H.I.M is the best
by Jess26187 on 4/19/10Showbox SoDo - SeattleRating: 5 out of 5Awesome awesome show. Loved it. I would definetly go again when they come back.

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In the annals of 21st century alternative rock history there are few artists who cast a longer or more peculiar shadow than Finnish Love Metal pioneer Ville Valo. After all, his band HIM were easily among the most iconic and idiosyncratic groups of the millenium. Zealously revered, gleefully reviled but impossible to ignore, their music left an indelible mark on a worldwide legion of fans. The scarlet letters stood for His Infernal Majesty. Their founder stood for something delightedly out of step with the status quo.
"We only hoped to temporarily redirect hard rock's blood flow from the nether regions towards the heart", reminisces Ville Valo, the singer, songwriter and primus motor of HIM. Judging by the monolithic presence of the Heartagram in any account of music this side of the millennium it's apparent that he succeeded.
Inspired by everyone from Poe to Bukowski and tinged by a penchant for perfumed Sabbathian gloom, Valo's creative lovechild would produce eight era-defining studio releases and over ten million record sales, not forgetting a Grammy nomination, countless magazine covers, critical acclaim, and the veneration of a generation. Thus it came as no surprise that the news of a farewell tour in 2017 was greeted with shock and disbelief among devotees and endless speculation as to what or who was to take up the velvet mantle.
"As fun as the funeral rites for HIM were, it took me more than a few moons to lick my wounds in the shadow of the Heartagram and come up with an excuse to strum and hum again. Eventually I decided put a leash on my beloved black dog and we started howling together instead of barking at each other. That's how Loveletting was born".
Loveletting, the first single off VV's debut album 'Neon Noir' out in early 2023, suggests this new infernal mix of light and shade is nothing short of a landmark release from one of modern music's most distinctive and intriguing voices. It belongs to the same forlorn world of woe and whimsy once conceived and governed by Valo in HIM, but with the nuanced notes of a fine aged Cabernet.
"Artistically speaking the main difference between HIM and VV is the extra line in the Heartagram, but what an exquisite line it is! It's the Mamas and the Papas dressed up as Metallica on their way to a Halloween bash at the Studio 54, and now who wouldn't want to witness that?"
Throughout their career, VV has drawn massive crowds of fans, packing venues like Theatre of Living Arts, the Depot and Summit to capacity.
Awesome awesome show. Loved it. I would definetly go again when they come back.
was very pleased with the venue that HIM performed at; very intimate and comfortable as well as good food and good beer on tap. was very happy to see other HIM fans that were in my age group. this show was as good, if not 10-fold better than the show i saw at the white river ampitheatre in 2007, with projekt revolution. this band definitely plays better in more intimate settings, such as the showbox sodo, i think, because they are closer to their crowd.
Definitely the best concert I've ever been to. Drive A wasn't my favorite, but Dommin and We Are the Fallen more than made up for them. Then, of course, the band that everyone actually came for: HIM! I can't begin to describe how incredible they were. Gas rocking on the drums... Mige's pounding bass... Burton's beautiful keyboards... Linde's awesome riffs... and Ville's voice! Totally worth every penny!
was a great show!! the special guests were good Dommin was my favorite. when HIM came out it was amazing they sounded great! they played about 14 songs and they were all good, Linde had amazing guitar solos and Ville sounded awesome!!!!!! i would go again in a heartbeat. Great show think everyone should go out and see it!!
HIM rocked the stage! They sound as good or better live! Their presence on stage is incredible and the variety of their music they played was great. I would not hesitate to see them again! Playing in a smaller venue was great because you really felt up close no matter where you watched from. Seldom do you find a band that can remake songs better than the original artist Drive A and Dommin really rocked too. I was impressed with their sound and stage presence, however, I wouldn't recommend seeing We are the Fallen. You couldn't hear the vocals over the band (which I think was a good thing now) The band really rocked but I don't think they chose the right lead singer. If you get a chance to see HIM don't let it slip by! They are worth any price to see....they truly are an amazing live concert to see!
Show was awesome! Love the bands and the venue. Great time! Dommin and We Are the Fallen were really good too. We missed the first band so I can't comment on them. Would definitely see them all again.
Drive A, Dommin, We Are The Fallen and HIM were all amazing!! My favorites are Dommin and HIM. As the night went on it was better then expected. I loved it all! Ville Valo's voice is angelic, its like heaven when he sings. I stood outside of 2 hours and the show didnt get out till around 1am. My feet were killing me, but it was so worth the pain because when Ville took the stage, my pain went away. All I know, is that when HIM comes to Seattle again, I will NOT miss it!!
I was very impressed with the other bands they did a great job of keeping the energy high.
They played at a venue that was new to us, were very impressed with the venue itself. The opening bands fit well with HIM's music. Valo and his boys rocked the show with many people singing along. Its always cool to hear a crowd sing their songs! Encore of Rebel Yell seemed a perfect way to end the night. The real icing on the cake was the pick we found after the crowd departed and the lights came on. : )
In these smaller venues, it's easy for a band to be too loud to whereyou cannot understand anything. I didn't go to this show to see HIM. My wife and I drove across the state to see Dommin, and they, by far, sounded the best. They played a great set, then hung out with the fans after the show. Aside from all the chicks literally hounding Dommin and band, I was able to get to each of the members and tell them what an awesome show they put on. I'll go see Dommin again, anytime. HIM was the headlining band, and they sounded pretty damn good. The bass player got the crowd into the shows, lead singer sounded great, amazing show. They definately turned me into a fan.
Those boys from Finland really know how to rock and so glad they stopped in Brew City. They were tight and had a nice mix of old/new songs.
This was my 2nd HIM show on the current tour. Honestly, HIM did a lot better the night before. Ville was very chatty on stage and personally, I had no idea what he was saying, even though that didn't seem to bother the screaming girls out there! The best surprise of the night was Dommin! One of the opening bands. I was intrigued by the first few notes played by this band. Dommin was a great find for the night ;)
opening acts were: Drive A - young guys from LA, had to swear between every song which came off like a bad bar band. Songs were well played but poorly written, every song had at least 4 tempo changes in it. Should have stopped after the 4th or 5th or 6th song. Dommin- another LA band, these guys had a good sound, some keyboards in their rock which made it sound a bit more polished and melodic. I can see these guys putting out some good stuff based on what I heard. Only complaint was that their set was quite short. We Are The Fallen - hats off to this band for not playing any evanesence tunes, or mentioning evanesence, or mentioning that the lead singer was on american idol. They did a good job and had some powerful songs. Only complaint was that the high end of the audio was horribly pitchy and screechy. Carly Smithson who sings in the band has a great she-rock voice with tons of power. HIM - the music was great, they played a few new ones and some of the old favs. The audio was terrible. Ville's mic was waaaaay too low, you couldnt even hear the singing for about 60% of the songs. Only when he belted out a power part of a song did it come through decently. Even his between song banter was complete unintelligible. If you did not already know and love this music, you sure wouldnt become a fan based on the way it sounded at this show.
All I have to say is "They never disappoint"! Just saw them in Philly - 26.3.2010 and Baltimore - 27.3.2010. Amazing shows considering they were the first two shows of the U.S. Tour and there were some technical glitches. This was my 5th and 6th time seeing them and I will be attending Atlantic City, and two of the New York shows. Two incredible evenings that I will never forget.
One of my wishes came true and I was able to see HIM at House of Blues before my 3 year period in Chicago comes towards its end in August and it's time to return home in Finland! It's always great to see Finnish bands abroad; almost as great a pleasure as see the band is to see local (US) fans cheering for the band and singing along! Finland being a small country we do not have so many bands touring around the world... :) All in all the gig was very entertaining, Ville Valo's voice really rocks and the rest of the band was in good shape too. Personally I enjoyed most the older hits like (Join Me, Right Here in My Arms, Wicked Game etc ... not so familiar yet with the new album. HIM really rocket House of Blues, way to go!! :)
I thought the show was amazing. Ville was really fun.
Excellent concert from the Rave as always. The music sounded amazing and the bands were an excellent fit for each other. For my first time hearing and seeing HIM live it was everything I expected it to be. And I will definately be getting tickets to see them again in the future.
It was like Heaven tonight, with an evening of BLISS, No denying that most of the women in the audience were swooning over the amazing vocals of lead singer Ville Valo, the concert was outstanding. The main floor was filled to capacity-plus, the balcony filled with fans in every corner. Moreover, the audience participation by singing and swaying along just added to allure of both new and old songs loved by all. Led the audience to demand--and receive--a encore at the finale of a thoroughly satisfying with a performance of The Sacrament. This is my 4th concert, and I never get tired of HIM live! The entire band was fabulous!!! On a Sour Note Clutch Cargos was the most unorganized, chaotic venue I have ever been to! They herded us like in like cattle 30 minutes early, to make us wait for 1 hour packed together on the second floor with no ventilation. I have never been treated so poorly. There were fans that got there at 4:30AM that were first in line that now were at the end because the staff had no idea what they were doing!
HIM put on an awesome show, i absolutely loved it!
FANTASTIC! If they are ever in Wisconsin again I will be there. My husband wasn't a big fan untill I made him go with me on Saturday night. He said he would go with next time because of how great they sounded live.