Sigur Ros Live at the Detroit Fillmore Theatre

I’ve been fortunate to see Sigur Ros live three times now. Each time was a little different. This go round, Sigur Ros performed as a four piece, which they have not done the other two times I saw them. Amina their string quartet companions and collaborators stayed home, due to Kjartan and Maria getting pregnant. I was a little bummed at first, but then realized it would make this performance different than the other two I’ve seen.

The band seemed to have more space, less clutter in the arrangement. I’m not saying it was better, just different. When they played Hoppipolla where there are usually tons of strings you sort of felt how the song was probably created at Allafloss for Takk. Having heard it the other way live it wasn’t painful or underwhelming. It was unusually upbeat and poppy. This message was reinforced when they played inní mér syngur vitleysingur from their latest album, and to my astonishment and ever lasting surprise I found myself doing something I never thought I would do at a Sigur Ros show, dancing. I looked around everyone else was too.

I am a sucker for bombastic, emotive-grandeur in music, anyone can tell from my taste that this is what I gravitate towards. U2, Broken Social Scene, Wolf Parade, Sigur Ros, Bonnie Prince Billy. I enjoy the largess, the go big or go home vibe of these bands. Sigur Ros certainly has a reputation for being sour bastards, but for this show, it was all very upbeat, they had a confetti cannon for pity’s sake. It was a nice change from the tour for the () album which seemed like a bag of misery. But was excellent live.

Laura took this video of Glosoli. (My favorite tune). One of these days I will not have to apologize for quality of a video. But for now, watch at your own risk.

Sigur Ros Live-Glosoli-Detroit Sept 23rd 2008 from keith wikle on Vimeo.

Set List
Svefn-G-Englar
Glósóli
Ny Batteri
E-bow
Fljótavík
Við Spilum Endalaust
Hoppípolla –>
Meo Blódnasir
Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur
Festival
Svo Hljótt
Heysátan
Sæglópur
Hafsól
Gobbledigook
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Popplagid