Jónsi is all systems Go in his loud and (finally) clear solo debut

April 27, 2010, at the Vic Theatre

By Julia Korol
Published: May 1st, 2010 | 12:02am

As Jónsi launched into his first song of the night alone on stage, under a single spotlight, and with nothing but a guitar in his hands, one thought came to mind: would the famous Icelandic singer’s sharp, solo effort buckle under Sigur Rós–sized expectations? Thankfully, the answer was no as the 35-year-old delivered the drama with no reservations in a full and memorable set in Chicago.

While animated wolves, owls, butterflies, and a smorgasbord of other critters roamed free against a canvas backdrop, Jónsi (himself draped in a bat-like jacket with dangling cloth that resembled wings) and his backup quartet set about their business. Each musician effortlessly manned his station, expertly manipulating bows, keys, and instruments from the customary to the custom-made. Jónsi’s voice could have been the main attraction itself with a depth that could make a castrato weep (and a haircut that might make a stylist do the same). Wisely, Jónsi reserved his pipes strictly for singing throughout the night and exchanged no more than a few “thank you’s” with the audience in order to keep his flawlessly orchestrated marriage of lights and music charging onward.

After a mellow first half, Jónsi finally flexed his newly shaped solo muscles and launched into the better material from his recently released album Go (XL). While “Go Do” provided floor stomping rhythm, tracks “Tornado” and “Boy Lilikoi” transformed the already intimately scaled venue into a private, post-apocalyptic soiree with a woodsy backdrop now filled with a swarm of spiders and a snowstorm.

But it was the encore when the real chills set in. Playful “Animal Arithmetic” gave way to the steadily building “Grow Till Tall,” which climaxed into a full-fledged tornado complete with a flurry of strobe lights as Jónsi shook his feathered headdress like some exotic bird. The illusion was so well crafted that it almost seemed impossible to discover a ceiling and walls as the house lights came up.

Though much of Jónsi’s 70-minute-plus set would have nestled in nicely on Ágætis Byrjun (Fat Cat), it’s hard not to be fond of this new Jónsi who, with finally discernable lyrics like “Wake up, comb my hair / Making food disappear / Riding bikes, making out / Elephants swimming down,” weighs a little lighter on the heart than his darker Sigur Rós alter ego.

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Jónsi official site

Jónsi MySpace page

XL Recordings