Jónsi brings colorful music to life in Chicago

November 3, 2010, at the Vic Theatre

By BJ Hogendorn
Published: November 5th, 2010 | 7:00am

Sigur Rós frontman Jónsi’s current tour celebrates his solo album, Go (XL), and I say celebrates for a number of reasons. The concert cannot be described in one word. It’s dramatic, captivating, blinding, dark, light, vibrant, energetic, animalistic, and explosive; a truly heart-pounding experience by the end of the set.

The Icelandic musician hired 59 Productions, a U.K.-based video theatre company, to cast a brilliant light show on the backdrop of the stage. The nature-themed display started with a simple wooded scene, but progressed with the dynamic propulsion of Jónsi’s music. (View some of the visuals here.)

The show began rather slowly, as the first number included only Jónsi on guitar and his drummer playing the xylophone, which at times nearly served as a backup singer, considering how high his vocal range can go. As more members (five in total) appeared on stage for the second song, the atmosphere and music remained dark and slow. The backdrop changed to the page of an open book with a random assortment of woodland creatures. The page caught fire, eventually igniting into a swarm of butterflies and then an owl, which flew into desolate winter woods. As a fan of the vibrant, kinetic feel most Sigur Rós tracks possess, I was disappointed that I may have signed up for a night of depressing music and images.

My boredom and depression was quickly overcome when the music began to take shape and life was brought back to the screen. Climactic music met running animals and the stage lights erupted as the drummer pounded at a frenetic pace.

Throughout the evening, each member switched between piano, drums, organ, guitar, xylophone (once played within a violin bow), and more. With each shift, the music became louder and more exhilarating, the lights exposing blooming flowers and birds in flight. When a song trickled like raindrops, the audience literally saw rain drops appear outside a window. When the beat marched, out came an army of ants. My personal favorite was when Jónsi’s voice pulled a gorgeous multi-colored hummingbird toward a blooming flower just before color and movement flooded the stage.

Finally, each member left, leaving a huddled Jónsi singing into an effects mic until the lights finally went out and he too disappeared. During the encore, he donned a rainbow headdress while a storm brewed on screen and the thunderous music shook the venue. Violence broke out as the drums and instrumentation clapped like lightening, the lights blinded, and Jónsi screeched into the effects mic, and when the music stopped, only Jónsi’s clear voice was heard. Passing storm clouds were seen with a touch of setting sunlight peeking through.

The audience erupted, as it’s not often one gets to see so much color and movement at a concert. Lighting and theatricality is seen on more and more tours, but it rarely accompanies music that possesses such motion and life.

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Jónsi official site

Jónsi MySpace page

XL Recordings