An evening with Sigur Rós
I took a bit of a breather after my last concert, As Lolas at Sub Rosa on May 20th. But I was ready to get back into the habit. On this Saturday night, I would be seeing the Icelandic band Sigur Rós. As an added bonus, I wouldn’t have to go far as the concert was held in my home borough of Queens at Forest Hills Stadium. I wasn’t going to let the dreary weather ruin the evening.
How did I hear about Sigur Rós in the first place? It was early one Saturday morning in the early 2000’s. I was still awake and channel surfing when I landed on MTV 2 and saw a heavenly music video. The song was Sfven-G-Englar, from their 1999 album, Agaetis Bryjum or in English, Good Start. It didn’t sound like anything I’d heard before, mostly due to frontman Jonsi singing the song in a cross between Icelandic and a made up language, Hopelandic. I would buy and repeatedly play Agaetis, getting physically lost in the soundscapes. And after seeing their appearance on the HBO show, Reverb from the Philadelphia Academy of Music, I became a fan. I would eventually have four of their seven albums in my collection.
Before I could see them live, I would miss a few opportunities first. I did have the mind to see them at MSG during the Valtari tour in 2013 but I let that slip. The next opportunity would come last October prior to the Spain trip. They were performing two nights at Radio City Music Hall and a night at the Kings Theater in Brooklyn as part of the first leg of this North American tour. I passed on Radio City as the dates were too close to another show I would see at the same venue, Chrvches and those dates sold out. I wasn’t too keen on getting lost in Brooklyn so I skipped that date as well. I didn’t think I’d get another chance, that was until this January. I found out that there would be a second North American leg of the tour and the last date was in New York City. With the help of the presale, I had my ticket for June 17th in hand.
As we arrived at the 17th, I knew it was going to be an unusual day. The concert was slated to begin at 7pm, but for reasons unknown, the start time was moved back to 8. The rain at midday was cause for concern as it looked like it would stay all day. It stopped after 3pm and turned cloudy and humid. On my sisters advice, I took my rain coat and was on my way to the venue. As I made my way above ground at 71st Avenue, I saw the murals on the wall guide me to Burns Street. The stadium is on the grounds of the West Side Tennis Club. Before the US Open moved to Flushing, it was played here. Now, it’s a concert venue during the Summer. After eating and with a can of Strongbow Cider in hand, I made up to my seat. Surprisingly, it stated to rain again heavy at times from 7:15pm onward.
A little after 8pm in the driving rain, Sigur Rós appeared on stage. The fourteen song set would feature the band as a three piece, as opposed to having all of the additional musicians that feature on the studio versions of the songs. Four new songs would be played as advertised, songs 5-8. The night would be split into two acts, with an intermission as the day turned to night. The first half was more melancholic in tone and song while the set list got darker once the sun set. The night finished with extended versions of their songs “Kveikur” and “Poppalaggio” making full use of an impressive light and laser show behind them. The stomping on the benches and the clapping clamoured for an encore that couldn’t happen. As the venue is located in a residential neighborhood, a strict 10pm curfew is enforced. It’s a shame, I wish the night could’ve gone longer as I was blissed out this evening. I did spot the Icelandic flag someone had in the front row and it ended up in the band’s hands as they took their bows. I didnt realize that it was the Icelandic National Day.
Under the shroud of clouds and fog, it was time to go home. I wish I could be as happy as I am during concerts all day long. It was a welcome respite from a negative inner and outer world. Therein lies the beauty of live music!
Before the first half of the year comes to an end, there’s one more concert left. It is a big one to me, U2 bring the Joshua Tree 2017 tour to Met Life Stadium in ten days time! After that , the rest of the story that is 2017 is still to be written!
