Suburban Tribe – Tavastia, Helsinki; July 30th, 2011
All the way to Helsinki to see Suburban Tribe’s last show ever and what a great show it was! I discovered them last fall when my friend I. dragged me to a concert and had hoped I would see them again. When I heard they announced that after 20 yars they felt they had nothing more to say and wanted to split, I knew this was my last chance so I went for it.
Rather than sharing the stairs with my friends I opted for a spot in front row. It was crowded and hot, but the occasional cool breezed from the doors kept me alive.
When the music started the place instantly went nuts. The atmosphere was charged with expectations and they were more than fulfilled. Ville Tuomi is one great showman and watching him at work is pure joy. He came out with his sunglasses on and his hair piled high on his head, pretending to be blind. The huge smile on his face showed how much he enjoyed being there and he gave all he got all night.
The man is bouncing across stage like a rubber ball with rasta hair flying all over the place and yet he never misses a note. An incredible voice and a great talent to entertain. Guitarists Roope Sirén and Euge Valovirta played their hearts out too, keeping the show going and Janne Joutsenniemi on bass as well as Alec Hirst-Gee on drums kept the beat, driving it forward.
Former singer Jouni Markkanen and former keyboarder Janne Puurtinen (Emerson Burton) were guesting and made the show even more colorful.
They gave us two hours of energy, fun and music, rocking the house down. everytime I looked around I saw nothing but happy faces. People screamed, jumped and danced, enjoying the moment, getting lost in the music.
I don’t know their songs well enough to sing along and I cannot remember the setlist other than that it ended with “Silent Rain”, but I know greatness when I see it and this was one hell of a show. When they were gone and the lights went back on I blinked, shook my head and exclaimed “Oh boy was that awesome!” I’m so happy I was part of this.