Toronto - To Holmgard And Beyond

Band: Turisas
Venue: The Mod Club
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Date: Feb 9, 2012

Right after booking a trip to Hawaii, I found out that one of my 'top-6' favourite bands was coming to Canada... at the same time I'd be in Hawaii.  Normally I'd head out to much closer Vancouver for a show, but that wasn't going to work because I'd be 5,000 kilometers southwest when the band was in Vancouver.

I considered other cities - perhaps Denver, were Emilia lives - the woman who had first introduced me to the band - but that date too was a no-go because of my pre-existing Hawaii trip.

Instead, I looked east, and figured that if I flew out on Friday and flew back to Calgary on Sunday... I could catch the Toronto show before flying off to Hawaii on Monday.

... I didn't anticipate a crazy snowstorm hitting Toronto the day before I left...


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So... where do I go?

After taking a cab to the venue (much easier than trying to take transit in the crazy snow) I wasn't entirely sure where to go... this is the problem with unknown venues (which will always be the case when traveling for shows) and little/no/late signage, I'm never terribly sure where to go.  I was going to ask one guy standing around, until I realized he was waiting for a van to unload - he was one of the members of the opening act bands!  The line up was short when I got there, but I chatted with some folks, and through random conversations, those of us with the pre-shop meet & greet passes all got together, and eventually got in before the show to meet up with the band members.

Turisas' Guitar player Jussi Wickström

The meet & greet was filled with chatting, laughter, photos, autographs, and more than a little teasing and joking, before we headed back downstairs to wait for the official doors opening.  We got the chance to check our coats before everyone, and got in for front-row-center spots for the show.

Fanatical fans

The show was awesome, of course.. (I wouldn't bother writing about it if it weren't) and I was surprised to see the number of fans in black and red 'warpaint' or dressed up in the same style as the band.  I didn't anticipate that!

Turisas also had the chance to meet up with Sharon Ehman from Toxic Vision. Although I didn't see/recognize her, based on the photos she published a few days later, we were standing almost right beside one another - I remember her camera from the show! (I rarely see big DLSRs at the front row of a metal show!)

Vocalist (the Warlord) Mathias Nygård

I was a bit disappointed that they didn't have printed set lists for me to photograph/snag as a souvenir and to share with you, but instead I'm posting some of my photos!

On violin, Olli Vänskä