FOR THE LOVE OF METAL
Have I already mentioned that the Danforth Music Hall provides a far superior sonic experience to the Opera House? I’ve seen Neurosis at the latter venue a couple times now, but this show blew those other two away.
Once again I find myself in Helsinki to attend the Tuska Open Air Festival, which has become a staple in my yearly concert plans….
At this point, I’ve probably seen Weedeater more times than Dixie’s got toes, but they keep me coming back for more.
I first caught Conan last year on their Revengeance tour, and in terms of sheer volume, they are one of the loudest bar bands I’ve ever seen.
Both Satan’s Satyrs and Windhand hail from Virginia, and would certainly appeal to a doom-minded audience, but there are very few sonic similarities between them.
Aside from the bands, the most memorable thing about the Silver Dollar was that it used to serve four-dollar pints of Buzz Beer…although this is no longer the case. But when it comes to bands, the act that I most associate with this venue is Blood Ceremony.
It’s been a little while since I’ve flown halfway across the continent for a one-off, non-festival gig, but when I saw the lineup for this one, I knew I had to be there.
Fast-forward a couple years, and they’re playing a proper venue with proper touring support in support of a somewhat low-key record. But I’ll be damned if that wasn’t the biggest crowd I’ve even seen at the Hard Luck, dude!
This shindig was billed Farewell to Accept, and it was a proper farewell tour–with a 90-minute set and a four-song encore that covered all the classics from I’m a Rebel to Russian Roulette.
Though I seem to have seen fewer concerts this year, what 2016 lacked in concert quantity, it more than made up for in quality. In any given year, any of this year’s Top Six could have easily been Number One, but when it comes to the overall best live concert experience, the winner was undisputed.