You Had Me at Hello!

Moonsorrow (or as we fans often say, "The Mighty Moonsorrow!") kicked all sorts of butt at the Gramercy Theater in New York City last week. I'm glad I was there, to finally see one of my favorite bands in concert. They played as part of a quadruple bill, one that was originally to be all-Finnish in composition.

Moonsorrow were the third band to play, serving as a sort of co-headliner to the full headlining act, Finntroll. Swallow the Sun were the second band, and the openers should have been Survivors Zero. However, the latter couldn't get their work visas, and had to drop off the tour. Their replacements were local acts, changing from site to site. At the Gramercy, I was able to see the decent New Jersey project Operatika.

Swallow the Sun were pretty good. They have a good reputation, and I respect the occasional song of theirs that I've heard. Finntroll were good too, loud and aggressive in a way that their studio albums can't capture. But ultimately, I'm not a true fan of either band. I was there for Moonsorrow, and they delivered big time. It seemed that much of the crowd was also present for them, as the audience was eating out of their hands (well, figuratively) from the moment they took the stage. The guys were pleased with the reception, and poured their hearts into their performance (again, figuratively, of course). You can watch a clip of The Mighty Moonsorrow from this show here and here.

I arrived before any band had taken the stage, so I went to the basement to look over the merchandise and grab a beer. I bought a Moonsorrow shirt that features an axe-wielding Viking/Pagan warrior, standing over a crusader who has already been pierced by several arrows. I'm told it's just the thing for making small talk with the ladies. Be that as it may, I was correct in my hunch that some band members would be hanging out at the bar. Ville Sorvali and Janne Perttilä were in the company of a couple of Finnish journalists, and graciously made time to chat with me. They signed the booklets I had brought along for Voimasta ja Kunniasta and Tulimyrsky.

Moonsorrow hope to be able to tour North America yearly. If nothing else, they are like many other foreign bands, in that they play New York City every time they come to the USA. So I expect to see them again eventually. I just hope it is sooner, rather than later!