Solitude Standing

Suzanne Vega is one of my absolute all-time favourite artists and definitely today's top female singer-songwriters.



Some of my albums

In general I listen mostly female musicians, but I guess it all started after I had first discovered Suzanne Vega. After getting into her music I have been looking for other similar artists and founded wider range of great female vocalists such as Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, Regina Spektor, Florence Welch (Florence + The Machine) and Natasha Khan (Bat For Lashes).

I have seen Suzanne live few times and she had always been amazing so I was waiting for tonight's concert really eagerly. Suzanne is very giving artist as she takes contact with audience and shares the stories behind the songs. I find her very down-to-earth, yet inspiring and talented person.

Finlandia Hall

After all these years I still remember how I really wanted to go to Pori Jazz where Suzanne played in 2000. Not managing to go there so I was extremely pleased when she came to Helsinki next year and I saw her for the first time at very intimate concert together with bass player Michael Visceglia in Sibelius Academy's concert hall in 2001. At the time she had just released Songs In Red and Grey and divorced. I still remember how I sat in the fourth row and was very touched and spellbound by the gig.

Next concert was 5 years later at Pakkahuone in Tammerfest 2006. That was a hot summer evening and my first summer holiday day when I travelled to Tampere for the concert. Venue was a bit challenging as everybody is standing in the same level and most of the people are taller than me. So I  had some difficulties of seeing to the stage.

Caramel at Finlandia Hall in 2012

After releasing Beauty & Crime I saw Kulttuuritalo concert and really got into these new songs on the album. Often when you have listened to an artist for several years and many albums the early songs seem to be the best ones and last released can sometimes feel a little bit lame. This is not the case with Suzanne Vega. I absolutely love Beauty & Crime and its stories of New York.

Suzanne Vega performing New York Is A Woman at Bettina S Talkshow

Now I have waited yet another 5 years to see this fourth concert and she was worth waiting for. When you go to concerts often it really makes a difference what kind of athmosphere that the artist manages to create. Tonight's gig was some 1,5 hours of beautiful songs and fascinating stories. Only problem is that I love so many of her songs that it is always impossible to hear all of them.

Marlene On The Wall at Finlandia Hall in 2012

So gracious that she is always playing the hit songs Luka and Tom's Diner as people want to hear them. And really rewarding also to hear some of the new songs she had done for theatre play Carson McCullers Talks About Love and notice how good they were. This shows that she is still very relevant artist and I am really looking forward to the new album to be released next year. And hopefully another concert tournee.