Nightwish Bring Their Retrospective "Decades" Tour to Niagara Falls

Nightwish have recently kicked off a nine-month tour in support of "Decades," their retrospective greatest hits collection, celebrating the first 20 years of Nightwish's career. This week, they stopped off at the Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls, NY and gave the audience a two hour performance with selections spanning their entire career, including several gems that haven't been played in years.

The show opened with "End of All Hope," from 2002's album "Century Child," followed by 2004's "Wish I had an Angel." While the setlist is constant on this tour, the fans that gathered at the Rapids Theatre this evening knew exactly what to expect, and Nightwish delivered from start to finish.

Considering that current vocalist, Floor Jansen, has only sang on their most recent album, 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful," it might seem like a showcase of Nightwish's career spanning hits would be somehow less satisfying. Uniquely enough, the result was just the opposite. There's no question that past vocalists Tarja Turunen and Anette Olzon each had their own style and hold their own unique place among the fans. Floor Jansen, however, captivates their crowds in a whole new way. The opportunity to see her put her own signature on some of these favorites as a somewhat rare treat indeed.

The full six-piece band puts on an incredible show night after night. Primary songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen makes no attempt to draw attention to his corner of the stage, but watching him perform on his multiple keyboards is nothing short of impressive.

Bass player Marco Hietala, who holds down an impressive amount of the vocal duties in contrast of Jansen, also is an incredibly engaging part of Nightwish's live performance.

If you've been waiting to see Nightwish, now is the perfect time to jump on board. If you're curious as to what the hype is all about, go find out. Their live performance delivers an experience that's equally exciting as it is emotional. Each and every evening, Nightwish takes their audience on a journey that should be a right of passage in any music enthusiast's resume.

Setlist:

1. End of All Hope

2. With I Had an Angel

3. 10th Man Down

4. Come Cover Me

5. Gethsemane

6. Elan

7. Sacrament of Wilderness

8. Deep Silent Complete

9. Dead Boy's Poem

10. Elvenjig (traditional cover)

11. Elvenpath

12. I Want My Tears Back

13. The Carpenter

14. The Kinslayer

15. Devil & the Deep Dark Ocean

16. Nemo

17. Slaying the Dreamer

18. The Greatest Show on Earth

19. Ghost Love Score

Photo Gallery: All Images by Charlie Meister