Photos/Review: Nightwish celebrates Decades at NYC’s Playstation Theater

Finnish Symphonic metal giants Nightwish kicked off their Decades world tour on Friday, March 9th in Atlanta, Georgia. The trek is coincidin with the release of their seventh compilation, the two-disc set, Decades, which arrived just in time via Nuclear Blast. This particular run didn’t include any opening acts as it was an intimate celebration of the band’s overall success. We were honored to attend their two-hour NYC spectacle on March 14th at the Playstation Theater.

Fans were taken by surprise as every attendee received a free copy of the band’s latest compilation, which made the once-in-a-lifetime evening extra special. It was unexpected and felt more-like a genuine gift as the night became instantly memorable before the band graced the stage.

Despite the lineup changes, Nightwish has continued to push through their obstacles as 2015’s Endless Forms Most Beautiful has already proven that nothing gets in their way. When the group parted ways with vocalist Tarja Turunen back in 2005, many feared for the bands future. Moving ahead, it’s been over a decade since her departure and fans continue to cry about it, feeling her one-of-a-kind voice remains irreplaceable. However, when the talented Floor Jansen officially joined in 2013 after being a touring replacement for Anette Olzon, these giants reached a whole new level where even their veteran fans embraced this change. Jansen is arguably the best since Turunen as she has catered to the group’s next chapter, which was visible throughout their New York City performance.

The venue filled quick and it was difficult for anyone to maneuver through the crowd. Eyes were glued to the stage while countless concert-goers bolted their feet to the ground, refusing to move in such a way that one could assume someone cast a spell on the house. Or perhaps, these jaw-dropping moments were due to the stunning background visuals that constantly changed to match the setlist.

The band remained in complete unison, as they made it obvious they enjoyed being there. Aside from her remarkable singing, Jansen’s face appeared to have been glowing throughout the entire set. Not only that, she wouldn’t stop dancing around, which made it evident that she more-than deserved to be there.

The night persisted with songs that you wouldn’t expect to hear including “10th Man Down,” “Gethsemane,” and “Dead Boy’s Poem,” as well as more-predictable tracks “Wish I Had an Angel,” “I Want My Tears Back,” and “Nemo.” As the evening progressed with a pristine and charismatic performance, the crowd was taken by another surprise as Jansen gave a special shout out to Stephen Hawking by dedicating the song “The Greatest Show On Earth” in his memory. It was an honorable moment since the renowned scientist passed away earlier that morning. This heartfelt moment moved towards the finale with “Ghost Love Score.”

Fans were left with a variety of emotion after hearing songs that span for over twenty years. One could say, it brought all of their tears back during the remarkable evening. This did feel as though it would be a once-in-a-lifetime event, which should be a requirement for all devoted Nightwish fans to experience.