Subdued with Awe

05/08/2006

To have the privilege of seeing Sigur Ros and Amina twice within one year is unbelievable; seeing them at the historic and majestic Orpheum theatre is, well, fucking stupendous! Ok, maybe I didn't need to swear. But wow, the perfect venue for this show, the Orpheum was. Seated in the lower section, Amina's sounds rang even more crystal-clear than the wine glasses that they played! Pardon the pun...not really.

Their performance is always a treat, and the second time around, it was even more tasty. They're working on new music, which I'll be very eager to get my hands on when it's out. Who knows if it'll be in any store in the US. I just may have to fly to Iceland to get it (anyone with me?). I can't really describe their sound, but let's just say it is beautiful, one that when your ears hear it, they curl up in a peaceful acceptance of all the world.

Shroud this time in red light, Sigur Ros opened with a energetic number of their latest album, awakening us from our daze. Problem is, Sigur Ros puts you in even more of a dreamy, lively, crushingly powerful daze. This time around, the music swelled less overall, and stuck to being subdued and calm most of the time. No problems for me there. The background artscape exhibited random geometric patterns, and a feeling of travelling with the band through space at one point! Quite intriguing, complementing perfectly their alien-like sound (meaning, who or what do they sound like? nobody else). At one point, the band sat circle-like, playing notes on guitar, and after each note, the stage lights looked like candles flickering; quite impressive.

They closed with their epic last track off of ( ), pushing me into a full-body spasm of loveliness and awe! By the time that the song ended, Jonsi had broken his e-bow, and we stood on our feet applauding yet another outstanding performance.