Concert Reviews

Eagles of Death Metal Concert Review and Photos

by Brooks Robinson

Updated September 07, 2026

Eagles of Death Metal – The Bellwether – Los Angeles – September 3, 2026

The stage was still dark when “Time Warp” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show started blaring out of the PA speakers. Frontman Jesse Hughes sashayed out of the shadows wearing a cape that read “Boots Electric” and a shirt that referenced fellow EODM member Josh Homme that said “JOSHUA HOMME MADE ME VIOLENTLY GAY”, while dancing in perfect step as instructed by the song’s lyrics “It's just a jump to the left - and then a step to the right” – the perfect beginning to one of the most entertaining shows in all of rock & roll – it’s simply impossible not to have a good time.

Eagles of Death Metal

Thursday night was the Palm Desert behemoth’s last stop on the Death by Sexy our and EODM made the most of it. Jesse’s mom was in attendance, and celebrating her birthday. The crowd sang happy birthday to her, followed immediately by Jesse stating, “Plug your ears momma – I feel like shaking my dick and having a good time – can you dig it!” Many of the night’s best moments were punctuated by Jesse saying “motherfucker”, followed by an immediate apology to his mom, followed by him saying “I know you’re counting…I’m willing to take my punishment!”

On the musical front, EODM cook – great musicians playing great music with unmatched swagger, led by the one-of-a-kind Father Badass himself, Jesse Hughes. You never know exactly what might happen at a show, but you can always count on it being memorable. On this night, all 13 songs from 2006’s Death by Sexy album started the show and were played in order, before kicking off in other directions including the penultimate song, a cover of David Bowie’s “Heros”.

From a performance standpoint, there’s nobody else quite like the Eagles of Death Metal. Mid-way through the set, Jesse orchestrated and led a conga line that weaved through the crowd, while the band played on from the stage. Jesse then took advantage of his new-found freedom and ascended the stairs to the balcony, where he hung his guitar over the edge and played to the enthusiastic crowd below. Anything can happen and frequently does with the Eagles of Death Metal, and those moments coupled with their amazing music made for a night in which all 1600 in attendance had the time of their lives.

Eagles of Death Metal are:

Jesse Hughes – Vocals/Guitar
Leah Bluestein – Drums
Scott Shiflett -Guitar
Dustin Douglas – Bass
Phoenix Hughes – Vocals

Setlist:

1) I Want You So Hard (Boy’s Bad News)

2) I Got a Feelin (Just Nineteen)

3) Cherry Cola

4) I Like to Move in Night

5) Solid Gold

6) Don’t Speak (I Came to Make a Bang)

7) Keep Your Head Up

8) The Ballad of Queen B and Baby Duck

9) Poor Doggie

10) Chase the Devil

11) Eagles Goth

12) Shasta Beast

13) Bago O’ Miracles

14) I Only Want You

15) Miss Alissa

16) Complexity/Wannabe in LA/Secret Plans

17) Heros

18) Speaking in Tongues

Paradise Vultures

Paradise Vultures is a mere two-piece, but the sound emanating from the stage was so massive that it’s hard to imagine how that’s possible. Bass, drums, and nothing else – how could that be?

They describe themselves as “a dirty, doomy desert disco duo from Los Angeles, CA”, and that is hard to refute. What is also true is they are a lot of fun to watch. Tommy Senter on bass and vocals would frequently leave his stage right position and wander mid-song over to left. From there, he would interact with the crowd, before looping back behind drummer Matt Barreca and pausing at a close distance – sometimes interacting by kissing his head or worse. After a few beats, he would wander back to his microphone, turning once or twice to flip-off Matt during his journey. If the placement of his drumsticks allowed, Matt would return the gesture – this happened multiple times in their too-short 30 minute set.

Jokes aside, these guys are the real deal on stage, and were a ton of fun to watch while making amazingly huge music. Their sophomore album Born to Lose drops in November, and if this show was any indication, it will be well worth listening to.

Paradise Vultures are:

Tommy Senter – Vocals/Bass
Matt Barreca – Drums

Brooks Robinson Photographer & Writer

Brooks Robinson is an LA-based concert photographer, and 30+ year freelance camera operator for film, television, and music videos. He has photographed some of the largest film/TV projects in history, and hundreds of music videos in MTV's heyday.

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