As 2022 has been starting to look like a year of revival in the eyes of the music/live-event industry, we were more than thrilled to take on the chance to go see DANKO JONES play at Tavastia in Helsinki. Nearly 3 years had passed since our last time seeing the band play their Suvilahti show in July 2019 with THE OFFSPRING and HUORA, so the expectations were set high based off their last performance.
Upon arrival, just before the warmup band, HUUTO!, the venue was spacious and people were just starting to get there, and you could already see that majority of the crowd would consist of a more older generation (as one could maybe assume judging from the genre of the main act). As HUUTO! started playing, there was already a hefty number of viewers and they clearly had their own supporters amongst them for their chanting and cheering did not go unnoticed. The warmup act was cut very short, as they had only 30 minutes slot, but you could see from the energy of the band that the gig was highly anticipated by the artists. It was a very high-paced and cheerful warmup for the main event, one could say!
As the soundcheck started for DANKO JONES, the venue was starting to pack up, as the already once postponed show was nearly sold out. Due to past restrictions causing the aforementioned hiccups, we could sense that the crowd would let it all go during the upcoming performance. Everyone seemed so ecstatic to be out and listening to live music for the first time in the longest time. It was like the restrictions were never there to begin with, nor could you even notice that the show took place in the middle of the week, on a Wednesday evening! The people were finally getting their long-overdue share of entertainment and nightlife.
DANKO JONES started with a short intro, which straight-out burst into their anticipated energetic playing and greetings towards the audience. This was the first tour the band had started doing in 2 years, and you could sense the excitement of everyone on stage, as they bounced all over and made contact with the audience, especially the bassist, John Calabrese. Danko Jones himself gave several speeches during the show, telling about his appreciation for Tavastia as one of his all-time-favorite venues to play in and endorsing their newest release, “Power Trio.” They opened the show with a few of the older known songs to clearly test the audience, and they received a loud and warm welcome from the crowd (as expected). After that, they played more songs from the latest album, mixing up an old song here and there, and some short speeches about the current situation in showbusiness.
All-in-all the night was a success, meeting the expectations we had perfectly: the vibes overall were so positive and both bands performed with such energy and excitement. What a great way to open up the beginning of the summer season and prepare for the upcoming shows and festivals! Check out the full gallery from the night below!
HUUTO!
DANKO JONES
Photos by Janne Puronen
