Arena.
The sweltering evening started off with a bang – literally, a summer thunderstorm descended upon Baltimore mere moments before the doors were set to open. But that didn’t stop faithful concert goers from seeing Ghost for the first ritual of their Skeletour. Even with thunder crashing around and buckets of rain falling from the sky, nothing was going to stop the devoted from attending.
With it being the first stop of the US leg of the tour, no one knew exactly what to expect. And with the no phone policy firmly in place, no one could even get an idea of what other shows had been like. But there was something refreshing about having that blank slate of what to expect – it made the entire experience a surprise, allowing concert goers to be fully immersed and able to give their genuine reactions.
The ritual began with a slow build, but one that worked to build the anticipation of the audience. A torn and tattered curtain hung before the audience, blocking the view of the stage. The show began with the opening riffs of “Peacefield,” with the only thing people could see being side monitors to show Papa V Perpetua singing, as well as the plumes of smoke that filled the stage, almost like incense within a church. Once it got to a certain point in the song, the curtain dropped, revealing the stage. It was a simple enough setup for the first part of the ritual, the Grucifix light fixture hanging over the stage to help illuminate Papa and the ghouls. Once the curtain dropped, the crowd rejoiced, thrilled to finally lay eyes on the new Papa for the first time in the US. Ghost changed the setup after several songs, unveiling the cathedral-esque background they’ve become known for when touring.
Ghost was intentional with the setlist, starting things off with new songs like “Peacefield” and “Lachryma,” but then following those up with older songs like “Spirit” and “Per Aspera Ad Inferi.” The setlist incorporated quite the range across their entire discography. Old favorites, like “Cirice,” “Year Zero,” “Rats,” and “Mummy Dust,” were intertwined with newer ones, like “The Future is a Foreign Land,” “Satanized,” and “Umbra.”
The ritual concluded with Ghost’s most popular songs, “Mary On a Cross,” “Dance Macabre,” and “Square Hammer.” Even after an impressive 22-song setlist, the energy from the crowd never dwindled. When the final lyric was sung and the final note was played, Ghost left the same way they arrived: surrounded by the roar of the crowd, those faithful to the ritual.
The US leg of the Skeletour will conclude on August 16 in Houston, TX, before three performances in Mexico City, Mexico take place September 24-26.
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