That is *so* awesome. I randomly had Elvenpath in my head the other day while pulling weeds (funny where the mind goes during boring yardwork).
I haven't kept up with them since I was young, so I don't know what they play now... Looks like their closest will be in Tennessee (typical). I might go for it...
My favorite singer joined the band a few years ago. I like Nightwish, but I'm far more a Floor Jansen fan than a Nightwish fan. I like their instrumentals and lyrics, but Tarja's vocal style never quite resonated with me. I find many of their songs I don't learn to appreciate until I find a good recording of Floor singing it (example:
Ghost Love Score). The concert was great. There's only a handful of Nightwish songs that I know really well, but their sound was great and perfectly executed. I have a much better appreciation for the whole band after seeing them in person. Tuomas, especially, seems way cooler to me now. I already knew Marco is a badass.
And Floor lived up to all my expectations. Her performance is fucking ***flawless***. She has just as much raw power and expression on stage as she does in studio recordings. You know those really high, long, difficult notes that the vast majority of singers will put on their albums but skimp out on live? She doesn't do that. She hits every single one - perfectly. Sometimes better. And she works the stage really well. Genuinely gives the impression that she loves performing. Of course, she has a natural stage presence advantage due to her giant stature.
If you get a chance, I recommend going. They hand everyone a free copy of the Decades compilation album (full of remasters) as you walk into the venue. I hope they make a live DVD from this tour, too. I'd really like some good quality recordings of Floor performing these old Nightwish songs. Elvenpath was on the setlist.
I tried to take some pictures, but they all turned out fuzzy :/