Tarja Brings Living the Dream – The Hits Tour to Baltimore

Pop Break Live: Tarja ‘Living the Dream’ Tour with Chaoseum at The Baltimore Soundstage on June 16, 2023

Words + Photos by David Weaver

Tarja Turunen, the original lead singer and co-founder of famed Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish, made a stop during her Living the Dream – The Hits tour in Baltimore, Maryland on June 16th. Despite the doors opening at 7pm, and concert goers filing steadily into Baltimore Soundstage, the line of eager fans continued down the street and around the block even half an hour later. Few singers have made as great of an impact for the genre of symphonic metal as Tarja has, and the large turnout of fans was evidence of just how far and wide her vocal impact has been felt.

Chaoseum Welcomes Baltimore to the Museum of Chaos

Formed in 2018, Chaoseum, a Swiss Nu-metal band, is quickly making a name for themselves in the genre. Despite having a relatively short set, just six songs, Chaoseum put on a high level concert. They’re incredibly versatile, as musicians, and are bringing a whole new level of innovation to the genre. The guitarist, for example, will be hammering out heavy, guttural riffs one moment, then playing the sort of soulful strums you’d find in classic rock the next. CK Smile, the vocalist, shifts between low and high tone growls, singing in a tenor with the occasional falsetto, and whispered narrations which, from a storytelling perspective, perfectly conveys the dark, menacing, yet chaotically intriguing sound of their music. The dark, moody strumming of the bass and the sharp, punctuating beats of the drums excellently accents the irregular shifts between the darker and more sublime elements of the song.

A lot of thought and ambition has gone into Chaoseum’s development and, considering their high level of performing, I see nothing but success in their future. In the same year they formed, they released their debut album “First Step to Hell” and have gone on multiple US and European tours since then. In November of 2022, they released their fourth album “The Third Eye,” which shows them continue to expand upon their sound and style. While some bands will save the performance and storytelling elements for their shows, Chaoseum incorporates them not only in their concerts, but in their music as well. “The Third Eye” music plays less like an album and more like an intensive thriller or horror story in the best of ways. With releasing four albums in four years, and further refining their sound with each release, Chaoseum’s talent and hard work is undeniable.

Chaos is all-consuming, and Chaoseum is here to guide the way into musical madness. You don’t want to miss seeing this band live. It’ll be well worth the trip, no matter where you see them.

Set list:

Unreal
I, Sexy Zombie
Dance on My Grave
Smile Again
Until the End
My Wonderland

Chaoseum

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Tarja is the Undisputed Queen of Metal

Few metal bands have made as great of an impact as Nightwish, and no vocalist has been more beloved and respected as Tarja. It’s not just her three and a half octave range as a soprano that’s outstanding, it’s her charisma and showmanship, her devotion to having created and continued to evolve her own, unique genre of music. She is both singer and storyteller, a true musical marvel.

Tarja, considered a pioneer for blending rock and classical music, debuted her solo career in 2007 with the album My Winter Storm, which received high praise. Tarja, now having an avenue to sing her own music and to focus on further refining her style, has continued to thrive. The concert consisted of her playing some of her most popular songs from across her career, whether that’s “I Walk Alone” and “Die Alive” off her debut solo album; “I Feel Immortal” and “Until My Last Breath” off her 2010 release What Lies Beneath; or her singles “Victim of Ritual” and “Shadow Play.” Tarja has such an impressive roster of hits that the 17-song long setlist could easily have been doubled.

As a special treat for the audience, at the closing of “I Feel Immortal,” she sang “Nemo” from when she was the vocalist of Nightwish. To say it was well-received would be an understatement. From the moment the first piano chord was played, the audience recognized the song and roaring cheers filled Baltimore Soundstage, attendees singing along through the whole chorus, pumping their fists in the air all the while.

If members of the audience weren’t fans of Tarja, it was clear they were by the end of the night. During “Shadow Play,” Tarja left the stage and her two guitarists and bassists let loose the most epic of solos, trading off, playing back-to-back, with even the bassist lifting his guitar and playing with his mouth. At this point, Baltimore lost its mind and loud cheers filled the concert venue, growing louder all the while when Tarja returned to the stage. The solo lasted several minutes, but it felt far too brief as the entire audience was enraptured by it, losing their sense of time amidst the rocking vibes. By the time the song ended, there was a brief awed silence before the audience broke out into chants of “Holy sh*t! Holy sh*t! Holy sh*t!” They were completely blown away by the shear musicality they had witnessed. Tarja, much like her debut album, had brought a chilling, all-consuming storm of rock, performed with the crystalline clarity and refinement that only her unique style could do.

Tarja remains the undisputed Queen of Metal and with each album release, every single recorded, she continues to impress. You can catch Tarja on her US tour now through 30 June. Afterward, she will be touring through Europe tour until the end of September. I highly recommend seeing her live.

Set list: