Friday, October 3, 2008

Sigur Rós

photo by Eva Vermandel

Sigur Rós are playing at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley tonight. So far, I've been to a string of great shows. Hopefully, this will be every bit as good. I'll keep you posted.

Sigur Rós - Gobbledigook (Með suð..., 2008)
Sigur Rós - Við spilum endalaust(Með suð..., 2008)
Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (Með suð..., 2008)
Sigur Rós - Íllgresi(Með suð..., 2008)

Sigur Ros at the Greek Theatre

(Update) Tonight's Sigur Ros concert was phenomenal. I mean that literally and figuratively because it started raining just as the show came to an end. It isn't often that rain enhances one's appreciation of live music at an outdoor venue, but given the lush Icelandic landscapes that serve as backdrops for their videos (see the director's cut of "Gobbledigook" here), one would think that there was nothing more natural than the presence of natural phenomena at a Sigur Ros concert. The opening band, Parachutes, served up a solid set of jangly pop songs accompanied by the lead singer's delicate falsetto (which sounded almost like a whisper compared to Birgisson's steady and sustained delivery). Sigur Ros came on shortly after, beginning their set with "Svefn-G-Englar." The show consisted mainly of songs from Ágætis byrjun, Takk ("Hoppipolla") and their most recent album Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust.

The music's soaring crescendoes, Jónsi Birgisson's ethereal falsetto, the giant lit lanterns in the background (first translucent, then looking like blue orbs suspended in space), the real-time black and white/color saturated video feed of the band projected onto the screen (something Nine Inch Nails also incorporated into their recent show in Oakland), the smoke and strobes from the stage, the confetti, and the gentle downpour of cool, refreshing rain made this show a veritable feast for the senses. The last time my senses were so bombarded with stimuli at a show was when I saw the Flaming Lips open for the Red Hot Chili Peppers dressed as bunnies, blowing bubbles from the stage. That was unbridled madness, but this had all the passion, gravity, and celebratory zest of Sunday mass (well, ideally, that's how mass should be, right?). One cannot help but associate Birgisson's voice with angels and boy's choirs. It is otherworldly. He spoke to the audience between songs--once in Icelandic, before making the wry comment, "You probably want this in English." To my pleasant surprise, the sound at the Greek theatre was perfect, transmitting every syllable uttered, every note sung and played with absolute clarity. Also, the seating arrangement abides by the most democratic system I have ever experienced at a full-priced concert. All the tickets are for General Admission and seating is on a first come, first seated basis. It's incredible. That the venue is designed so that you can situate yourself pretty much wherever you like and still get a decent view of the stage, makes the Greek Theatre my new favorite venue. It felt like a small club compared to the Concourse at the SF Design Center, despite their relative proximity in size. Since I do not anticipate going to any more shows for the remainder of this year (edit: just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!), I'm glad I rounded out my concert calendar with Sigur Ros on such a high note.

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