Finnish blues-rock guitarist captures a landmark birthday concert on 50th Birthday Live 2026, featuring special guests Sami Yaffa and Baskery

Finnish blues-rock powerhouse Erja Lyytinen has marked her 50th birthday with the release of a special live album, Erja Lyytinen – 50th Birthday Live 2026, out now via Tuohi Records.

Recorded on 21 March 2026 at Helsinki’s prestigious House of Culture, the album captures a 90-minute celebration of Lyytinen’s musical journey, bringing together highlights from her extensive back catalogue alongside material from her latest studio album, Smell the Roses.

Affectionately known as the “Queen of the Slide Guitar”, Lyytinen chose a venue steeped in rock history for the landmark performance. Helsinki’s House of Culture, also known as Kultsa, has hosted legendary artists including Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Queen and Slayer.

The result is a celebration of blues-rock, fiery guitar work and the musical collaborations that have helped shape Lyytinen’s career. The release is available as a double CD with DVD, double vinyl and digital album.

Three live singles have been released to introduce the collection, each accompanied by an official performance video.

The first, “One Thing I Won’t Change”, features legendary bassist Sami Yaffa, whose credits include Hanoi Rocks, New York Dolls and Joan Jett. Originally appearing on Lyytinen’s 2012 album Forbidden Fruit, the song was rearranged for the birthday concert, giving the track a fresh lease of life.

Yaffa contributes bass and backing vocals, adding his distinctive rock pedigree to a performance that brings blues and classic rock together.

The second single, “Hard as Stone”, arrived on 9 September. Originally featured on Lyytinen’s 2019 album Another World, the song has been reworked with a heavier edge to reflect the evolution of her guitar playing.

Lyytinen has explained that she wanted to give the track greater punch, changing some of the chords and pushing the arrangement harder. Her newly acquired 1989 Kramer Nightswan guitar, equipped with a Floyd Rose tremolo system, proved particularly suited to its heavier refrain and octave-driven solo.

The third single, “Ball and Chain”, was released alongside the album on 9 October. Originally recorded for Another World with slide-guitar maestro Sonny Landreth, the song opens the main concert performance after an introduction from Lyytinen’s twin sons.

The set continues with tracks including “Smell the Roses”, “Going to Hell”, “Bird”, “Another World”, “Cherry Overdrive”, “Stoney Creek” and “The Ring”, which brings the birthday celebration to a close. The performance also features Swedish banjo punk-blues group Baskery on “Torn”, with Lyytinen accompanying their vocals on guitar.

One of the concert’s standout moments comes during “Another World”, when Lyytinen takes a vocal break and the audience joins in, turning the performance into a collective celebration.

The package also includes a second live recording, captured at Tempo in Mikkeli, Finland, on 3 October 2025 during the Smell the Roses album-release tour. This additional set features tracks from the studio album, including “Dragonfly”, the heavier “Abyss”, the heartfelt “Empty Hours” and the southern-rock-inspired “Wings to Fly”. It also includes an extended 13-minute rendition of “Wedding Day”.

Together, the recordings offer a broad snapshot of Lyytinen’s musical identity, balancing blues foundations with hard-rock intensity, expressive slide guitar and a willingness to revisit and reshape her own material.

With 50th Birthday Live 2026, Lyytinen celebrates more than a milestone birthday. The release documents an artist continuing to develop her sound, draw on her musical history and deliver the kind of full-blooded live performance that has established her reputation on the international blues-rock circuit.

Erja Lyytinen – 50th Birthday Live 2026 is available now through Tuohi Records on double CD/DVD, double vinyl and digital formats. In the meantime, check out the live singles below.