Richmond, VA – The past several weeks have brought a great mix of bands to the Canal Club in Richmond. The trend continued on the evening of October 14, 2026 as three awesome metal bands, with NiNi leading the charge, raided the stage, much to the delight of the watching crowd!!
The opening band, Symphony of Destiny, was a local. They overcame some early sound issues and delivered an exceptional symphonic metal performance, showcasing their EP, Heroes of Egypt. The set included their single, “Riddle“. They also tossed in a few covers by Delain and EPICA.
The next band was none other than one of my all time faves, Seven Kingdoms out of Florida. Having caught them several times, at Mad With Power and elsewhere, I knew how powerful and fun they were. They did not disappoint. The audience loved them!!! Sabrina, Camden, Kevin and Keith killed it. They played a mix of old an new, including “Diamond Handed“, “Wilted Pieces“, “The Serpent and the Lotus“, finishing off their set with their most recent single, “Sona Sola“.
What a way to set up for the NiNi siege!!
Symphony of Destiny and Seven Kingdoms Gallery
For those who are not familiar with NiNi, you really need to check her out. She trained on traditional Chinese instruments in Taiwan and created a style to play to metalest of metal (and other modern) music. She rocks! Check out my recent DBM interview with her to get some more insight into who she is and what she does HERE.
After overcoming some equipment issues early on (Symphony of Destiny to the rescue with cables), she took the stage by storm, opening with “Longma” from her Legends album. For those who are not familiar with the Longma, it is the mythical Chinese dragon horse.
During this performance she played two traditional instruments, including the Ruan (medium sized) and the long handled San Xian.
For those who are not aware, the artist that was supposed to tour with her (primarily vocals) was sadly detained by ICE shortly before the tour kicked off. As she states on her social media, the show must go on and she adapted superbly, but it is sad when this sort of thing occurs. She is supporting him in any way she can.
She played a few more Asian Folk Metal tunes such as, “Wukong“, “Mazu“, and “Guan Yu” before going into a bit of a sing-a-long with “Beat It” and “Crazy Train“.
Her stage presence was second to none, engaging the audience every chance she had and we were loving it!! She told tales of her history, the songs she played, and just fun in general!! As you can see from the photos she owns the stage!!
No siege would be complete without “Victorious” (and we all sang to the victory song!), followed by her cover of “Zombie“. A hardcore “Turn the Tide” (a little piracy) was followed by the softer tone of, “The Sound of Silence“.
Check out the video for “Victorious” below
Her audience engagement was so much fun. It was not just about the music, but about the culture behind the adaptation of the music. She also talked about the significance of the instruments she was using. This was truly an artistic, historic, and just plain musical education.
The back end of the set included “Homeland“, “Longma 2“, “Flight of the Bumblebee“, which she played on AGT to the awe of the judges, and her newest single, “Into the Fire” before wrapping up with “GĀN BĒI“.
But wait, it was not over. We needed more and she did not disappoint. Starting the encore with a bit of a solo performance before finishing up with “The Trooper“.
As the night closed, the line at her merch table was huge, I am sure looking for the chance to talk to her for a bit, get a selfie or two, and perhaps an autograph. For just over an hour, NiNi owned the Canal Club and everyone in attendance, young and old, loved it. NiNi has a few more stops to make in 2026 with more in 2027. If you get a chance, she is a must see!!
NiNi Gallery
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Check out NiNi’s newest single, “Into the Fire“
NiNi Setlist
Longma
Wukong
Mazu
Guan Yu
Beat It
Crazy Train
Victorious
Zombie
Turn the Tide
Sound of Silence
Homeland
Longma 2
Dueling Banjos – Solo
Flight of the Bumblebee
Into the Fire
GĀN BĒI
Encore
The Trooper
Date of performance: October 14, 2026
