Mastodon Play Secret Show With Baroness' John Baizley

Mastodon fans in Atlanta got a very special treat this past Friday (Sept. 11), as the band played a secret warmup show ahead of their Sept. 16 Poisonous Weapons Tour kickoff. Beyond performing several rarities and live debuts of songs from this year’s Marrow Deep, they also were joined by Baroness frontman John Baizley (who’ll actually be joining Mastodon on the tour)!

What Did Mastodon Play?

The show took place at The Earl, and according to Stereogum, Mastodon were initially billed as Big Hairy Elephant (a name they used when they similarly “played an intimate hometown warmup” show back in 2024). Also, The PRP reports that the venue has a “300 [person] cap.”

Per Setlist.fm, Mastodon appropriately began by playing Marrow Deep opener “Barbarians Blood” for the first time live, and they eventually debuted third single “In the Ruins” and “Poisonous Weapons” as well. They brought out “Your Ghost Again” from the new record, too, plus older classics such as “Crystal Skull” from 2006’s Blood Mountain; “Megalodon” from 2004’s Leviathan; and “Black Tongue” from 2011’s The Hunter.

Following “Poisonous Weapons,” Baizley joined Mastodon not for one or two songs, but for all six of their closing tracks! Amongst them were three concert rarities – “Curl of the Burl,” “Colony of Birchmen” and “Oblivion” – which the band hadn’t played since 2013, 2018 and 2019, respectively. They also did “The Czar” and “Sultan’s Curse” before ending the night with perhaps their most beloved tune: “Blood and Thunder.”

Of course, this wasn’t the first time Baizley joined Mastodon on stage, as he previously filled in for rhythm guitarist Bill Kelliher in 2010 (while Kelliher was recovering from an illness).

Check out Mastodon’s full setlist from their Sept. 11 show at Atlanta’s The Earl (per Setlist.fm) below! You can also watch fan-shot performances of multiple songs (from YouTubers Matt Landrum, Rusty Russ, Slim Dizzle and Mastodude, as well as Instagram accounts @aperfectmonster, @videorahim and @haunted_empire).

Mastodon Setlist (Sept. 11, 2026 - Atlanta's The Earl)

1. "Barbarians Blood" (Live debut)
2. "March of the Fire Ants"
3. "Crystal Skull"
4. "Black Tongue”
5. "Megalodon"
6. "In the Ruins" (Live debut)
7. "Your Ghost Again”
8. "Poisonous Weapons” (Live debut)
9. "Curl of the Burl” (with John Baizley) (first time since 2013)
10. "Oblivion” (with John Baizley) (first time since 2019)
11. "The Czar” (with John Baizley)
12. "Sultan’s Curse" (with John Baizley)
13. "Colony of Birchmen" (with John Baizley) (first time since 2018)
14. "Blood and Thunder" (with John Baizley)

Mastodon (With John Baizley), “Curl of the Burl” (Atlanta 2026)

Mastodon (With John Baizley), “Colony of Birchmen” (Atlanta 2026)

Mastodon, “Barbarians Blood” (Atlanta 2026)

Mastodon (With John Baizley), “Oblivion” (Atlanta 2026)

Mastodon (With John Baizley), “The Czar” (Atlanta 2026)

Mastodon, “In the Ruins” (Atlanta 2026)

Mastodon (With John Baizley), “Blood and Thunder” (Atlanta 2026)

Mastodon, “Crystal Skull” (Atlanta 2026)

Baizley Is Joining Mastodon on Tour?!

Thankfully, Baizley teaming up with Mastodon this past Friday wasn’t a one-and-done deal, as Mastodon announced (via Instagram and Facebook) that he’ll be joining them on the road!

Specifically, they wrote:

We had a blast at the Earl last night! A great pre-tour warm up before we break out the lasers and LED screens. Our good pal, John Baizley from @yourbaroness joined us, we had so much fun, we’ve invited him join us on stage during The Poisonous Weapons Tour to play a special set of Mastodon songs we haven’t played in a long time! We’re really excited to bring this special set on the tour. It’s going to epic! Who’s ready to party?

Obviously, more specific details – namely, which songs they’ll be playing and if Baizley will be there for every show – haven’t been given.

Understandably, though, fans seems to be quite happy with the news.

For instance, one Instagram user replied to Mastodon’s post: “Is it cool with everyone else if John is both in Baroness and Mastodon from now on ? Thanks.” Likewise, someone on Facebook shared: “Had a feeling that might happen after seeing him with y’all the other night. Was just too great for one show!”

Other Mastodon News?

As mentioned above, Mastodon’s Poisonous Weapons Tour – which’ll feature Deafheaven, Alcest and now Baizley – will start on Sept. 16 in Orlando, Fla. It’ll then run through multiple cities in Canada and the United States before wrapping up on Oct. 24 in Dallas, Texas. You can see all of the band’s upcoming dates (and grab tickets) here.

As Loudwire reported on Sept. 11, the estate of late guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds is suing Mastodon for (as we put it) “monies they believe are owed as part of the late guitarist's stake in the band and for using his likeness in promotion of their latest album, Marrow Deep.”

“A civil complaint was filed by the Hinds estate against the band's members on behalf of the late musician on Sept. 3 in Fulton County Court in Georgia and it largely centers on the two aforementioned items of contention,” Loudwire added, continuing:

According to 'The Atlanta Journal Constitution,' the suit claims that while the band had made overtures to buy Hinds out of his share in their band-related businesses, the guitarist had not yet signed the paperwork at the time of his death and therefore still retains his stake in those companies.
It's stated within the suit that the band wrote a check for $80,000 to buy out the guitarist from his interests. But there was allegedly no accounting for how the band arrived at that number. As a result, the Hinds estate did not follow through on cashing the check following the guitarist's death until a full accounting could be done to see exactly what Hinds shares in the company would have been.
The other item of contention is a claim by the Hinds' estate that the guitarist's image was used in promoting the Marrow Deep album despite his not appearing on the record and without his permission. Mastodon's members have been up front in promoting the album about the impact that Hinds' death had on the new record and the album's first single, "Your Ghost Again," was meant as a tribute to Hinds.

The same day, Loudwire also reported on Mastodon’s official statement in response to the lawsuit (which they issued on social media).

Mastodon wrote:

Sadly, a private business dispute with the estate of our dear departed friend Brent Hinds was made public. We strongly deny allegations of ill intent on our part and intend to vigorously defend what we believe is a meritless lawsuit. We don’t intend to speak publicly on this going forward, as we feel this wouldn’t honor Brent’s memory or the legacy of his musical gifts.

In case you missed it, be sure to read our September 2026 cover story on Mastodon (during which the group go into detail regarding their history with Hinds, recording Marrow Deep and much more)!

So, what do you think of Mastodon and Baizley’s collaborations at The Earl? Are you planning to see them on tour? Let us know!

Also, be sure to check out our list of 31 rock and metal albums turning 20 in 2026 below!