KORPIKLAANI returned to Brazil after several years of waiting and anticipation; the last gig was in 2015. The first concert took place in São Paulo during Odin’s Krieger Fest, a festival dedicated to the folk scene. Past editions included bands such as FAUN, CORVUS CORAX, METSATÖLL, HEIDEVOLK, among others.
The venue, Carioca Club, is famous for having hosted other Finnish bands, and the last time I saw a full house was none other than STRATOVARIUS when they played there in 2019. The festival offers arts and crafts kiosks with products related to folk variety. For instance, locally made mead, silver Viking-inspired jewelry, and medieval clothing. The lineup featured local bands: TUNAS CELTIC BAND, ELDHRIMNIR, TABERNA FOLK, and TERRA CELTA.
KORPIKLAANI took the stage around midnight to celebrate their 20th anniversary with this tour, and they delivered an amazing concert with 26 songs. Most of the audience was dancing on what clearly became a dance floor. The energy flow was reminiscent of what one might imagine from a music video—sounds of laughter, beer cans being raised, and even drinking horns were in sight.
Having the chance to check out bands outside my own country, it always strikes me to notice how band members get awestruck with a Brazilian audience. Maybe it’s because we don’t have the chance to see them live every now and then, or the fact that some people travel from another city to São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro only for the concert. I can’t really choose only one aspect, but there is definitely something about our spirits that captivates people, and maybe the tropical weather also helps.
One great example of this was when “Jägermeister” started playing, and a fan from the front row simply raised his own Jägermeister bottle and offered it to Jonne. This is the type of thing one cannot put on the script, as it simply happens, and it was great to witness. The new track released a few weeks ago, “Gotta Go Home,” was already familiar to fans and well-received indeed.
Another surprise during the concert was the announcement of a new track that we got the chance to listen to firsthand, and as Jonne mentioned, we would be able to catch the lyrics quite quickly—and he was right about it. “Saunaan” has the authentic KORPIKLAANI sound, and everyone got the chorus tempo right, as if we all somehow knew. The entire gig was a huge party, and I must admit how I’ve missed them live. It was the kind of concert where one could not stop smiling the whole time. The concert ended around 2 a.m., and people took their time to enjoy one last beer, talk with friends that they only meet during concerts, and then, well, we all had to say “Gotta Go Home.”
Setlist
- A Man With a Plan
- Wooden Pints
- Happy Little Boozer
- Journey Man
- Pilli on pajusta tehty
- Sanaton maa
- Ievan polkka
- Jägermeister
- Gotta Go Home
- Tuli kokko
- Pixies Dance
- Hummani Hei
- Pidot
- Viima
- Kipumylly
- Leväluhta
- Niemi
- Kotikonnut
- Metsämies
- Ämmänhauta
- Saunaan (Live debut)
- Tequila
- Huolettomat
- Ennen
- Beer Beer (Encore)
- Vodka (Encore)
Written by Denise Di Lallo Ragazzo
