Mindful Photo

by Rob Wallace

HIM at Fillmore Silver Spring on 11/9/17

“Love Metal” band H.I.M.’s farewell tour made one of its final U.S. stops in the DMV to celebrate their long and successful career. The Bang & Whimper 2017-The Farewell Tour is giving fans one last chance to see a live performance that has been crafted with the experience H.I.M. has gathered from a long career full of playing everything from small club shows to large festivals and it does not disappoint. Their incredibly dedicated fans started lining up to get their spot in the sold-out venue at noon and some even traveled all the way from South America. 3 Teeth took the stage first and if you haven’t heard of them before they bring an industrial style of music that was made popular by acts like Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails. They have an incredible stage presence and put on a high energy show that left many fans surprised because of the live style of the headliner which is naturally softer but delivered in a way that compliments the music. CKY came on next and has long been associated with H.I.M. because of skateboarder Bam Margera who became a huge advocate of the both H.I.M. and CKY. Margera’s brother Jesse is also the drummer for CKY. CKY played some of their more popular songs but also performed material from their latest album The Phoenix which was released in June 2017. H.I.M. closed the night and performed their last show in the area much to fans dismay. Ville Valo, H.I.M.’s front man, walked out to cheering fans and Finnish flags flying as the their instantly recognizable heartagram symbol glowed behind him on drummer, Jukka "Kosmo" Kröger’s kick drum. With this being a farewell tour and the band having many years of success, they had no shortage of material and played the fan favorites. Overall the show was a fantastic display of the hard work and success that H.I.M. has seen over the past 22 years.

All Content © 2021 Rob Wallace