On the evening of March 16th, 2023, we had the opportunity to attend a KORPIKLAANI concert at the Utopia club in Turku. The band, who have already become somewhat legendary, gathered large a number of folk metal fans, being known for their lively and playful stage presence, including equal parts headbanging and dancing along to their highly catchy melodies.
They started with a Finnish version of “A Man with a Plan”: an energetic, joyful song about a dude who just wants to get hammered. That was followed by a mix of their most popular songs, both old and new. At one point in the concert, they even played “Ievan Polkka” as an interlude, to which I happily mimicked a leek spin, but then realized that I was just giving away how old I am.
Throughout the night, lead singer Jonne Järvelä engaged with the crowd, urging them to sing and clap along, and they sure did. The energy in the audience was pure happiness, with people dancing and laughing with each other.
The setlist might have very well been tailored to perfection, with a balance of old and new songs, but you can be sure that after each of them, the audience loudly demanded “Vodka,” which remains the band’s most famous composition. The wish was granted during the encore, since “Vodka” is often saved for the end of the concert and is a crowd favorite.
