Photos/reviews of Nightwish shows in L.A.
- Thread starter Srontgorrth
- Start date
Thanks again everyone. Just so you all know, I do sell prints of my work, and if you're interested, feel free to send me a pm.
C.
OSA Webmistress
- Aug 11, 2007
- 2,573
- 1
- 38
^I might do that.
OK folks, I always give reviews of the shows I attend, and I know that it's been a week since these magical shows have taken place, but hopefully you'll excuse my lateness in writing any reviews, as things have been hectic ever since then. But now that I've safely returned in one piece, gotten the interview and pictures up on the site, I can now take the time to reflect on one of the most unforgettable weekends of my life. So grab a cold drink, prop up your feet, and settle in for a long read about OSA's weekend with Nightwish!!!
Part 1: January 19th
My morning began at 5 a.m., when my alarm clock rang. Most of my stuff was already packed, so I was ready to go by the time the taxi arrived at 8 a.m. to take me to the bus station to meet my bus to the L.A. County line at 9 a.m. As I was riding the bus to my first destination, I got a text from my sister, who was meeting me at the bus drop-off location. She wanted to know if there was any way I could meet Desi (NoDoubtaholic) at her place, as she wouldn't be able to drive me all the way to my aunt's house. Luckily they were nice enough to agree, and were also willing to take me to my aunt's house to drop off my stuff before the show so I was not lugging all my belongings like a pack mule the entire night!
So I got to Desi's brother's house at about 1 or 2 in the afternoon; they lived not too far away from the Key Club, so I thought it was very nice of them to drive me to where I was staying so I could drop off my luggage. We all seemed to get along right away, and our adventure seemed to consist of encountering a lot of elderly drivers! I never realized how many elderly folks were driving around Hollywood on a Thursday night; maybe it is Bingo Night? So we had great fun on our drive to Key Club, even if the traffic wasn't so great. We passed by where the in-store signing would be taking place the next day; looked like a very small place, and I had never noticed it before on my visits to Sunset Strip, so it is either a new place, or just so small that I never took notice of it before.
We finally arrived at Key Club, after what seemed hours of driving on Sunset Boulevard, shortly before dark. I went ahead and found a place in line while my companions went to find food, as they had not eaten all day, and I had been lucky enough to have a lunch break while waiting for my sister to pick me up. Shortly after they dropped me off, I made some friends in line by passing out some OSA cards, one of them a very nice couple from Houston who were spending the weekend in town. Needless to say, this "secret show" did not appear to be so secret anymore. Not too long after that, the Bruelands came out to say hello to me, which pretty much confirmed to me, if I had any doubts, that this "Rubber Band of Wolves" was indeed a Nightwish show. It is always great to see them; it was good to talk to them for a bit before they went back inside to listen to sound check.
The fans outside also got to hear a little of sound check; Taimi might still have the texts I sent her, but among some of the songs we could hear in sound check were "The Poet and the Pendulum" and "Storytime" (I also think I heard "I Want my Tears Back" as well). While I was waiting for the will call booth to open so I could get my ticket, I ended up meeting Sonadorita in line; she was very nice and cool to hang out with. By this point Desi and her group had reappeared, so it was a nice little OSA gathering in line for a while. As we all waited in line, we would see Ewo several times, as well as Troy once or twice. The way some people went crazy after seeing Ewo, you'd think he was in the band! He's a regular rock star in his own right! Some people who approached him mentioned that they flew from Chile for this show. I was very impressed by all the "out-of-towners" who were at the shows; I felt like I was the only "local" person, having only traveled 2 hours to get here.
So once the will call opens up, I get my ticket and split up with 2 people from Desi's group while Desi and her friend go to the floor to get as close to the stage as possible. The rest of us went in the elevator, and had a scary moment when the elevator got stuck and didn't seem to go anywhere (well, if I had to be stuck in an elevator, I was glad to be in such good company!). Once the elevator figured out where it was going, we went to the bottom floor first where the merch was being sold. Not much there to choose from; one design for all of the shirts/hoodies. So it wasn't hard to choose the Imaginaerum "Land Ho!" tour t-shirt in my size. It's a nice shirt, but I hoped that maybe at the "big gig" there would be more designs to choose from.
Sigh...so after the debacle with the elevator, we faced more adversity when we got upstairs, and the table I reserved was gone! There were no tables at all in the area where I had requested. Honestly, the Key Club must have changed management or ownership, because this was not the same venue I'd come to so know well over the years. I have been to many shows here and have had no trouble reserving the same table I always sit at when I go there. The security guy was not very pleasant when I explained my situation; he didn't appear to try and fix the problem, and there was a lot of passing the buck. First they told me they didn't know why the tables weren't in this area, then they told me that I had to pay for the table, which I have never done in the past. After some back-and-forth between us and the security, a very nice lady came over and told us that we were welcome to sit at one of the tables off to the side, so that problem was remedied. I was glad for that; we had a fantastic view from the side, and we were actually closer here than in my normal spot!
Once we were comfortably seated, I felt a well-deserved drink was in order, after traveling all day and then haggling with security inside the venue. Right before the show started, the Bruelands met up with me again at our table and we talked for a few minutes before they went back to their own table and the show started shortly thereafter.
There was no opening act, it was just straight Nightwish from the get-go. When the lights went down and the stage was lit up, Troy sat on a stool playing "Finlandia" on his pipes and one by one, each member of the band made an appearance, until everyone was there and the band kicked into "Storytime". Within moments, the long wait for Nightwish felt like nothing at all; not feeling in the least like they had been away from the stage for over 2 years.
Here's the setlist, as I texted it to Taimi:
Intro/Finlandia
Storytime
Wish I Had an Angel
Amaranth
Scaretale
The Siren
Slow, Love, Slow
I Want my Tears Back
The Crow, the Owl, and the Dove (feat. Troy)
The Islander
Nemo (acoustic)
Last of the Wilds (feat. Troy)
Planet Hell
Song of Myself
Last Ride of the Day
The Poet and the Pendulum
Over the Hills and Far Away (feat. Troy)
Wow! What a show! For the first couple of songs, Anette's voice sounded a little low, but she seemed to "find her groove" and sounded fantastic throughout the rest of the set. "Scaretale" was amazing! I couldn't wait to see what surprises the big stage brought to this particular song. And the acoustic version of "Nemo"...what a pleasant surprise that was! It definitely has breathed new life into the song; it sounds great! As for "Planet Hell"...in short, it blew my mind. I was one of those who thought that "Planet Hell" was definitely a song that should remain in the old era, but here goes Anette again, taking the old songs that have a distinct Tarja stamp on them, and making them as her own for those few minutes. She sounded fantastic on that song. And "Over the Hills" was definitely a surprise that the crowd wasn't expecting; I was glad to see it make a return, but it's never been one of my most favorites, so I'm neither here nor there about it. That seemed to be the oldest song they did; the entire setlist was pretty much only the last 3 albums.
The DPP songs were as awesome as I remember them, and "Poet" was a clear indicator of how Anette's voice has improved so much since she first joined the band. The "Mother & Father" part, she had some troubles on during the last tour, and was known to strain sometimes in that area. But when she took to that vocal at the Key Club, it sounded so seamless, so rich. It made hearing my favorite DPP tune enjoyable all over again.
The vocal delivery in "Amaranth" was also a nice change; the way Anette sang the chorus was kinda cute, in its own way. Instead of an extended intro from Tuomas, like on the last tour, there instead seemed to be an extended outro, as Marco chanted the "reaching, searching" vocal wordlessly. What we could see from our vantage point that maybe was not as clear to others watching, was that Marco's chanting was Anette's chance to go behind the barrier and fix her makeup, and we could see Tuomas peek behind there a few seconds later to sort of help her. It was very sweet.
"The Islander" is always a nice respite; and it looks like Anette upgraded her tiara (that rock star money is rolling in now!).
"Last of the Wilds" was amazing! Watching Tuomas "do his thing" is always a pleasure, but especially during that song. I couldn't get very many good shots of Troy, but I tried my best.
We were on Emppu's side of the stage, so we didn't get to see much more than the top of his head whenever I would try to take pictures, like this one here:
...And this is the best one I could get of Jukka:
As seems to be the case with Nightwish since the "new era" began, there seems to be a lot of genuine camaraderie, friendship, and affection among the bandmembers. They all look like they're having so much fun. Towards the end of the show, Anette and Tuomas shared a hug together, during which Anette said to him, "We did it. We're back."
This is a strange expression from Anette...
My favorite picture of Tuomas:
Here's the band taking a bow at the end of the show:
Needless to say, it was an amazing show, and it felt awesome to be part of something like this! I mean, how many chances are fans in the U.S. going to get at having a Nightwish tour start here, and play a secret show beforehand? Not very many, I would imagine! And to especially get something like this, happening almost in my backyard, it only made it all the more special for me. After such a high-energy show and an overall amazing setlist, I could hardly wait to see what this was going to look like at Gibson, on a big stage. From what the setlists onstage seemed to suggest, the Key Club setlist would be exactly the same as it would be at Gibson, so it was nice to know what songs to expect.
As I already mentioned, if there were any disappointments at all, it was only that this is the first time I have ever seen the band live and they did not play "Higher Than Hope". That made me a little sad not to hear it, as it's been a sort of tradition for me to hear it at Nightwish shows. But the Bruelands did not seem to mind, so I guess I don't either.
After the show, we had to wait to get to the car, as the elevator took a crap for good and it took a while to fix it. But we were able to meet up with some of the Nightwish fans we met in line and get to hear their take on the show. Many of them came back with positive reviews too, and expressed that they could hardly wait to see what this setlist would be like at Gibson. Once the elevator got back in order, we were back outside and headed to our car (of course, security couldn't resist being jerks one last time; bitching at us about parking in the lot so I could get into the car!). They backed off once they saw that I needed assistance into the car, but I noticed they offered none either. Oh well. By this time it was only a little after 11:30, so I was home shortly after midnight, and was able to sleep in the next morning, as I still was not sure if I would be able to attend the Sound Check in-store signing. I was certainly going to try!
Thus concludes Part 1 of our weekend with Nightwish. Stay tuned...
You can see the rest of the pictures in my ImageShack photo album.
OK folks, I always give reviews of the shows I attend, and I know that it's been a week since these magical shows have taken place, but hopefully you'll excuse my lateness in writing any reviews, as things have been hectic ever since then. But now that I've safely returned in one piece, gotten the interview and pictures up on the site, I can now take the time to reflect on one of the most unforgettable weekends of my life. So grab a cold drink, prop up your feet, and settle in for a long read about OSA's weekend with Nightwish!!!
Part 1: January 19th
My morning began at 5 a.m., when my alarm clock rang. Most of my stuff was already packed, so I was ready to go by the time the taxi arrived at 8 a.m. to take me to the bus station to meet my bus to the L.A. County line at 9 a.m. As I was riding the bus to my first destination, I got a text from my sister, who was meeting me at the bus drop-off location. She wanted to know if there was any way I could meet Desi (NoDoubtaholic) at her place, as she wouldn't be able to drive me all the way to my aunt's house. Luckily they were nice enough to agree, and were also willing to take me to my aunt's house to drop off my stuff before the show so I was not lugging all my belongings like a pack mule the entire night!
So I got to Desi's brother's house at about 1 or 2 in the afternoon; they lived not too far away from the Key Club, so I thought it was very nice of them to drive me to where I was staying so I could drop off my luggage. We all seemed to get along right away, and our adventure seemed to consist of encountering a lot of elderly drivers! I never realized how many elderly folks were driving around Hollywood on a Thursday night; maybe it is Bingo Night? So we had great fun on our drive to Key Club, even if the traffic wasn't so great. We passed by where the in-store signing would be taking place the next day; looked like a very small place, and I had never noticed it before on my visits to Sunset Strip, so it is either a new place, or just so small that I never took notice of it before.
We finally arrived at Key Club, after what seemed hours of driving on Sunset Boulevard, shortly before dark. I went ahead and found a place in line while my companions went to find food, as they had not eaten all day, and I had been lucky enough to have a lunch break while waiting for my sister to pick me up. Shortly after they dropped me off, I made some friends in line by passing out some OSA cards, one of them a very nice couple from Houston who were spending the weekend in town. Needless to say, this "secret show" did not appear to be so secret anymore. Not too long after that, the Bruelands came out to say hello to me, which pretty much confirmed to me, if I had any doubts, that this "Rubber Band of Wolves" was indeed a Nightwish show. It is always great to see them; it was good to talk to them for a bit before they went back inside to listen to sound check.
The fans outside also got to hear a little of sound check; Taimi might still have the texts I sent her, but among some of the songs we could hear in sound check were "The Poet and the Pendulum" and "Storytime" (I also think I heard "I Want my Tears Back" as well). While I was waiting for the will call booth to open so I could get my ticket, I ended up meeting Sonadorita in line; she was very nice and cool to hang out with. By this point Desi and her group had reappeared, so it was a nice little OSA gathering in line for a while. As we all waited in line, we would see Ewo several times, as well as Troy once or twice. The way some people went crazy after seeing Ewo, you'd think he was in the band! He's a regular rock star in his own right! Some people who approached him mentioned that they flew from Chile for this show. I was very impressed by all the "out-of-towners" who were at the shows; I felt like I was the only "local" person, having only traveled 2 hours to get here.
So once the will call opens up, I get my ticket and split up with 2 people from Desi's group while Desi and her friend go to the floor to get as close to the stage as possible. The rest of us went in the elevator, and had a scary moment when the elevator got stuck and didn't seem to go anywhere (well, if I had to be stuck in an elevator, I was glad to be in such good company!). Once the elevator figured out where it was going, we went to the bottom floor first where the merch was being sold. Not much there to choose from; one design for all of the shirts/hoodies. So it wasn't hard to choose the Imaginaerum "Land Ho!" tour t-shirt in my size. It's a nice shirt, but I hoped that maybe at the "big gig" there would be more designs to choose from.
Sigh...so after the debacle with the elevator, we faced more adversity when we got upstairs, and the table I reserved was gone! There were no tables at all in the area where I had requested. Honestly, the Key Club must have changed management or ownership, because this was not the same venue I'd come to so know well over the years. I have been to many shows here and have had no trouble reserving the same table I always sit at when I go there. The security guy was not very pleasant when I explained my situation; he didn't appear to try and fix the problem, and there was a lot of passing the buck. First they told me they didn't know why the tables weren't in this area, then they told me that I had to pay for the table, which I have never done in the past. After some back-and-forth between us and the security, a very nice lady came over and told us that we were welcome to sit at one of the tables off to the side, so that problem was remedied. I was glad for that; we had a fantastic view from the side, and we were actually closer here than in my normal spot!
Once we were comfortably seated, I felt a well-deserved drink was in order, after traveling all day and then haggling with security inside the venue. Right before the show started, the Bruelands met up with me again at our table and we talked for a few minutes before they went back to their own table and the show started shortly thereafter.
There was no opening act, it was just straight Nightwish from the get-go. When the lights went down and the stage was lit up, Troy sat on a stool playing "Finlandia" on his pipes and one by one, each member of the band made an appearance, until everyone was there and the band kicked into "Storytime". Within moments, the long wait for Nightwish felt like nothing at all; not feeling in the least like they had been away from the stage for over 2 years.
Here's the setlist, as I texted it to Taimi:
Intro/Finlandia
Storytime
Wish I Had an Angel
Amaranth
Scaretale
The Siren
Slow, Love, Slow
I Want my Tears Back
The Crow, the Owl, and the Dove (feat. Troy)
The Islander
Nemo (acoustic)
Last of the Wilds (feat. Troy)
Planet Hell
Song of Myself
Last Ride of the Day
The Poet and the Pendulum
Over the Hills and Far Away (feat. Troy)
Wow! What a show! For the first couple of songs, Anette's voice sounded a little low, but she seemed to "find her groove" and sounded fantastic throughout the rest of the set. "Scaretale" was amazing! I couldn't wait to see what surprises the big stage brought to this particular song. And the acoustic version of "Nemo"...what a pleasant surprise that was! It definitely has breathed new life into the song; it sounds great! As for "Planet Hell"...in short, it blew my mind. I was one of those who thought that "Planet Hell" was definitely a song that should remain in the old era, but here goes Anette again, taking the old songs that have a distinct Tarja stamp on them, and making them as her own for those few minutes. She sounded fantastic on that song. And "Over the Hills" was definitely a surprise that the crowd wasn't expecting; I was glad to see it make a return, but it's never been one of my most favorites, so I'm neither here nor there about it. That seemed to be the oldest song they did; the entire setlist was pretty much only the last 3 albums.
The DPP songs were as awesome as I remember them, and "Poet" was a clear indicator of how Anette's voice has improved so much since she first joined the band. The "Mother & Father" part, she had some troubles on during the last tour, and was known to strain sometimes in that area. But when she took to that vocal at the Key Club, it sounded so seamless, so rich. It made hearing my favorite DPP tune enjoyable all over again.
The vocal delivery in "Amaranth" was also a nice change; the way Anette sang the chorus was kinda cute, in its own way. Instead of an extended intro from Tuomas, like on the last tour, there instead seemed to be an extended outro, as Marco chanted the "reaching, searching" vocal wordlessly. What we could see from our vantage point that maybe was not as clear to others watching, was that Marco's chanting was Anette's chance to go behind the barrier and fix her makeup, and we could see Tuomas peek behind there a few seconds later to sort of help her. It was very sweet.
"The Islander" is always a nice respite; and it looks like Anette upgraded her tiara (that rock star money is rolling in now!).
"Last of the Wilds" was amazing! Watching Tuomas "do his thing" is always a pleasure, but especially during that song. I couldn't get very many good shots of Troy, but I tried my best.
We were on Emppu's side of the stage, so we didn't get to see much more than the top of his head whenever I would try to take pictures, like this one here:
...And this is the best one I could get of Jukka:
As seems to be the case with Nightwish since the "new era" began, there seems to be a lot of genuine camaraderie, friendship, and affection among the bandmembers. They all look like they're having so much fun. Towards the end of the show, Anette and Tuomas shared a hug together, during which Anette said to him, "We did it. We're back."
This is a strange expression from Anette...
My favorite picture of Tuomas:
Here's the band taking a bow at the end of the show:
Needless to say, it was an amazing show, and it felt awesome to be part of something like this! I mean, how many chances are fans in the U.S. going to get at having a Nightwish tour start here, and play a secret show beforehand? Not very many, I would imagine! And to especially get something like this, happening almost in my backyard, it only made it all the more special for me. After such a high-energy show and an overall amazing setlist, I could hardly wait to see what this was going to look like at Gibson, on a big stage. From what the setlists onstage seemed to suggest, the Key Club setlist would be exactly the same as it would be at Gibson, so it was nice to know what songs to expect.
As I already mentioned, if there were any disappointments at all, it was only that this is the first time I have ever seen the band live and they did not play "Higher Than Hope". That made me a little sad not to hear it, as it's been a sort of tradition for me to hear it at Nightwish shows. But the Bruelands did not seem to mind, so I guess I don't either.
After the show, we had to wait to get to the car, as the elevator took a crap for good and it took a while to fix it. But we were able to meet up with some of the Nightwish fans we met in line and get to hear their take on the show. Many of them came back with positive reviews too, and expressed that they could hardly wait to see what this setlist would be like at Gibson. Once the elevator got back in order, we were back outside and headed to our car (of course, security couldn't resist being jerks one last time; bitching at us about parking in the lot so I could get into the car!). They backed off once they saw that I needed assistance into the car, but I noticed they offered none either. Oh well. By this time it was only a little after 11:30, so I was home shortly after midnight, and was able to sleep in the next morning, as I still was not sure if I would be able to attend the Sound Check in-store signing. I was certainly going to try!
Thus concludes Part 1 of our weekend with Nightwish. Stay tuned...
You can see the rest of the pictures in my ImageShack photo album.
Taimi
Wishmistress
C.
OSA Webmistress
- Aug 11, 2007
- 2,573
- 1
- 38
Thank you so much for the reviews & photos everyone! I'm glad you had a great time at the concerts... wish I could see them too!!!
C.
OSA Webmistress
- Aug 11, 2007
- 2,573
- 1
- 38
^Thanks; I try to write my reviews as detailed as I can remember, so people could feel like they are there with me.
Part 2: January 20th
There really isn't much to report here, as I ended up unable to attend the in-store signing. Nearly anyone I had asked either had to work or just weren't available on such short notice, and Desi already had made plans for that particular day before the in-store signing was announced, so she had to rely on someone else to take her to the event as well. I actually was more irritated by the idea of wasting $14 on a CD that I already had, to get a wristband for a signing I couldn't attend. So when I called the store, I thought of maybe just cancelling the order, but they mentioned that they would be willing to still have the CD signed for me even if I couldn't attend. So I texted Desi to ask if she would be willing to pick up my CD in my stead; the store staff would make sure it got signed, and we knew we'd be seeing each other at the show the next day anyway. She was nice enough to agree, and my $14 didn't go to waste. While I was bummed not to be able to come to the in-store and help represent the OSA, Desi was doing just as good a job standing in line and talking to people about our site. So people were still getting the word, and that's what counts.
I would also find out later on when she got back from the in-store that everyone in the band but Tuomas was at the in-store. I found that to be a bit of a surprise, but I was not as sad about missing the in-store, as it wasn't the entire band and I still managed to get my things signed. Also, as I still at this point did not know who I was meeting at tomorrow's interview, I figured I still may have a chance at meeting some of the band anyway. I spent the evening catching up on my e-mails instead, of which I would learn what time the interview was to take place the following day. I also spent some time at the weekly OSA Chat and caught some folks up on the show from the night before.
Maybe I am getting old, but I was actually a little glad that I ended up not going, because I was tired! Once I knew finding a way to the in-store wasn't going to happen, I looked at this day as a good opportunity to get some rest from the long day of traveling and long night of rocking out the previous night, and to get ready for the long day tomorrow. After a nice dinner and catching up with my family, I turned in early and set my alarm to wake up early the next morning to begin the final---and biggest---phase of our weekend with Nightwish.
Part 3: January 21st
The day started early, and it was busy all the way up until 2:30, when Desi and the gang came to pick me up. Luckily, I was ready to go just as they were getting to my house, give or take a few minutes. We hit the road once again, and traffic was excellent as we made our way to the Gibson. In fact, it seemed like we spent more time finding where we were supposed to park than it did to actually get there!
So it was nice to catch up with Desi and everyone on how the in-store signing went; I heard a lot of tales about the camera guy who was filming footage at the Key Club the night before, also filming footage of the in-store. I was already embarrassed by seeing the camera guy at the Key Club; I didn't have time at all to fix my hair properly on Thursday, given that I was on the road most of the day, so I had to tuck all of my hair under a scarf like an old housewife! So knowing my luck, my old hag look will end up all over a future Nightwish DVD. Great.
Oh, and sometime either on the way home from Key Club, or on the way to the Gibson, we couldn't decide if the band had officially made Troy the 6th member of the group, the way he is going to be touring with them and all. So we wondered, "is he officially in the band? Or not?" This seemed somewhat familiar, so we have "unofficially" adopted Troy as OSA's new mascot. We kinda have that same "unofficial" thing going on too, so wouldn't he be a fitting representative? Well, we all thought it was cute, anyway.
It seemed as soon as we hit Universal Studios, we noticed that people were dressed for two things: either people were decked out in Nightwish/metal apparel, or they were dressed in tuxedos and prom dresses for a quinceañera (like a Sweet 16 party, but happens when a girl turns 15) that was happening at one of the restaurants in City Walk, which hosted this very lovely banner outside, greeting the Nightwish fans. So we jokingly started to refer to this event as the "Nightwish Quinceañera". It had rained earlier that day, so it was very cold outside, at least to a native Californian like myself. Although my gloves were sitting on the counter for me to grab on the way out, for some reason I didn't, so my hands were freezing! I did have enough foresight to bring my sweater, and wear my Oceanborn-era longsleeve, so I was still able to keep the cold out for the most part.
These are just statues, not fellow Nightwish fans.
Not too long after this, I get a text from Century Child (Zoe); she drove in from Arizona late the night before to attend the show, and it appears she has made it to the venue. We text back and forth until we find each other, and she joins our group. She's having trouble figuring out where to pick up her tickets, as she has VIP tickets and is not sure when the will call is supposed to open up. We had the same concern, as I was told via e-mail that I was supposed to pick up my passes and tickets at will call before the interview started at 5, and now we were being told that will call didn't open until 5:15. We were told that the will call was all the way across the street, so as we were crossing the bridge to get there, my cell phone rings and it's the rep from Roadrunner looking for me. Desi and her brother go to ask about the tickets as I talk to him and find out what is going on.
Long story short, the tickets weren't at the will call anyway, and the band was running behind schedule because of soundcheck, so they would call when they were ready for me. I asked the others in the group if it would be OK if I took this chance to get something to eat; everyone else had done so earlier and I just hadn't found the time earlier in the day. It was a good chance to take a nice stroll through City Walk, since I was looking for a relatively cheap place to eat. After walking for a while, I came across one of my favorite little fast-food joints from L.A. that I don't get a chance to visit much, as there aren't any where I live; and who can afford to eat like that nowadays anyway? The food was cheap and I knew it would be quick, so I went to eat there. I wouldn't be doing my duty as a native Southern Californian if I didn't ask my out-of-town friends if they would like to try something! Desi's friend Cara was cool and had something to eat with me, and it was cool to hang out with the fellow OSA girls for a little while.
I was also glad to share some L.A. hospitality with them; I always ask people how they like the town and the things that they are most impressed by. Everyone always has a different answer, which is what I love about my town. We had run into so many people wearing Nightwish shirts during our little sojourn through City Walk, that Universal Studios had definitely turned into Imaginaerum Theme Park that night. It was so great to feel a little like how it must be for the fans overseas; everyone knows the band's music and gathers from far around in a huge number to share their love of this music. It happens here too, but never in this magnitude. Just knowing that there were about 4000 Nightwish fans all in such a small area, so close to where I lived when I first heard of the band and it seemed no one else had, it was just so fantastic. Really a Nightwish fan's dream come true.
So I was just finishing up my food when my cell phone rang and the rep from Roadrunner told me that they were ready for us now. I was really nervous at this point! They asked to meet us at a gate we passed by on the way through City Walk, so we had to find Desi's brother so he could show us the way, as he remembered where that particular gate was. It took a few minutes for us all to regroup, but we made our way to the gate and were there in no time. When the rep came to meet us, we split off from the rest of our group, promising to meet back up inside. We met up with a writer from another music site and they helped us down a rather long, steep hill! Once we got past that, we weren't much farther away from the "artists' entrance", where we would wait on a porch-like area until they were ready to take us in for the interview.
While we were waiting, Ewo and Marco come out and have a cigarette; then Jukka and Emppu join them a few minutes later. It was cool to see them that close, but we didn't say anything to them or anything. We waited for about 20 minutes or so, and then I got a text on my cell phone that simply read: "enjoy your time with Tuomas". Obviously we were both psyched, as 90% of the questions were for him, and we were really worried that we would get someone who didn't have as many questions addressed to them. But not only that, I was happy for Desi that she would get to meet the entire band over the course of the weekend. Just moments later, the rep from Roadrunner comes back out to show us the way to where we are going.
Down a couple of halls, some twists and turns, and we get to a small room where we see Tuomas sitting on a couch by himself. When we came into the room, he appeared to recognize me right off the bat and said hello to me. We went to shake hands, and remember my freezing hands? Well, his hands were very warm so I sort of took advantage of a handshake for a few seconds longer, as my hands were damn cold! He probably laughed at me that I am such a weakling used to the sunny California weather that I can't handle a little cold. I said as much; "you're Finnish, this is probably nothing for you." "No, this is actually more like summertime." he said. (Desi did point out later on that Ewo was wearing shorts the entire weekend, so obviously the "freezing cold" that chills us Californians is nothing to you sturdy Finns! I am in awe of your strength!)
So from that point, the interview just seemed to roll naturally. We already seemed to have good discussion going, so we just started rolling the tape and letting go. Tuomas was so easy to talk to; he not only gave a lot of details to his answers, but he listened to our feedback as well, so the interview was really more like a conversation than an "interview". This is the first time I've ever conducted an in-person interview, so I'm not sure if all interviews flow this way or not. If they don't, then call it a rookie mistake; but it felt natural to me so I went with it. I was all the more glad that I didn't have such a strict guideline on what the interview was going to be; I think that would have disrupted things. It was a lot easier to let questions come up as they seemed to fit in the context of the conversation. Certain questions seemed to open up discussion about particular things, which led to the questions that we asked. The most organization we had was in setting up by priority; obviously, questions about the album/tour/film were at the top of the list, and we made sure that we had at least one question from every person who submitted something. This way if we had time for every question, every person would get at least one of their questions answered. But we had so many to spare when we were done. I'm glad of how it turned out, though. He was so courteous and kind, and we had a lot of fun. He even said after it was over that it was the most fun interview he'd done so far that day!
As we were wrapping up our time, the Roadrunner rep was willing to let us take pictures with Tuomas and give gifts on behalf of the OSA (it was at this time we mentioned all our wonderful OSAers from around the world, even people from his own country; at that point he mentioned Michele by name, as he remembered her question from a few moments before). Now came the hard part of the evening. When we knew this interview was happening, the OSA Council held a meeting and we decided we would give gifts to the bandmembers as a courtesy for allowing us the time for an interview. We could only afford one copy of Zellie's book, but we knew that was what we wanted to give among our gifts. So I wanted to be strong and not cry, but I don't think I succeeded. It was very hard to tell Zellie's story, how much she loved this band, and how special this weekend would have been for her. I admit that I couldn't be tough and hold back my tears, but I really don't care what people think. Zellie was my friend, she helped build this community, her contributions helped make these opportunities happen, why shouldn't I be sad that she was not there to share our special day with us?
It made it all the more difficult that Tuomas seemed moved by her story, and started flipping through the book almost as soon as he got it, and I would see him flipping through it a few more times over the next few minutes. So I am glad that I was able to help Zellie's book reach someone in the band. I am glad that her memory has now been shared with the band she loved, and they know that she lived and that she made so many people happy in her short time on earth. I felt Zellie's vibrant spirit all that weekend; when Zellie was part of the OSA, she always liked to say that one of the things our community offered was "love", and I saw this firsthand myself during the entire weekend. Virtual strangers coming together and forging new friendships. People coming from all corners of the world to share in our mutual love of this music. There was nothing but support and positive vibes all weekend long. It was all about the love that Zellie once promised. Her wish came true.
After we gave him Zellie's book, I brought out the other gift that I had brought specifically for him; a cute book called Disneystrology, which tells you which Disney character you are based on your birthday. I figure you can never go wrong with Disney! He also loved that book, and went to look up his character (which is Tiana from The Princess and the Frog). That was fun!
Lastly, we also gave him some copies of the OSA video request campaign; of all the videos we requested that made it onto Reelz Channel back in '10. I was actually hoping to meet with Christian (the old program director) at one of the shows, but he never e-mailed me back. I hope he'll come into the forum sometime and let us know how he liked the shows!
So our time with Tuomas was coming to an end, and we all took a picture together (I am debating whether or not to share it, as I forgot to take my glasses off before we took the picture, so I think I look positively awful). As we said our goodbyes, I went to hug Tuomas, and he kissed me goodbye. What a gentleman!
At that point, our interview done, we were led to the VIP area, where we would wait to get our tickets from the Roadrunner rep. It was a nice enclosed area, where we would hear all kinds of good music from Nightwish to Delain to Sirenia, and even Tarja's solo stuff. We ran into the couple from Houston, as well as Zoe, all of them eager to know how the interview went. I was still a little stunned that it had happened, so all I could really say was, "I can't wait for everyone to read it!" At that point, Desi recognized someone she had been talking to in line at the in-store from the day before, so we spent most of our time hanging out with him and talking about music. Always nice to have these discussions in person, as it seems us metal fans are so few and far-between that it appears the only time we *do* get together to have these sorts of discussions is online. So it was nice to pass the time away not standing in line, but seated in a relatively comfortable, well-lit area.
Eventually the Roadrunner rep finds us and gives us some tickets, and explains on how we can be seated in the handicapped section. When we got inside the venue through the VIP area, it was my first glimpse at the seating in Gibson Amphitheater, and I really liked it. We could see the area where Desi's group was seated, so we asked if there was available seating in that section (which was only one over from where they wanted to seat us anyway). After a few minutes of security arranging everything, we were able to end up in the same section as Desi's group, about 4 or 5 rows behind them.
Once we all met back up, Desi went to the merch booth to see if there were any new shirts available, and would let me know if there was. Nothing new on the list except for a lovely flag in the "Birdie" design, but it was small, and more like a scarf or large handkerchief than a flag. It was nice, but I didn't care to buy one. I was more interested in the t-shirts, and they had the same one as on Thursday night.
Around this time, I got some texts from Melusina; she was in the venue and wanted to know where I was sitting so we could meet up. She eventually found me, and it was so good to talk to her after all these years! So nice to meet some old-school OSAers face-to-face, as well as the new folks. She mentioned to me that Cloud (a name that should ring a bell to some of you old-timers) really wanted to come to the show, but wasn't able to. I was glad to hear that Cloud is doing well, and I hope he will stop lurking and post again like he used to! It was also very cool to meet Mel's fiance; he's a very nice guy and they make such a cute couple. They told me that they are getting married this September; I told them that Tuomas just informed us that is around the time the band should be back in the U.S., so they were happy to hear that, although they'd already planned their honeymoon for the 2013 70K Tons of Metal Cruise. Doesn't sound like a bad honeymoon destination at all!
So after hanging out with OSAers before the show, the opening act, Dommin, hits the stage. I thought they were OK; I was told by the rep at Roadrunner that they had a sort of Type O Negative-type sound, and I could hear a little bit of that. They also did a cover of Type O's "My Girlfriend's Girlfriend" during their set, which was pretty good. I might consider checking out one of their albums, they weren't bad at all.
However, I didn't think much of Amorphis; they were heavy, and they put on a good show, but the music overall wasn't really for me. Maybe I was just so anxious for Nightwish at this point, that it wouldn't have mattered too much if they were good or not. But I don't think so; even when I'm anxious for the band, I still try to listen to the opening acts and see if their sound is something I'd be interested in. I didn't feel this way about Amorphis. They seemed to have a lot of fans in the audience, though, so it is fun to observe as an outsider and watch their fans watch them.
During Amorphis' set, I took some time to text Taimi and give her a brief synopsis on my thoughts about this whole weekend, and she put it up on our Facebook. We wanted to try and get a message up on the Gibson "text screen", but neither of us were sure how to do those text message + number-type things, so the message didn't go through.
It was a little after 10 when Nightwish finally hit the stage, and just like at Key Club, Troy was alone in the middle of the stage, just he and his pipes, playing the intro of "Finlandia", as each bandmember made their way onstage. Except this time, when "Storytime" kicked in, there was plenty of pyro to emphasize the point.
Here's the setlist, as I texted it to Taimi:
Intro/Finlandia
Storytime
Wish I Had an Angel
Amaranth
Scaretale
The Siren
Slow, Love, Slow
I Want my Tears Back
The Crow, the Owl, and the Dove
The Islander
Nemo (acoustic)
Last of the Wilds
Planet Hell
Song of Myself
Last Ride of the Day
The Poet and the Pendulum
Over the Hills and Far Away
Just like the set at Key Club, the set at Gibson sounded phenomenal, and Anette was on fire from the first song. She sounded much better on "Storytime" at this show. The pyro was awesome too; it especially fit the mood of "Scaretale". It was also featuring during "I Want my Tears Back" and "Song of Myself", from what I can remember. I'm sure there was more during other songs, but that was where it stood out most for me.
Here's the best shots I could get of the pyro.
"Slow, Love, Slow" was a highlight of the show both times, that slow, sensual groove is even more enchanting live, and for tonight's show, she wore a nice hat to go along with her long black dress.
During "The Islander", Marco encouraged everyone to turn on their cell phones, or get their lighters out in the old-fashioned way. In seconds, the Gibson turned into a thousand tiny points of light, illuminating the enclosed arena.
The energy from the Key Club was just as high at the Gibson, and the intimate feel did not lose anything in the transition to a bigger arena. The band played with as much passion and enthusiasm as they did the other night, and the "big show elements" only seemed to add from this, not take away from it or overpower it. I only wish my camera had taken better pictures.
The show was incredible! And well, Tuomas is either very humble, or he saved one last surprise for us at the interview when he said that there wouldn't be that much pyro. From the way he made it sound, we would hardly get a flickering flame, and instead we get all kinds of nice pyro display, and a beautiful array of fireworks at the end of the show! There was also lots of confetti, but I don't think the few pieces I tried to save ended up surviving the trip home.
We had a fantastic vantage point, but unfortunately, my view was blocked by a very tall person a few rows down, who just couldn't seem to move that slight centimeter over so that I could get clear, perfect pictures of Tuomas, as he was on our side of the stage. My zoom lens didn't seem to cooperate well either; I have so many settings on this camera, and the buttons are so small, so I had trouble trying to find where my settings were, and couldn't seem to get a single good picture the entire night.
The show ended with a lot of enthusiasm when the band played "Over the Hills and Far Away". It's a great show closer, and the crowd seemed to love it. When the show ended, it seemed most everyone was smiling and appeared to have a good time. I would run into the Bruelands one last time before heading out to the elevator that would eventually lead us out to the venue. It was great to have shared this special weekend with so many people, and it all too quickly came to an end.
It was after 1 in the morning when Desi and the gang dropped me off at my aunt's house, and we all regretted that we had to part ways. We'd only been in each other's company for a few days, but we already felt like we'd known each other forever and were sorry that our fantastic weekend was already coming to a close. I wished them a safe journey back home, and couldn't wait to return home myself, so I could share these memories with all of you!
This was a weekend I'll never forget; I was so proud to show off my hometown to all the visitors, and to show why I love this city and why it is still and will always be my home. I hope that all the OSAers throughout the weekend felt comfortable in L.A., enjoyed their time there, and returned with as many wonderful memories as I did. I don't know if we'll ever have a chance to do something like this again, but I can't wait to see some of you in the fall, when Nightwish returns for a full U.S. tour! I can tell the rest of you who were unable to attend, you are in for a treat indeed! The shows were a lot of fun, full of energy and enthusiasm, and the setlist was fantastic. I would have liked to see a little more variation than from just the last 3 albums, but it is the beginning of the tour, so maybe they will incorporate some other songs here and there as time goes on. It will be interesting to see what songs are on the setlist by the time they return.
Overall, I have no disappointments about either of the shows; both of them were special in their own way. Anette's voice has improved vastly, Troy is a great addition to the stage show, and the rest of the band puts all they've got into their performances. By the end of OSA Weekend, I had seen Nightwish a grand total of 5 times, and they put on a fantastic live show. I can hardly wait for them to return in the fall; I'm so ready for Round 6!!!
Part 2: January 20th
There really isn't much to report here, as I ended up unable to attend the in-store signing. Nearly anyone I had asked either had to work or just weren't available on such short notice, and Desi already had made plans for that particular day before the in-store signing was announced, so she had to rely on someone else to take her to the event as well. I actually was more irritated by the idea of wasting $14 on a CD that I already had, to get a wristband for a signing I couldn't attend. So when I called the store, I thought of maybe just cancelling the order, but they mentioned that they would be willing to still have the CD signed for me even if I couldn't attend. So I texted Desi to ask if she would be willing to pick up my CD in my stead; the store staff would make sure it got signed, and we knew we'd be seeing each other at the show the next day anyway. She was nice enough to agree, and my $14 didn't go to waste. While I was bummed not to be able to come to the in-store and help represent the OSA, Desi was doing just as good a job standing in line and talking to people about our site. So people were still getting the word, and that's what counts.
I would also find out later on when she got back from the in-store that everyone in the band but Tuomas was at the in-store. I found that to be a bit of a surprise, but I was not as sad about missing the in-store, as it wasn't the entire band and I still managed to get my things signed. Also, as I still at this point did not know who I was meeting at tomorrow's interview, I figured I still may have a chance at meeting some of the band anyway. I spent the evening catching up on my e-mails instead, of which I would learn what time the interview was to take place the following day. I also spent some time at the weekly OSA Chat and caught some folks up on the show from the night before.
Maybe I am getting old, but I was actually a little glad that I ended up not going, because I was tired! Once I knew finding a way to the in-store wasn't going to happen, I looked at this day as a good opportunity to get some rest from the long day of traveling and long night of rocking out the previous night, and to get ready for the long day tomorrow. After a nice dinner and catching up with my family, I turned in early and set my alarm to wake up early the next morning to begin the final---and biggest---phase of our weekend with Nightwish.
Part 3: January 21st
The day started early, and it was busy all the way up until 2:30, when Desi and the gang came to pick me up. Luckily, I was ready to go just as they were getting to my house, give or take a few minutes. We hit the road once again, and traffic was excellent as we made our way to the Gibson. In fact, it seemed like we spent more time finding where we were supposed to park than it did to actually get there!
So it was nice to catch up with Desi and everyone on how the in-store signing went; I heard a lot of tales about the camera guy who was filming footage at the Key Club the night before, also filming footage of the in-store. I was already embarrassed by seeing the camera guy at the Key Club; I didn't have time at all to fix my hair properly on Thursday, given that I was on the road most of the day, so I had to tuck all of my hair under a scarf like an old housewife! So knowing my luck, my old hag look will end up all over a future Nightwish DVD. Great.
Oh, and sometime either on the way home from Key Club, or on the way to the Gibson, we couldn't decide if the band had officially made Troy the 6th member of the group, the way he is going to be touring with them and all. So we wondered, "is he officially in the band? Or not?" This seemed somewhat familiar, so we have "unofficially" adopted Troy as OSA's new mascot. We kinda have that same "unofficial" thing going on too, so wouldn't he be a fitting representative? Well, we all thought it was cute, anyway.
It seemed as soon as we hit Universal Studios, we noticed that people were dressed for two things: either people were decked out in Nightwish/metal apparel, or they were dressed in tuxedos and prom dresses for a quinceañera (like a Sweet 16 party, but happens when a girl turns 15) that was happening at one of the restaurants in City Walk, which hosted this very lovely banner outside, greeting the Nightwish fans. So we jokingly started to refer to this event as the "Nightwish Quinceañera". It had rained earlier that day, so it was very cold outside, at least to a native Californian like myself. Although my gloves were sitting on the counter for me to grab on the way out, for some reason I didn't, so my hands were freezing! I did have enough foresight to bring my sweater, and wear my Oceanborn-era longsleeve, so I was still able to keep the cold out for the most part.
These are just statues, not fellow Nightwish fans.
Not too long after this, I get a text from Century Child (Zoe); she drove in from Arizona late the night before to attend the show, and it appears she has made it to the venue. We text back and forth until we find each other, and she joins our group. She's having trouble figuring out where to pick up her tickets, as she has VIP tickets and is not sure when the will call is supposed to open up. We had the same concern, as I was told via e-mail that I was supposed to pick up my passes and tickets at will call before the interview started at 5, and now we were being told that will call didn't open until 5:15. We were told that the will call was all the way across the street, so as we were crossing the bridge to get there, my cell phone rings and it's the rep from Roadrunner looking for me. Desi and her brother go to ask about the tickets as I talk to him and find out what is going on.
Long story short, the tickets weren't at the will call anyway, and the band was running behind schedule because of soundcheck, so they would call when they were ready for me. I asked the others in the group if it would be OK if I took this chance to get something to eat; everyone else had done so earlier and I just hadn't found the time earlier in the day. It was a good chance to take a nice stroll through City Walk, since I was looking for a relatively cheap place to eat. After walking for a while, I came across one of my favorite little fast-food joints from L.A. that I don't get a chance to visit much, as there aren't any where I live; and who can afford to eat like that nowadays anyway? The food was cheap and I knew it would be quick, so I went to eat there. I wouldn't be doing my duty as a native Southern Californian if I didn't ask my out-of-town friends if they would like to try something! Desi's friend Cara was cool and had something to eat with me, and it was cool to hang out with the fellow OSA girls for a little while.
I was also glad to share some L.A. hospitality with them; I always ask people how they like the town and the things that they are most impressed by. Everyone always has a different answer, which is what I love about my town. We had run into so many people wearing Nightwish shirts during our little sojourn through City Walk, that Universal Studios had definitely turned into Imaginaerum Theme Park that night. It was so great to feel a little like how it must be for the fans overseas; everyone knows the band's music and gathers from far around in a huge number to share their love of this music. It happens here too, but never in this magnitude. Just knowing that there were about 4000 Nightwish fans all in such a small area, so close to where I lived when I first heard of the band and it seemed no one else had, it was just so fantastic. Really a Nightwish fan's dream come true.
So I was just finishing up my food when my cell phone rang and the rep from Roadrunner told me that they were ready for us now. I was really nervous at this point! They asked to meet us at a gate we passed by on the way through City Walk, so we had to find Desi's brother so he could show us the way, as he remembered where that particular gate was. It took a few minutes for us all to regroup, but we made our way to the gate and were there in no time. When the rep came to meet us, we split off from the rest of our group, promising to meet back up inside. We met up with a writer from another music site and they helped us down a rather long, steep hill! Once we got past that, we weren't much farther away from the "artists' entrance", where we would wait on a porch-like area until they were ready to take us in for the interview.
While we were waiting, Ewo and Marco come out and have a cigarette; then Jukka and Emppu join them a few minutes later. It was cool to see them that close, but we didn't say anything to them or anything. We waited for about 20 minutes or so, and then I got a text on my cell phone that simply read: "enjoy your time with Tuomas". Obviously we were both psyched, as 90% of the questions were for him, and we were really worried that we would get someone who didn't have as many questions addressed to them. But not only that, I was happy for Desi that she would get to meet the entire band over the course of the weekend. Just moments later, the rep from Roadrunner comes back out to show us the way to where we are going.
Down a couple of halls, some twists and turns, and we get to a small room where we see Tuomas sitting on a couch by himself. When we came into the room, he appeared to recognize me right off the bat and said hello to me. We went to shake hands, and remember my freezing hands? Well, his hands were very warm so I sort of took advantage of a handshake for a few seconds longer, as my hands were damn cold! He probably laughed at me that I am such a weakling used to the sunny California weather that I can't handle a little cold. I said as much; "you're Finnish, this is probably nothing for you." "No, this is actually more like summertime." he said. (Desi did point out later on that Ewo was wearing shorts the entire weekend, so obviously the "freezing cold" that chills us Californians is nothing to you sturdy Finns! I am in awe of your strength!)
So from that point, the interview just seemed to roll naturally. We already seemed to have good discussion going, so we just started rolling the tape and letting go. Tuomas was so easy to talk to; he not only gave a lot of details to his answers, but he listened to our feedback as well, so the interview was really more like a conversation than an "interview". This is the first time I've ever conducted an in-person interview, so I'm not sure if all interviews flow this way or not. If they don't, then call it a rookie mistake; but it felt natural to me so I went with it. I was all the more glad that I didn't have such a strict guideline on what the interview was going to be; I think that would have disrupted things. It was a lot easier to let questions come up as they seemed to fit in the context of the conversation. Certain questions seemed to open up discussion about particular things, which led to the questions that we asked. The most organization we had was in setting up by priority; obviously, questions about the album/tour/film were at the top of the list, and we made sure that we had at least one question from every person who submitted something. This way if we had time for every question, every person would get at least one of their questions answered. But we had so many to spare when we were done. I'm glad of how it turned out, though. He was so courteous and kind, and we had a lot of fun. He even said after it was over that it was the most fun interview he'd done so far that day!
As we were wrapping up our time, the Roadrunner rep was willing to let us take pictures with Tuomas and give gifts on behalf of the OSA (it was at this time we mentioned all our wonderful OSAers from around the world, even people from his own country; at that point he mentioned Michele by name, as he remembered her question from a few moments before). Now came the hard part of the evening. When we knew this interview was happening, the OSA Council held a meeting and we decided we would give gifts to the bandmembers as a courtesy for allowing us the time for an interview. We could only afford one copy of Zellie's book, but we knew that was what we wanted to give among our gifts. So I wanted to be strong and not cry, but I don't think I succeeded. It was very hard to tell Zellie's story, how much she loved this band, and how special this weekend would have been for her. I admit that I couldn't be tough and hold back my tears, but I really don't care what people think. Zellie was my friend, she helped build this community, her contributions helped make these opportunities happen, why shouldn't I be sad that she was not there to share our special day with us?
It made it all the more difficult that Tuomas seemed moved by her story, and started flipping through the book almost as soon as he got it, and I would see him flipping through it a few more times over the next few minutes. So I am glad that I was able to help Zellie's book reach someone in the band. I am glad that her memory has now been shared with the band she loved, and they know that she lived and that she made so many people happy in her short time on earth. I felt Zellie's vibrant spirit all that weekend; when Zellie was part of the OSA, she always liked to say that one of the things our community offered was "love", and I saw this firsthand myself during the entire weekend. Virtual strangers coming together and forging new friendships. People coming from all corners of the world to share in our mutual love of this music. There was nothing but support and positive vibes all weekend long. It was all about the love that Zellie once promised. Her wish came true.
After we gave him Zellie's book, I brought out the other gift that I had brought specifically for him; a cute book called Disneystrology, which tells you which Disney character you are based on your birthday. I figure you can never go wrong with Disney! He also loved that book, and went to look up his character (which is Tiana from The Princess and the Frog). That was fun!
Lastly, we also gave him some copies of the OSA video request campaign; of all the videos we requested that made it onto Reelz Channel back in '10. I was actually hoping to meet with Christian (the old program director) at one of the shows, but he never e-mailed me back. I hope he'll come into the forum sometime and let us know how he liked the shows!
So our time with Tuomas was coming to an end, and we all took a picture together (I am debating whether or not to share it, as I forgot to take my glasses off before we took the picture, so I think I look positively awful). As we said our goodbyes, I went to hug Tuomas, and he kissed me goodbye. What a gentleman!
At that point, our interview done, we were led to the VIP area, where we would wait to get our tickets from the Roadrunner rep. It was a nice enclosed area, where we would hear all kinds of good music from Nightwish to Delain to Sirenia, and even Tarja's solo stuff. We ran into the couple from Houston, as well as Zoe, all of them eager to know how the interview went. I was still a little stunned that it had happened, so all I could really say was, "I can't wait for everyone to read it!" At that point, Desi recognized someone she had been talking to in line at the in-store from the day before, so we spent most of our time hanging out with him and talking about music. Always nice to have these discussions in person, as it seems us metal fans are so few and far-between that it appears the only time we *do* get together to have these sorts of discussions is online. So it was nice to pass the time away not standing in line, but seated in a relatively comfortable, well-lit area.
Eventually the Roadrunner rep finds us and gives us some tickets, and explains on how we can be seated in the handicapped section. When we got inside the venue through the VIP area, it was my first glimpse at the seating in Gibson Amphitheater, and I really liked it. We could see the area where Desi's group was seated, so we asked if there was available seating in that section (which was only one over from where they wanted to seat us anyway). After a few minutes of security arranging everything, we were able to end up in the same section as Desi's group, about 4 or 5 rows behind them.
Once we all met back up, Desi went to the merch booth to see if there were any new shirts available, and would let me know if there was. Nothing new on the list except for a lovely flag in the "Birdie" design, but it was small, and more like a scarf or large handkerchief than a flag. It was nice, but I didn't care to buy one. I was more interested in the t-shirts, and they had the same one as on Thursday night.
Around this time, I got some texts from Melusina; she was in the venue and wanted to know where I was sitting so we could meet up. She eventually found me, and it was so good to talk to her after all these years! So nice to meet some old-school OSAers face-to-face, as well as the new folks. She mentioned to me that Cloud (a name that should ring a bell to some of you old-timers) really wanted to come to the show, but wasn't able to. I was glad to hear that Cloud is doing well, and I hope he will stop lurking and post again like he used to! It was also very cool to meet Mel's fiance; he's a very nice guy and they make such a cute couple. They told me that they are getting married this September; I told them that Tuomas just informed us that is around the time the band should be back in the U.S., so they were happy to hear that, although they'd already planned their honeymoon for the 2013 70K Tons of Metal Cruise. Doesn't sound like a bad honeymoon destination at all!
So after hanging out with OSAers before the show, the opening act, Dommin, hits the stage. I thought they were OK; I was told by the rep at Roadrunner that they had a sort of Type O Negative-type sound, and I could hear a little bit of that. They also did a cover of Type O's "My Girlfriend's Girlfriend" during their set, which was pretty good. I might consider checking out one of their albums, they weren't bad at all.
However, I didn't think much of Amorphis; they were heavy, and they put on a good show, but the music overall wasn't really for me. Maybe I was just so anxious for Nightwish at this point, that it wouldn't have mattered too much if they were good or not. But I don't think so; even when I'm anxious for the band, I still try to listen to the opening acts and see if their sound is something I'd be interested in. I didn't feel this way about Amorphis. They seemed to have a lot of fans in the audience, though, so it is fun to observe as an outsider and watch their fans watch them.
During Amorphis' set, I took some time to text Taimi and give her a brief synopsis on my thoughts about this whole weekend, and she put it up on our Facebook. We wanted to try and get a message up on the Gibson "text screen", but neither of us were sure how to do those text message + number-type things, so the message didn't go through.
It was a little after 10 when Nightwish finally hit the stage, and just like at Key Club, Troy was alone in the middle of the stage, just he and his pipes, playing the intro of "Finlandia", as each bandmember made their way onstage. Except this time, when "Storytime" kicked in, there was plenty of pyro to emphasize the point.
Here's the setlist, as I texted it to Taimi:
Intro/Finlandia
Storytime
Wish I Had an Angel
Amaranth
Scaretale
The Siren
Slow, Love, Slow
I Want my Tears Back
The Crow, the Owl, and the Dove
The Islander
Nemo (acoustic)
Last of the Wilds
Planet Hell
Song of Myself
Last Ride of the Day
The Poet and the Pendulum
Over the Hills and Far Away
Just like the set at Key Club, the set at Gibson sounded phenomenal, and Anette was on fire from the first song. She sounded much better on "Storytime" at this show. The pyro was awesome too; it especially fit the mood of "Scaretale". It was also featuring during "I Want my Tears Back" and "Song of Myself", from what I can remember. I'm sure there was more during other songs, but that was where it stood out most for me.
Here's the best shots I could get of the pyro.
"Slow, Love, Slow" was a highlight of the show both times, that slow, sensual groove is even more enchanting live, and for tonight's show, she wore a nice hat to go along with her long black dress.
During "The Islander", Marco encouraged everyone to turn on their cell phones, or get their lighters out in the old-fashioned way. In seconds, the Gibson turned into a thousand tiny points of light, illuminating the enclosed arena.
The energy from the Key Club was just as high at the Gibson, and the intimate feel did not lose anything in the transition to a bigger arena. The band played with as much passion and enthusiasm as they did the other night, and the "big show elements" only seemed to add from this, not take away from it or overpower it. I only wish my camera had taken better pictures.
The show was incredible! And well, Tuomas is either very humble, or he saved one last surprise for us at the interview when he said that there wouldn't be that much pyro. From the way he made it sound, we would hardly get a flickering flame, and instead we get all kinds of nice pyro display, and a beautiful array of fireworks at the end of the show! There was also lots of confetti, but I don't think the few pieces I tried to save ended up surviving the trip home.
We had a fantastic vantage point, but unfortunately, my view was blocked by a very tall person a few rows down, who just couldn't seem to move that slight centimeter over so that I could get clear, perfect pictures of Tuomas, as he was on our side of the stage. My zoom lens didn't seem to cooperate well either; I have so many settings on this camera, and the buttons are so small, so I had trouble trying to find where my settings were, and couldn't seem to get a single good picture the entire night.
The show ended with a lot of enthusiasm when the band played "Over the Hills and Far Away". It's a great show closer, and the crowd seemed to love it. When the show ended, it seemed most everyone was smiling and appeared to have a good time. I would run into the Bruelands one last time before heading out to the elevator that would eventually lead us out to the venue. It was great to have shared this special weekend with so many people, and it all too quickly came to an end.
It was after 1 in the morning when Desi and the gang dropped me off at my aunt's house, and we all regretted that we had to part ways. We'd only been in each other's company for a few days, but we already felt like we'd known each other forever and were sorry that our fantastic weekend was already coming to a close. I wished them a safe journey back home, and couldn't wait to return home myself, so I could share these memories with all of you!
This was a weekend I'll never forget; I was so proud to show off my hometown to all the visitors, and to show why I love this city and why it is still and will always be my home. I hope that all the OSAers throughout the weekend felt comfortable in L.A., enjoyed their time there, and returned with as many wonderful memories as I did. I don't know if we'll ever have a chance to do something like this again, but I can't wait to see some of you in the fall, when Nightwish returns for a full U.S. tour! I can tell the rest of you who were unable to attend, you are in for a treat indeed! The shows were a lot of fun, full of energy and enthusiasm, and the setlist was fantastic. I would have liked to see a little more variation than from just the last 3 albums, but it is the beginning of the tour, so maybe they will incorporate some other songs here and there as time goes on. It will be interesting to see what songs are on the setlist by the time they return.
Overall, I have no disappointments about either of the shows; both of them were special in their own way. Anette's voice has improved vastly, Troy is a great addition to the stage show, and the rest of the band puts all they've got into their performances. By the end of OSA Weekend, I had seen Nightwish a grand total of 5 times, and they put on a fantastic live show. I can hardly wait for them to return in the fall; I'm so ready for Round 6!!!
Taimi
Wishmistress
C.
OSA Webmistress
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I wrote all the parts...there are 3 altogether. Part 1 is on the last page.
Enigma: I recognize the name of the person who did the interview you linked; I think she was doing her interview with him as we were waiting.
Edit: I fixed some of the pictures in the two posts that weren't showing up. And for some reason I accidentally put up one of the other pictures instead of my favorite shot of Marco & Emppu together, so now that's fixed too. So is the first picture among the pyro shots. Enjoy!
Enigma: I recognize the name of the person who did the interview you linked; I think she was doing her interview with him as we were waiting.
Edit: I fixed some of the pictures in the two posts that weren't showing up. And for some reason I accidentally put up one of the other pictures instead of my favorite shot of Marco & Emppu together, so now that's fixed too. So is the first picture among the pyro shots. Enjoy!
This statement caught my eye:
"Nightwish is the most popular band hailing from Finland, followed by HIM and The Rasmus at a distant 3rd"
Who the hell are The Rasmus? I've never heard of them. I'd have said Stratovarius or Children of Bodom instead of that band.
The Rasmus are a rock/alternative/goth band who started in 1995, gained huge domestic success as a teenage rock band with their first four album releases until broke through internationally in 2003 with their 5th album "Dead Letters" and the seven videos released from that album which all got plenty of airtime on MTV Europe. When released in the USA in 2004 it reached the Top 20 of the American Billboard Heatseeker charts. The 6th album "Hide From The Sun" (2005) and their latest "Black Roses" (2008) had almost similar success and cemented their position in Europe, Australia and some Asian countries but like usual, the North American media seemed to be too domestically oriented for a foreign band to get airtime. The next album is due this spring after the band taking their time to hone it for almost 3 years in the studio.
As a curiosity, During the recording of "Black Roses" Anette Olzon was asked to sing a duet "October&April" with Rasmus's lead singer Lauri Ylönen. It was dropped from the album because it didn't fit the concept and was released as a single and a video in 2009 hitting #3 in the Finnish single charts.
[/offtopic]
As a curiosity, During the recording of "Black Roses" Anette Olzon was asked to sing a duet "October&April" with Rasmus's lead singer Lauri Ylönen. It was dropped from the album because it didn't fit the concept and was released as a single and a video in 2009 hitting #3 in the Finnish single charts.
[/offtopic]
The Rasmus have some great stuff. I learned about them when I was looking for some Annette demos/collaborations.
nodoubtaholic
Member
Aww, I love your recap C!!! It's awesome to read! I'm so glad I, and the rest of us , were able to help make your weekend such a good one! It really was a blast. Cara and I have already framed our signed copies of Imaginaerum. She finally gave me her pictures, so I will be uploading them (somewhere?) soon. Hopefully I can add my own review here sometime soon. You did get some decent shots from the Gibson show, both Cara and I's from Gibson are pretty terrible. Oh well, that's what sharing is for, right?
, were able to help make your weekend such a good one! It really was a blast. Cara and I have already framed our signed copies of Imaginaerum. She finally gave me her pictures, so I will be uploading them (somewhere?) soon. Hopefully I can add my own review here sometime soon. You did get some decent shots from the Gibson show, both Cara and I's from Gibson are pretty terrible. Oh well, that's what sharing is for, right?
C.
OSA Webmistress
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Compared to my Wiltern show pictures, the ones I got at Gibson are downright shameful. But I was glad to see quite a few of them were still half-decent.
Photos are amazing and I really like the photos C took of the first show as well because looking down on them is an unusual vantage point you don't often get.
I love hearing about everyone's experiences, its the next best thing to being there.
I love hearing about everyone's experiences, its the next best thing to being there.
Nightwish posted pics from the LA show.
http://www.nightwish.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=213&page=1
(I'm in two of them )
http://www.nightwish.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=213&page=1
(I'm in two of them
)
C.
OSA Webmistress
- Aug 11, 2007
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