Have you ever been the last in your social circle to see a movie? Everyone tells you that you'll love it, and what are you waiting for? Live shows can be like that, but your excuse is that the artist hasn't come to your city yet. Adding fuel to the anticipatory fire are comments in fan forums, like, "If you were there, no explanation is necessary. If you weren't there, no explanation is satisfactory."
Indeed, Boston's anticipation had been building for a long time when lead vocalist of Sigur Rós, Jón Þór Birgisson, or simply Jónsi, hit the House of Blues stage on one of the last nights of his solo tour in support of Go.
At the start of the show, Jónsi arrived on stage to a thunderous roar with just an acoustic guitar and a lone vibe player. I was nervous about how his music would sound in a nightclub. People chatting and bottles clanking could distract from a band that utilizes silence as an integral part of their music. Those worries were laid to rest when the audience quickly trailed off on the applause and let the show begin.
Jónsi surrounds himself with very strong musicians. The show featured a brand new band comprised of Alex Somers on guitar, Ulfur Hansson on bass, þorvaldur þorvaldsson on drums and Olafur Björn Olafsson on piano.
By the second song "Hengilás," the rest of the band had arrived on stage. The slowly crescendoing track perfectly displayed the thoughtfully crafted performance we had heard so much about from previous show attendees. þorvaldsson was back on the vibes and was running what appeared to be cello bows over the outside of the instrument. The long strokes offered a haunting vibe, and as the song gradually built, the visuals began. Slow to start, the song grew as the backdrop image appeared to catch on fire. It burned slowly from bottom right to upper left, somehow exposing a 3D-like image on the stage. It was truly a stunning and baffling optical effect.
The band rotated instruments after each song. Jónsi didn't strap on an electric guitar the entire night, so we didn't hear his signature long bow strokes on his guitar; however, he was so busy going from guitars to vibes to keyboards, the absence was barely noticeable. Full drums didn't come in until the third tune, and by the fourth ("Kolniour"), the visuals rivaled anything a band like Pink Floyd could dream up. An extended image of a wolf chasing a deer through the forest perfectly matched the emotion of the song. The band showed strong unity on what seemed like a small circle jam, with the band huddled around the vibes. They happily played as Olafsson worked the keyboards. Once they had enough fun, they rolled right into "Tornado."
Band members were certainly up to the task of matching the atmospheric tone of the evening with their movements. Everyone quietly moved around the stage to what instrument was needed on the next song, and there was very little gap between songs. Even in the downtime, the audience was quick to quiet right back down.
At one point on the track simply called "New Piano Song," Jónsi played piano and then held a vocal note for what felt like 45 seconds. It was one of those moments when you ask yourself, "Is he really still holding that note?" Jónsi only spoke to the audience twice. The first interaction came before "Go Do," when he talked of the "beautiful weather," and the second was a dedication before the final song of the evening.
"Around Us" ended the main set on a perfect high. Looping vocals created a swirling musical hurricane. The band exited the stage, leaving Jónsi to create some solo vocal loops. Then the stage fell dark, and he was gone.
The two-song encore began with "Animal Arithmetic," a song that Jónsi sings about as fast as you'd ever hear him sing. The angelic chorus had the audience jumping up and down, clapping right along. The final song of the night was the epic "Grow Till Tall." For those who have seen Sigur Ros in concert, you know how the band can build to epic climaxes, the notes swelling as Jónsi turns frantic. He immerses his whole body in the surrounding wall of sound. And in "Grow Till Tall," he did just that, guitarless and offering vocal loops while the backdrop appeared to consume him. By the time "Grow Till Tall" ended, we were left in awe. It perfectly blended the visual effects (a slowly building rain storm that grew and grew) with the music.
The audience's thunderous roar brought the band out for a curtain call. The band smiled and applauded the audience. When was the last time a band did that for you? They seemed humbled and moved by the ovation, and with that, they left the stage.
As fans filed out into the crowded streets with ringing in their ears and ear-to-ear smiles on their faces, you could tell that this night had touched many. Music at the right moment and in a perfect setting can do wonderful things. Jónsi and his band did that and then some.