I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: September 23, 2024] Sigur Rós performing with Wordless Music Orchestra

The first time I saw Sigur Rós back in 2001 is still one of the most memorable and moving shows I’ve ever been to.  So it’s shocking to be that I’ve only seen them four times in total.

When they announced  this Wordless Orchestra tour last year I wanted to go, but decided it wasn’t worth going into Manhattan (and paying the huge ticket prices).  So I assumed I’d miss this show.  Then they announced a Philly show.

I bought cheap seats far from the stage thinking that it was an orchestra, what was there to really look at.  And it was the right choice aside from the horrible people sitting near us.  I’m just going to get this out of the way.  This couple a few seats down from us talked through the whole show.  Sometimes whispering but always loud enough that you could hear her.  I even know she felt better after going to the bathroom.  I mean, for fucks sake.

But enough, focus on the greatness of  the show.

I do love Sigur Rós, but I don’t know any of the song titles and, in fact, I hadn’t really listened to their new album all that much (fake fan).  But it doesn’t matter because the band’s music sounds the same (in a good way) no matter what they do–otherworldly, mind expanding and ethereal.

I love that the orchestra came out first and took their places.  They warmed up and waited for the band.  And soon after, the principals of Sigur Rós came out and took their places.  They opened with a new song–slow and plaintive with Jonsi’s quiet vocals soaring over the top.

Up next was Ekki Múkk one of the few songs whose titles I recognize (and which the band has played three of the four times that we’ve seen them).  It’s 7 minutes long of quiet soaring strings with Jonsi’s voice somehow soaring even higher.

Fljótavík is from one of the earlier albums that I know well and I love the way it builds louder and louder.  It was really the first time the orchestra’s fullness was felt.

But it was Untitled 8 that got the crowd really roaring.  Everybody loves the Untitled album.

A real surprise was that they played the title song from their debut album Von.   I didn’t recognize it even though I do know the album.

Most Sigur Rós songs are not really beat driven (that is not true of some of their later albums that are a lot heavier) and this first set focused on the softer more floating side of things.  Some songs like Andyari already have strings so the orchestra just fleshes out the song even more.

The biggest reaction in the first set came for Starálfur from the first album that everyone heard from the band.  I’ve heard this song dozens if not hundreds of times and having the full orchestra behind it really was a transcendent experience.

It’s interesting how much music came from Valtari, but I see that that album is a favorite in its simplicity.  And the set ended with two songs from it, Dauðalogn and Varðeldur.

Set two opened with Untitled 1 (Vaka) which got the crowd roused for the second set.  It’s a slow song but so powerful.  Untitled 3 (Samskeyti) was next.

The wonderfully title Heysátan was followed by two new songs.  And when they started the opening notes of Hoppípolla there were gasps of excitement.

They ended the night with one more song from Ágætis byrjun, the horn-filled Avalon.  I think one of the big surprises from the show was that the orchestra was more than just strings.  It’s obvious, yes, but I tend to think of Sigur Rós as primarily strings.  But there were horns galore as well, which added a new dimension to the music.

I assumed that the orchestra would make the music sound massive.  That when the louder parts of the songs came the percussion and low end would reverberate through the space.  And while I probably would have enjoyed that, the subtlety that the orchestra added was surprising and wonderful.  How can adding more to something make it more minimal?

I’m always blown away by a Sigur Rós show.  The last few times I saw them it was because of how loud they were–how could three people sound so immense?  This one was just as enveloping as previous shows, but in a very different way.

There’s a small part of me that wishes we were seated right in the middle of the auditorium with the sound swirling around and the lights overwhelming everything.  But I have no complaints about our location (aside from the people around us).

I also can’t believe it was seven years since I last saw them.  (We missed them two years ago because of a family commitment).

Met Philadelphia w/ Orchestra 2024	Mann Center 2017
SET 1	SET 1
Blóðberg ♠	Á ⊕ (2)
Ekki Múkk ∏ (3)	Ekki Múkk ∏ (2)
Fljótavík ψ (3)	Glósóli ‰ (2)
8 ♠	Untitled #6 – E-Bow ⊂ (2)
Von Ø	Fljótavík ψ (2)
Andvari ‰	Niður ⊗
Starálfur ∀	Varða ⊗
Dauðalogn ∏	SET 2
Varðeldur ∏	Óveður § (2)
SET 2	Sæglópur ‰ (2)
Untitled #1 – Vaka ⊂ (4)	Ný Batterí ∀ (3)
Untitled #3 – Samskeyti ⊂ (3)	Untitled #1 – Vaka ⊂ (3)
Heysátan ‰	Festival ψ (2)
Ylur ♠	Kveikur Φ (2)
Skel ♠	Untitled #8 – Popplagið ⊂ (3)
All Alright ψ
Untitled #5 – Álafoss ⊂ (2)
Sé lest ‰
Hoppípolla ‰
Avalon ∀

 

Radio City Music Hall 2016	Beacon Theater 2001
SET 1	Untitled #1 – Vaka ⊂
Á ⊕	Untitled #4 – Njósnavélin ⊂
Ekki Múkk ∏	Ný batterí ∀
Untitled #3 – Samskeyti ⊂ (2)	Í gær ≡
Untitled #6 – E-Bow ⊂	Untitled #5 – Álafoss ⊂
Untitled #7 – Dauðalagið ⊂ (2)	Olsen Olsen ∀
Glósóli ‰	Untitled #2 – Fyrsta ⊂
Untitled #9 – Smáskífa ß	Untitled #3 – Samskeyti ⊂     *
SET 2	Svefn-g-englar ∀
Óveður §	Untitled #7 – Dauðalagið ⊂
Starálfur ∀	Untitled #8 – Popplagið ⊂
Sæglópur ‰
Ný Batterí ∀ (2)
Untitled #1 – Vaka ⊂ (2)
Festival ψ
Kveikur Φ
Fljótavík ψ
Untitled #8 – Popplagið ⊂ (2)	*called by its earlier name “Samskipti” on the setlist