Blind Guardian Shines At Varsity Theater
Now that it is December, the festive fun of the holiday season runs up the anxiety and bogs down the mental capacity to actually enjoy the moment. Everything is going so fast, schedules begin to bloat and overflow. Money is magically disappearing at every turn from the “It’s only 20 dollars” Secret Santas to your best friend’s cousin’s kid’s mid month birthday. Why would someone not want a bit of escape into the dark with some great music? Yah concerts do require you to shell out clams for a ticket, but $50 for these three bands seems like a steal for the performance we got.
Of course a winter storm watch was in effect, not too bad out when getting there but it was COOOOOLD. Still not used to it, need more outside time in the elements. Few people in line a little after doors, but Varsity got everyone through very efficiently so folks didn’t have to wait long. Staff is such a critical variable that can make or break a show. From IDing and secutiy checks, if one person is slacking, it sends a break through the whole chain. No problem at all, quickly was inside to catch probably the longest merch line I’ve seen since Cannibal Corpse earlier this year. Snaking down the entire left side of the floor, lined up in their pre-worn metal garb waiting to get some fresh duds.
First support for the night was a band I’d never seen before, and with a sick female vocalist. Even better. Listened to a small handful of their catalog, so knew I was in for an epic treat. Seven Kingdoms had a near full floor ready to hear them. When the metal kids come out, they come out for EVERY band. It’s one of my favored avenues for discovering new bands, getting to see how they perform live in concert is a divining rod for style. I’m not sure why this band felt European, but this Florida group can shred like nobody’s business. Sultry siren vocalist Sabrina Valentine also happens to be married to the also very talented guitarist and founding member of Seven Kingdoms, Camden Cruz. Her voice is strong and piercing, able to hit those high notes with ease alongside holding them within an inch of forever.
After a phenomenal opening set, grabbed a delicious BlackStack Local 755 IPA to chat with some friends and their spouses in the crowd. They were mostly here for Ensiferum, who seemed to be the darling of the crowd once they got going. Lots of co-ed presence at this show, not that it should be a mark of distinction but always interesting to see a more than normal amount of gals in the audience. My fellow photographer Nate who I was chit chatting with was actually just attending the show versus shooting it, so brought a friend with who didn’t have much metal familiarity. A great slice of metal to bring a greenhorn to. Approachable, technical, well-rounded. Hard not to appreciate talent if you are truly a music fan when the deck is stacked so lovely.
The Finnish boys were ready to take the stage. It was finally a little toasty inside, so made for a cozy reprieve from the Minnesota weather. One of my most treasured ways to be thawed. No better way to crack open their set in the icy Midwest than playing their appropriately named jam “Winter Storm Vigilantes.” This type of band you just have to stand in awe and watch. Fingers flying across the frets and rhythmic lullabies enchant you. Since becoming a band in 1995, they have had some time to perfect their craft. And honestly, every song WAS perfect. Of course they are not alone in their seasoned abilities, just always a delight to fully enjoy every song. Their tone was delicious. A little bit of theatrics but not too much. They do have a folk element swirling in their aesthetic which includes their members’ faces being accented with tribal markings. Something familiar, something foreign. All quality. After their set was over I was ready to don a sword and shield if needed!
Now was time for some German flavor. The audience was vibrating with anticipation. Not the typical “oh yeah lets fucking rock” attitude that many metal bands channel. This was more of a studious wait. Like an important class was about to start, and all eyes forward to wait our beloved maestro. Maybe it’s due to Blind Guardian being around since 1984, forming originally in what is now former West Germany that makes it seem more epic. Having a long illustrious career for four decades makes either jaded pocket-hungry curmudgeons or royal living legends. They are definitely the latter.
When you think of speed and power metal, there would be no genre without Blind Guardian. Having influenced countless bands, they built that solid bedrock brick by brick. Seems only appropriate given their namesake. When making music, which I have zero talent in personally, you never know how magnetic it can become. They are proof they still have that pull forty years later after starting. Bands of course change out members over the years for many creative and logistical reasons, but only 9 members have existed in Blind Guardian who began as Lucifer’s Heritage. They did change the band name in 1987 so not to be confused or associated with satanists. Satanic panic was real, understand wanting to make that distinction. It’s funny to me that anyone would think anything untoward about them with their mix of Lord of The Rings inspiration and old tavern celebrations.
The gentle moments of their music contrasts beautifully with its more heavy aspects. Opening with banger “Into The Storm,” the band played a handful of tunes before getting into the meat of the set. Fan-favorite album Somewhere Far Beyond being played in full was next on the menu. Able to melt into the riffs with ease is putting it lightly. Vocalist Hansi Kürsch who has been there from the beginning sounded fantastic. Awesome to see someone who has been around as long as he has singing and enjoying himself like any other younger whipper-snapper. Smiles were emanating from the other band members as well, appearing to be enjoying themselves on this cold winter night’s journey. One cannot review a Blind Guardian show without mentioning the Bard’s Song. The first portion, “In the Forest” sounds like it was written in a middle-earth tavern. The crowd carried this one, singing dang near every line as loud as they could. The second portion, “The Hobbit” picked up the pace and and carried us into the last two songs of Somewhere Far Beyond.
I get why their merch line was long, will most certainly be taking my spot in line amongst the horde at the next show!
