Cello Metal band brings the thunder to the Commodore Ballroom
Tia Fox // Opinions Editor
This year was the 20th anniversary of Apocalyptica’s first album and their concert promised to be epic. Fans lined up down the block to get in, and many people were dressed to impress – heavy metal style.
The Commodore is a fantastic venue and the size was even more impressive and apparent that night. An hour before the band even came on stage, a crowd four people deep had already formed pressed against the pit wall, all hoping to get as close to Apocalyptica as possible. I decided to sit at a table a little off to the side to observe the action.
Twenty minutes before the show started, the room was comfortably packed. All tables were taken and the famous Commodore sprung dance floor was practically creaking under the weight of all the people.
When Apocalyptica walked onto the stage, cellos in hand, the crowd roared. They dove right into their “Enter Sandman” cover, backlit with dramatic red lighting and a touch of smoke machine and the audience lost their minds. The set was largely based on Metallica’s Black Album, with a good mix of crowd pleasers and head bangers.
Eicca Toppinen was a great host, giving background to certain songs and joking with fans about “large Americans.” It was apparent that Toppinen and band-mate Perttu Kivilaakso are devoted to their fans, as they kept thanking us all for attending. At one point they played ACDC’s “Thunderstruck”, which somehow increased the energy of the room even more.
They finished with “Nothing Else Matters” and the entire ballroom sing-screamed along. But the best part was when they walked off stage and the rumble started. Usually for an encore everyone will clap loudly and shout encore. Not us. No, we clapped alright, but we screamed encore and stomped our feet so loudly I couldn’t hear anything but thunder.
Apocalyptica came back and played two amazing pieces back-to-back, with everyone swaying and singing. Toppinen ended the concert on a surprisingly sweet note, telling us all to “Take care of each other, love each other, but most importantly, love yourself.” It would be really hard to top this concert, but I really hope they try.