November 28, 2015 @ The Plaza Live, Orlando, FL

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The final show of BLIND GUARDIAN’s US tour was played Saturday night at my favorite local venue, The Plaza Live in Orlando. The tour has played in mid-sized theaters to amazing success with fans showing up in droves to display their support for these German legends, which warms this heart of stone. They are a great band and to see them have success in America makes me believe in humanity again. It had been nine years since BLIND GUARDIAN last played in Orlando. It was good to have them back again.

Taking the stage first were fellow German legends GRAVE DIGGER. This band has been around longer than BLIND GUARDIAN and have released over 18 albums. Lead singer Chris Boltendhal and the band played a very solid set of songs spanning the length of their career. The audience embraced them with open arms and sang along very enthusiastically with every song. The set list included: "Headbanging Man" / "The Round Table" / "Witch Hunter" / "Ballad Of A Hangman" / "Season Of The Witch" / "Excalibur" / "Tattooed Rider" / "Highland Farewell" / "Rebellion (The Clans Are Marching)" / "Heavy Metal Breakdown".

BLIND GUARDIAN took the stage shortly thereafter with a nearly three-hour set of their songs, including both old and new. I’m amazed at how BLIND GUARDIAN fans know the lyrics to every song. The band doesn’t have simple songs; these are complex compositions with a lot of lyrics to learn. All my friends agreed, this was the best we’ve ever seen BLIND GUARDIAN perform. The band were on fire and delivered a unique set that will long be remembered! Hopefully they will come back soon.

Setlist:

• "The Ninth Wave"
• "Banish From Sanctuary"
• "Nightfall"
• "Fly"
• "Tanlorn (Into The Void)"
• "Prophecies"
• "The Last Candle"
• "Lord Of The Rings"
• "Bright Eyes"
• "The Curse Of Feanor"
• "And Then There Was Silence"

Encore 1:

• "Sacred Worlds"
• "Twilight Of The Gods"
• "Valhalla"

Encore 2:

• "Wheel Of Time"
• "The Bard’s Song"
• "Mirror Mirror"
• "Barbara Ann