I genuinely cannot believe it has been more than a year since the last time I attended a T. JARVA & THE DARK PLACE concert, but life happens, adulting sucks, and so on. Saturday, March 28th, 2026, was the day when the planets aligned conveniently and made it possible for me to witness, once again, what these two gentlemen, Taneli Jarva and Sami Hassinen, have built with love and passion over the past years. The show was held at Sellosali in Espoo, a city northwest of Helsinki, a great venue indeed for such a classy, intimate yet relaxed event.
They started out as a duo playing a couple of covers, “Kathleen” and “Flying Shoes” by Townes Van Zandt, which Taneli introduced as some of the songs that motivated them to pick up acoustic instruments and start practicing back in 2018. The duo eventually evolved into a full lineup, and that’s exactly how it unfolded on stage that night, as the rest of the band joined in, shaping a five‑piece group, so far, at least, with the choir set to join later.
It’s hard to believe that it has already been two years since the release of their debut album “Post Festum”: tracks like “Can’t Let Go” (on which keyboardist Janne Immonen played 12-string guitar) and “A Drunkard’s Prayer” still sound fresh and engaging, yet familiar and cozy, like a comfort food from childhood that you still turn to even in your forties (true story).
Another cover that has been part of their set since the very beginning soon followed: “Dagger Moon” by DEAD MOON. Taneli also pointed out that the band’s only surviving member, Toody Cole, is coming to Finland next summer with her new project. It was service information, unexpected but definitely useful, delivered with his usual spontaneity, making the whole crowd feel like long‑time friends: priceless.
The next song in line, “Pray for Death,” was performed live for the first time that night, a moment that honestly exceeded my expectations on so many levels. It’s a full‑fledged instant classic, and it makes me feel confident that the next album will be at least as strong as the first. Janne and Sami’s backing vocals pushed the whole thing over the edge, adding extra depth and intensity.
The instrumental tune that followed felt like a heartfelt homage to those who have left too soon, a moment where words fall short of expressing that peculiar mix of loss and gratitude. Sami Käyhkö’s drumming was particularly impressive, as was Sami Hassinen’s guitar work, which carried both weight and subtlety in equal measure.
Right after that, Taneli invited the three choristers on stage: Riina Rinkinen, Hanna Wendelin, and Tarja Leskinen. Their names might ring a bell, as they used to be in SLEEP OF MONSTERS, who disbanded a couple of years ago. Tarja is the most recent addition to T. JARVA & THE DARK PLACE’s lineup, and she also took part in the upcoming album recordings. The band delighted the audience with the new song “Hades Children,” which was released as a single at the end of last year, accompanied by a very interesting video. The tune marks a clear evolution in the band’s sound, even drawing from bossa nova, resulting in an old‑fashioned, warmly appreciated atmosphere that the audience clearly enjoyed. For some reason, right after that, Taneli thanked us in perfect Italian, maybe as a quiet echo of the song’s theme, maybe just a fleeting nod to the years he spent in Rome as a kid; I won’t dare to guess what he had in mind. Either way, it felt fun, unexpected, and oddly in tune with the overall vibe.
He introduced the next song as a “semi‑fictional true story about a young man in the ’90s, a teenage satanist,” and we immediately realized he was talking about “Bride of Jesus.” A guy in the audience, who was sitting behind me, caught the not‑so‑hidden reference to Taneli’s years in SENTENCED and IMPALED NAZARENE, something quite clear if you listen to the lyrics and connect the dots. He laughed, and I laughed, too.
The sound of yelping dogs took me by surprise while Taneli was introducing the next tune and asking who of us had a dog waiting at home to be taken out to pee, or maybe a cat expecting the owner to clean the litter box. Sami asked how many dog or cat people were attending the event, and it was clear that cat people outnumbered dog people. Then he added, “Hey, cat people, we’re about to play a song about dogs!” Taneli replied that he used to be a cat person back in the day, but now he has dogs, so he might be a bit of both. He constantly cares and worries about his dogs, and the moment he stops, they start yelping, exactly the sound coming from the loudspeakers. Long story short: “Pompeii Dog” was the song they played, featuring Mefisto and Rusina, Taneli’s dachshunds. The tune unfolds with a mystic‑like vibe vaguely reminiscent of THE DOORS, as well as different layers of tension that, if you ask me, definitely make it one of the best they’ve ever written.
A couple of older tunes followed, and I still think that “Venus is High” is one of the audience’s favorites, which is also the first song the band ever released, as Taneli pointed out. Then came “Golden Girl” and “The Crossroad’s Song,” on which I realized once again that they’ve gotten even better since the last time I saw them play, though I might have said that before, you know…
Another relatively new song followed: “Still and Cold,” released as a single at the beginning of last year. The audience always gets quite emotional at that point, and I cannot blame them. Riina’s solo part at the very end marked the emotional peak of the song, striking a perfect balance between softness and energy.
Taneli thanked us while sipping coffee from his mug, then they all left the stage. The audience was clapping in unison and shouting “we want more,” so they came back, and even though it didn’t feel like a surprise, the enthusiasm was palpable. Riina took her place next to Taneli at the center of the stage and explained that the following song was “Henry Lee,” a cover by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds featuring PJ Harvey, rearranged as a “trietto,” basically a duet with three people involved, with Hanna joining them as well. From what I understood, this might have been the last time they performed this song, so just in case, I tried to enjoy it to the fullest.
Tarja eventually joined her bandmates on stage, and Taneli thanked us once again for the amazing night, then asked us to sing along. “Mercy Curse” was the closing song that followed. Taneli moved from one side of the stage to the other while strumming, like a teenager with thirty years of stage experience under his belt, probably an accurate description of his stage persona by this point in the show. Ari, their double‑bass player, held the groove steady behind him, giving the whole thing a warm, grounded pulse that anchored the crowd’s last chorus.
The choristers’ voices added rich texture and emotional depth to the final stretch of the set, while Sami and Janne’s backing vocals reinforced the songs’ intimacy and warmth, turning what could have been a simple farewell into a full‑bodied, communal moment. By the time the last note faded, it still felt gentle and warm, like a really special night had come to an end, with that comforting sense that T.JARVA & THE DARK PLACE and this evening would stay in our memory longer than most. As for me, I really cannot wait for the album to come out.
Written by Licia Mapelli
Photos by Mirko L.
Setlist
- Kathleen (Townes Van Zandt cover)
- Flying Shoes (Townes Van Zandt cover)
- Can’t Let Go
- A Drunkard’s Prayer
- Dagger Moon (Dead Moon cover)
- Pray for Death
- Hades Children
- Bride of Jesus
- Pompeii Dog
- Venus is High
- Golden Girl
- Crossroads’ Song
- Still and Cold
- Henry Lee (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds cover)
- Mercy Curse
