[Photos Provided by Steve Hatley]

Sigur Rós Shines at the Saenger

16:27 May 24, 2017
By: Steve Hatley

Sigur Rós is a post-rock band from Iceland. Their sound is melodic, classical, experimental, and at times, takes a minimalistic approach. The band is known for its ethereal sound and a mesmerizing lead singer (Jonsi) with a falsetto voice. Translated from Icelandic, Sigur Rós means "victory rose" and was named after Jonsi's little sister.

Back in October of 2013, I saw Sigur Rós for the fifth time, at Champions Square. After the show, which was highlighted by a misty and rainy night, I thought to myself, “I wouldn’t mind if this was the last show I ever saw.” The evening was blissful and so far beyond words that it was magical.

Flash forward to 2017, and a few thigs have changed: no outside ambient additions; and the full band has been whittled down to its core of three—Joni þór Birgisson, Georg Holm, and Orri Páll Dýrason. Also, this time around, they broke the show up into two sets. This afforded the band the opportunity to give two expansive visions of their music. The second set was more powerful than the first, but this easily addressed some of the core thoughts of the post-rock movement. The rollercoaster ride was just pure joy. One couldn’t help but get lost in the music and forget where they were. 

I’ll admit that I was a bit afraid that the sound would be different from that of the full band. But I was quickly put at ease a few bars into the first song. Like almost all the shows I’ve seen at the Saenger since the re-opening, Sigur Rós was a perfect fit in the classic Greek Revival theater. You can see more pictures here

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