Concert Review: Eklipse, Delain, Kamelot

Hey everyone, I'm going to do Stuck In My Skull's first ever concert review! Last night, Amanda and I and a few other folks went to see Eklipse and Delain open for Kamelot, and it was amazing.

First up, Eklipse. Eklipse is a German string quartet with some really excellent costumes and even better sound. This is their first tour in the US, and I don't really fault them for not really having refined their act that well to focus their stage presence. In addition, they seemed to be suffering from a touch of technical difficulties, but overall, they were excellent. Interspersing original tracks with covers and and some excellent spins on some tradition classics (dubstep cover of "Sweet Dreams" by Eurythmics comes to mind), Eklipse did an excellent job of opening the night. Their set was about 30 minutes.

After that, the first big name act was up: Delain. Delain had some serious technical glitches during their show, working through three broken mics by my count. Despite this, their performance was incredibly amazing, generating new fans and turning die-hard veterans weak at the knees. Delain put out a magnificent show, fearlessly spearheaded by the gorgeous Charlotte Wessels, and rocked us all for about an hour.

Now, let's talk about the stars of the show: Kamelot. I had the presence of mine to jot down a setlist between prolonged episodes of headbanging, fist pumping, and screaming myself silly like the raving fanboy I am.

1. Rule the World
2. Ghost Opera
3. The Great Pandemonium
4. Veritas
5. Center of the Universe
6. The Human Stain
7. Song for Jolee
8. Eden Echoes
9. Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife)
10. My Confession
11. Forever
12. Karma
13. Torn
14. March of Mephisto

And now, I will spend some time writing ridiculously florid prose in an attempt to capture some of the essence of the show. Kamelot emerges into a screen of light and smoke and stands with stage presence that is nearly impossible to describe, filing one-by-one onto the stage and standing before the audience like dark gods resplendent in their majesty. They command silence and screaming frenzy by the twitch of a finger. They are truly masters of their craft, weaving bass, guitar, keyboard, drums, and the amazing vocals of Tommy Karevik to perfect results. And there were any who still doubted the ability of Mr. Karevik, they are now certainly silenced -- his performance on songs both old and new was exemplary. Their set was neatly broken up by instrumentals performed by most members of the band, giving their fellows a quick break and the audience time to pick their jaws up from the floor. Seeing Kamelot is a distinct privilege, and you should definitely go see them. They are amazing, their shows are perfect, and the English language cannot convey the awesomeness that is their tour. Go. See. Kamelot.