PAGANFEST 2008

This was quite possibly the best show I've been to.  Finnish 'Heroic Folk Metal' band Ensiferum was headlining, followed by another of my favorite bands, Turisas.  The first band we saw was Eluveitie from Switzerland, which I had never heard of.  To my surprise, they put on an awesome show, with bagpipes and flutes and this weird thing called a hurdy gurdy.  Apparently it's like a fiddle with a crank.  Fucking strange.  Their sound is sorta like a way more metal version of Flogging Molly, at least from what I've heard.  Turisas was absolutely insane live.  Before the band came onstage, speakers were blasting their epic introduction song off their Battle Metal album.  Then most of the band appeared and went straight into As Torches Rise.  The lead vocalist, "Warlord" Nygard, is probably the most badass person alive.  The entire band is covered in fur and war paint, and the Warlord had some armor on top of all the other viking shit.  Halfway through their set, the Warlord demanded a beer, then launched into One More, one of the coolest songs ever written by any band.  Ever.  Though their set was disappointingly short, it was ridiculously intense, and I loved every second of it.  After that, I was almost too exhausted to enjoy Ensiferum.  But Petri Lindroos and Marcus Toivonen tore it up on guitar.  About halfway through the set, the bassist and drummer went into a sort of jazz/blues interlude, which culminated in some fantastic bass playing.  At the end, Marcus tossed his pick into the crowd and my pal Mr. Biel caught it and gave it to me, for which I am extremely grateful.  

All in all, a great show.  The tour is still going on, so you guys need to go see it.