Storm clouds were gathered outside over Liberty Hall Theatre, but an even moodier atmospheric landscape was being crafted inside the venue. Iceland’s Jónsi, well known for his work as singer and guitarist in Sigur Rós, was playing to a sold out audience and the concert he had prepared would be a symphonic masterpiece that would rival even the natural concert playing out in the heavens above our heads.
This show’s presentation was like being at a symphony orchestra concert mixed with an art exhibit. Multiple percussionists joined Jónsi on stage. One rolled out massive rumbles on the timpani, while another wielded four malletts to enrich Jónsi’s soaring vocals with ringing chimes. My favorite percussionist resorted to a more primitive form of percussion alternating between what appeared to be homemade metal cymbals and some other wheel of metal he used to make a scratching noise like a tree limb being blown gently across a window pane.
As impressive as the percussive backdrop was the imagery and story portrayed in the light show. The lights weren’t the type to blow you away by being in your face. Instead they were used more like video art. Early in the show, deer pictures covered the back screen, but in a fateful moment and big crescendo from the music, the deer was eaten. The lights flashed red and the backdrop fell away to reveal a dilapidated wall of broken windows. Now, the lights changed into images of rain. First the water trickled down with descending scales on the piano, before flooding and the water began swelling from the base of the backdrop up the window panes. When Jónsi’s vocals began soaring even higher than his standard soprano range, so did the lights and they rose up to become like stars. One of my favorite effects was during a piece where each of the windows divided into three rectangles like piano keys and then they pounded down in time with the piano’s. One of Jónsi’s support members had an electronic pad, much like an iPad, and I suspected that when his fingers tapped the screen in time with the music and the lights if he was not the puppet master behind the elaborate visuals.
When nearing the end of the set, the lights stormed and an indoor thunderstorm rocked the venue. Jónsi and band seemed swept away in their own tornadic playing and movements became increasingly erratic, while the music became increasingly urgent during and just when that whirlwind made audience members catch their breath, it was over. Sunlight broke through the projected clouds, but the band was gone. It was a weird calm, but a discontent one when all we wanted was more from the band.
They obliged and Jónsi reappeared in a tattered, colorful headdress. Two more songs were given to us in the most tribal of fashions. And much like the purposefully damaged looking set, there was beauty in this broken effect.
Jónsi could have made me happy without the light show. He is a phenomenal singer – crisp vocals, tight guitar playing and dynamic control to grip even the most elusive of heartstrings. This presentation was just like a gift – he was spoiling us. When the encore was complete, the audience rose from the seats. Demanding more, but there was no more to give unless the band risked undermining the art they had just layed out. However, they did grace us by returning for a final bow, which allowed us a chance to give Jónsi a final thank you. The show officially ended with the audience singing to Jónsi: Happy Birthday.
Set List*:
Stars in Still Water
Henglias
Kolnidur
Tornado
Sinking Friendships
Saint Naive
K12
Go Do __
Boy Lilikoi
New Patato Song
Around Us
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Animal Hepatitus
Grow Till Small
*Set list is as it appeared on the form. Some songs are actually titled differently such as “Animal Hepatitus,” but I thought the selected names were of interest.
