setlist

takk
glósóli
ný batterí
sæglópur
njósnavélin
e-bow
gong
andvari
hoppípolla
með Blóðnasir
olsen olsen
hafssól
svo hjótt
heysátan
popplagið


fan review
there are both upsides and downsides to traveling to a different part of the country/world to see a show. i guess the main downside for me is, is that it's very hard for somebody else to go along with you whether it's because of expenses, work or any other reason/excuse that i'm given. at least that's been the case for all four sigur ros shows i've been to. for this show, there were three noticeable upsides; the venue, the city and the crowd. there are no words that can describe this venue. it is absolutely stunning. the sound is unprecedented, the lighting is fantastic and the history is very interesting. nashville's and some may say most of music's finest have called the ryman auditorium home. hank williams, johnny cash, dolly parton, jimmie rodgers, etc., but for one night, it belonged to nobody else but two special bands from iceland; amina and sigur ros. the city itself is overwhelmingly musical. at each and every corner there seems to be a bar with a stage full of instruments for anyone to play. more than likely there is somebody already playing and singing his/her heart out once you get inside. then of course there is the country music hall of fame. not everybody might like country a whole lot (myself included), but any true music fan knows to respect it's roots. the people of nashville were very nice and accommodating, but nothing prepared me for the look of amazement and the feeling of appreciation this crowd displayed on this night.

amina came out as the opening band, and right on cue as usual which is worth mentioning due to so many other bands starting their set late for whatever reasons. each time i've seen them play, it has been very obvious to me that they have become more and more confidant with their performance. the songs take on new life, as they change up little bits of each one. is it possible to recreate exactly what they did on their ep? i hope not, even though i'm sure they can. i love to hear new tweaks and blips or any other noise i've never heard or noticed on the albums/ep's of every band i see. i just don't see the point in paying for something that i can easily just press play and listen to at home. this is very important because they did the same thing with some of the arrangements they had for the sigur ros set. i compare it to the way jonsi changes up the way he uses his voice on some songs than on the way he sang them on the studio albums, in particular ( ). amina have been perfectly in tune each time they've played in front of my eyes, and each time have captured my heart with a stronger grip. i'm craving for more than just the ep already. i think everybody else who was at that show would agree. they were perfect, but would you expect anything less from four professionally schooled musicians? no words, only musical bliss. thank you amina!

as it's been custom during the last year of touring, there was no stage to be seen, but instead a big white screen which was pulled out in front of us after amina exited the stage. the lights go dim, the sound of an orchestra of strings starts streaming out of the speakers...the sounds of 'takk...'! for anyone who has heard the 'takk...' album, knows the inevitable follow up to that opening. that song is 'glosoli'. it's one of those songs that without the passion and signs of physical turbulence, it just wouldn't seem right. that was not the case as through the screen, it was obvious that sr were bashing the piss out of their instruments. it was a perfect start to what was to be a perfect evening. ny batteri, saeglopur and untitled #4 were played beautifully as always, but again the best part of each of these songs was watching the awestruck faces of those who have only witnessed these songs on record and never live. this was especially the case with untitled # 4 due to it's epic sound. "is that how it sounds all of the time?" "can it get any better than this?" "i'm about to cry!" these were some of the comments i overheard. these same questions went through my mind in 2002 when i first saw sr live.

untitled # 6. untitled # 6!!!!!!! i couldn't believe it. i thought this was to be one of the cruelest april fools jokes anybody can play and jonsi was about to grab the mike and start laughing telling us he was just kidding, but then i quickly realized that wasn't the case, because it was actually valentine's day and it's only february! the band was about to give me what no other girl has been able to do for me in my 25 years of existence; give me a valentine's gift that i would cherish for the rest of my life. 4 songs into a set and already i felt as if i could leave the venue happy by what i had already heard. i was in a state of ecstasy my friends. ( ) is one of the two most important albums in my life and playing # 6 live, playing it live in front of me so it can touch my heart with pure love was one of the highlights of my life. i've never questioned my sanity for spending money on flights, hotels and transportation for a show that lasts 120 minutes for reasons just like these. i can't thank them enough for choosing to play that song.

earlier i mentioned how it's only inevitable and right that 'glosoli' followed the opener 'takk...'. well, i think the same goes for 'gong' and 'andvari'. it's almost like a cycle really. from the opening strings that start off the very upbeat 'gong' to the gorgeous repetitive closing to 'andvari'. amina changed some of their notes, only slightly, but noticeable to someone who has seen this tour twice before and heard this album each and every day since it's release. again, the same goes for the beautiful 'hoppipolla' and 'meo blodnasir' which are equally timeless in their own right. "how can we follow such an epic and beautiful song? play it backwards and let the girls sing!" rarely do i see a band with members that are bouncing, or rigorously tapping their feet to their own songs as if they were sitting in the crowd. it shows the passion they have for playing them for their adoring fans. that's exactly what we are; adoring fans. we adore you with all the love we can muster up for you. you are unprecedented sigur ros, and we love you for that!

there was something about the way georg played his bass during 'olsen olsen'. not that he looked (apart from the beard) or played it any differently than from the last time i saw them play this song, but it seemed as though they captured the detailed sound of each time he played a note. it drove it to a level i hadn't heard since the album. it just plainly stood out and the performance was extra special because of it.

the next three songs are unique for a few reasons. one of them is a b side to a single in which although the a side to that single is breathtaking, many would agree that 'hafsol' is the better song on that single. i had once read that jonsi only started playing the guitar with the cello bow due to how bad it sounded when georg tried playing his bass with it. so, i was able to ask georg what seemed to be a reasonable question at the time, which is who was it that came up with the idea of playing the bass with a drumstick. he simply turned his head to me and said, "well, i am the bass player." and smiled. 'hafsol' is one of many songs that climaxes with controlled craziness and never finishes the same which makes it very special each time it's played.

the next two are very unique for me because i had never heard them play these songs live before. 'svo hljott' and then 'heysatan'. they also follow each other on the 'takk...' album, but that's not why it was special for me. 'svo hljott' is one of my favorites off the album and has become one of my favorite sr songs ever. i remember thinking recently that how amazing this song would sound in a venue to can truly do sr justice. my thoughts were confirmed on this night. 'heysatan' was something that looked very personal for the band. the lights turned down so that the stage was entirely black and all you can see were the four members of sr in a tight circle just feeding off of kjartan's tapping so they can all stay in tune with each other. it was a song that was unexpected and an experience so special that it's very hard to explain in words. if you were there, treasure that moment forever because it was definitely very special.

now the climax of not only one of the greatest albums ever made, but also the climax to what has come to be the greatest show in the world. untitled # 8! this song represents everything that is genius about sr. epic length, amazing instrumentation from all members including amina, but most importantly, the gorgeous sounds coming out of jonsi's mouth. whether he knows what he's saying, or he just uses his voice as an instrument for this song is a mystery to me, but that has done nothing but elevate this song to the highest possible musical level in my mind. from kjartan's opening guitar lines, to jonsi's guitar/cello bow sound, to amina's strings, to georg's bass dropping and to orri's incredible drumming (especially at the end), there is no better song that can be played live, ever! jonsi was having "technical bullshit" as he called it, happening to his guitar/cello playing, but what is amazing is the fact that whatever he did to compensate for it worked so well that nobody would have noticed if it wasn't for his obvious discomfort over the mishap. the guy sitting next to me told me after that it was the greatest performance out of any song he had ever heard in his entire life. it looked as if jonsi sang his heart out for this song more than any other and i'd have to thank the mishap for that. once again, the greatest ending to what i believe to be the greatest show in the world.

i liked you after 'agaeits byrjun'. i loved you after '( )' and my first show. 'takk...' made me obsessed. i now see any and as many shows as i can no matter where they may take me. you are part of what makes me happy. the perfect music. i treasure you as my inspiration torwards music, life...love. thank you thank you thank you!
(robert william de los rios)