A surreal, dreamlike evening from the lead singer of Sigur Ros, fresh off the release of his first solo album
Though I doubt few people would have guessed it, the band presently on the top of my bucket list right now is Icelandic post rock band Sigur Rós. I’ve been a big fan since I heard their brilliant 2005 album Takk..., but since then they’ve had a limited US tour schedule the past few years, so I still have yet to see them in concert. Though not the same, I was greatly anticipating seeing lead singer Jónsi, fresh off the release of his first solo album, in New York City.
Lauren and I met up with Lisa Friedman for dinner before the show. Unfortunately, time slipped away from us, and when the three of us eventually made it to the show, the venue was packed and Jónsi was about to begin his set. The girls were hoping to find somewhere where they would be able to at least get a glimpse of the stage, so we made our way up 2 levels of to find a view. It was nearly impossible to find anywhere to see, even high up, and we could only see the stage peering over shoulders and through legs.
Instead, I attempted an alternative method, finding a comfortable spot in a reasonable proximity to a large speaker and sat so that its sounds would hit my ears symmetrically. Instead of trying to watch the show, I just sat and listened. It turned out to be an enjoyable way to experience the show, as it allowed me to focus on only the delicate and dreamlike nature of the music, instead of any of the show’s visual elements. I only occasionally made my way through the crowd to glance at the stage, as it was important for me to at least see who (number of people) and what (instruments being played) were on stage, to help me visualize the sounds. Of course, a girl over whose knees I peered informed me that the band was continually switching instruments throughout the show anyway. Nonetheless, closing my eyes allowed me to focus on all of the subtleties present in this type of music, taking more care than normal to pay attention to how the sound from each instrument was layered on the next. It was incredible. I suspect that there are few concerts that would be enjoyable for me to watch this way, so I’m really happy that this was the show to which I ended up being late.
Jónsi stuck to only his songs, mostly from his new album, including “Go Do,” “Tornado,” “Hengilás,”and “Boy Lilikoi” and didn’t treat fans to any Sigur Rós selections. While I was already satisfied with the concert, the encore was the pinnacle of the evening, even though it didn’t contain any of my favorite songs. It began with an energetic version of “Animal Arithmetic,” to which Lisa, Lauren, and I ended up dancing and jumping throughout. It was a nice change of pace after standing still or sitting for most of the show. As my heart beat slowed, Jónsi began an incredible version of “Grow till Tall” with his beautiful and ethereal falsetto voice trailing off and artificially cracking, while the snare drum tapped and tension built. The live version lets the entire band showcase their talents a little more than the album with bells sounding and guitars running wild. It was the type of encore that when at the end, Lauren asked me if the show was over, my only response was, “I actually hope they’re done, because there’s no way they’re going to top themselves after that song.”
Approximate Setlist:
Stars in Still Water
Hengilás
Icicle Sleeve
Kolniður
Tornado
Sinking Friendships
Saint Naive
K12
Go Do
Boy Lilikoi
New Piano Song
Around Us
Animal Arithmetic
Grow Till Tall
No comments:
Post a Comment