I've Upped My Standards.

(Read 5 orsell your soul)

Subject:	Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight
Time:	2:29 am.
Music:	Turisas Ra! Ra! Rasputin!.

Why Station 4 irritates me and why TURISAS is one of the best bands you're not listening to.

I attended PAGANFEST tonight. It really pissed me off. First of all, the advertising just said "5PM." I assumed that meant the doors opened at 5PM. Why would it mean anything different? Who the hell can get to a show by 5PM on a weekday?! Even so, that's pretty damned early by anybody's standards. And it's a Friday so what's the rush? So yeah, I figured the doors would open at 5PM and the first of the five bands would go on around 6PM, 5:30 if they were really champing at the bit to get the show going. I managed to make it there by 6PM, or just after six. The third band had just taken the stage. Seriously. In one hour's time I missed two bands, including the act I most wanted to see, Eluveitie. Did these bands play twenty minutes each or something? How fucking ludicrous. I had read about previous dates on this tour and how each band was given ample time to play a good variety of their music. But Station 4 decided to fuck the bands and the fans straight up the ass. Never mind the fact that their dinky little stage is too tiny to accommodate groups that have six or more members, they put the squeeze on every set to get people out of the venue by 10PM, for whatever reason. This was a great lineup of bands that were unnecessarily shortchanged along with the fans. Thanks a lot Station 4. Thanks for embarrassing us all. We'll be lucky if any of these bands ever come here again. Considering this was "Paganfest" they must all think we're Puritans or something.

Týr
Having missed Suidakra and Eluveitie, this was the first act I saw. They're really good on disc; crisp, tight and entertaining. Live, they sounded muddy, plodding and dull. I was really disappointed by their set. They might have had an "off" night or Station 4's soundboard had the "suck" knob turned all the way up. But this performance was truly terrible. I was already in a pissy mood for having missed Eluveitie. This band didn't help matters.

Ensiferum
This was the headlining act. They had the unfortunate job of following up Turisas, to their detriment. Ensiferum is a great act on CD. I can't say whether it was solely the fault of Station 4's sound system or not, but they came across as a wall of static devoid of any dynamics. They have a very treble-oriented sound that's almost Black Metal in its approach and there are a lot of intricate details that get lost in a poor sounding atmosphere like the one at Station 4. I was with a friend who was unfamiliar with their songs, and to him it just sounded like a constant hum of sameness. I was forced to agree. The band's excellent drummer was the only one who managed to cut through the din. I noticed a lot of people leaving during their set. Hell, I didn't even make it all the way through. I've never seen a Black Metal band at Station 4 but this made me think I'd skip any Black Metal show in this venue. I really think their system is rather deficient.

TURISAS
Whether or not you're into any of the various subgenres of Metal, Turisas is a band you need to see at least once. They're not particularly heavy yet they come across as ferocious. Exemplifying a style that has come to be known as "Viking Metal" or, as the title of their debut album suggested, "Battle Metal," this is music that rocks hard while embracing the traditional sounds of their Finnish homeland. Making a Polka seem Metal ain't easy, yet Turisas can pull it off and turn it into something irresistibly infectious. Wearing fur skin suits with their bodies painted a brilliant orange-red color accented by black streaks, each player embodies a primal sort of drive and hunger. Violinist Olli Vänskä is astounding to watch. He's one of the best violinists I've ever seen. He plays an incredibly cool-looking electrified instrument and displays a wide range, often within the same song. I've always thought it cool when a band includes a violinist. But no violinist I've ever seen compares to Olli.

Netta Skog was the fill-in accordion player, but this fiery Finnish lady certainly didn't seem like a "replacement." She put on a performance as bold as the rest of the boys. In January, original accordionist Janne "Lisko" Mäkinen "disappeared mysteriously in Amsterdam." Yeah. No shit. But Netta is a great player and fit in easily, impressing everyone in attendance with her skills. Everyone but the drummer joins in on vocals and many of the shouts are infectious. You can't help but join in, they're so catchy. Just before their cover of Boney M's disco classic "Rasputin," vocalist/frontman Mathias Nygård commanded the concert-goers to split into two sections, and the crowd responded by parting like the Red Sea. He directed each half in a chant, one side led by the accordion and the other by the violin. He had the crowd eating out of his hand, not out of some kind of dominance but because the act had successfully positioned itself as equals and tapped into the primal instincts of a crowd looking to abandon their cares and embrace a meaningful and great time commonly shared by like-minded individuals. It ceased to be a band and its followers. We were all a tribe celebrating togetherness and enjoying powerful, fun songs. The band put everything into the performance and, by the end of the show, their make-up had been washed clean by perspiration.

After the Paganfest tour ends Turisas will most likely embark on a tour of their own. You should be hoping they stop here again and, if they do, you should do whatever it takes to attend. I've seen a great many bands in my time but Turisas impressed and inspired me. I don't care what kind of music you prefer, I have no doubt in my mind you would enjoy a performance as good as the one this act puts forth.

So Turisas saved the night for me. Even so, I'm upset. Yeah, I'm "not supposed to" criticize because "I should just be happy someone's booking shows like this." Even so, this really fucking irritated me. I'm sure most every other stop on this tour gave people their money's worth. Station 4 really didn't, as far as I'm concerned.

At least the Metal kids attending "Paganfest" weren't half as stinky as the "Pagans" that typically attend Renfest. That was a definite plus.

( TURISAS footage on YouTube )