Sigur Rós @ The Lawn at White River State Park — Indianapolis on September 17th, 2013
Following a several-day heat streak, hundreds of people gathered amongst one another at The Lawn at White River State Park for a night of refreshingly cool weather and captivating music. Icelandic post rock band Sigur Rós was touring the U.S. following the release of their new album, Kveikur. An overcast sky previewed the stage, which was adorned with xylophones, keyboards, percussion sets, and exposed light bulbs. Eventually, as the stage lit up and the
chatter of an anxious crowd began to die down, the opening act emerged and took their places to begin the night.
Frail, timid, and meek. These were some of the words that visibly ran through the audience’s minds as Julianna Barwick nervously greeted them and began her set without any proper introduction. Immediately, Barwick began softly humming into her microphone, and as her voice multiplied it quickly became evident that she was looping her voice to create an ambient sound. A few loops grew into a multi layered, orchestral hymn with harmonizing voices and varying intonations, showing Barwick’s experience as a church choir singer. Accompanying her vocals were the sparse sounds from the guitarist, and behind the two of them was a large screen playing video clips of waterfalls, a flying bird, and a child floating in shallow water. Unfortunately, despite a spot-on performance from Barwick and her guitarist, a complete lack of variation amongst indistinguishable songs led to the crowd becoming bored long before their thirty minute performance was over. Many kept their faces buried in their electronics, and some had even fallen asleep during the set. Scattered applause bid farewell to the performers once they had finished, and excitement built once again as the stage crew prepared instruments and readied for the band that everyone had come to see.
As ominous fog and lights poured onto the stage, so too did the members of the Icelandic band Sigur Rós, the main act of the night. The audience, though not particularly large in number, cheered loud enough to almost drown out the first sounds of the opening song, “Yfirborð.” The song slightly reminisced of Julianna Barwick’s performance prior to theirs, with a more eerie and chilling vibe. Blue lights tinted the fog and, in turn, the stage, and gave way to one of the band’s more popular songs, “Brennisteinn.” There was a unanimous gaze of awe in the crowd as the crushing bass sent chills rushing down every spine on the lawn. Accommodating the song were green lasers lighting the night sky, and frontman Jónsi wielded a violin bow with his guitar.
After “Brennisteinn,” the stage turned red and the large screen used in the opening act’s performance lit back up to show men in gas masks and other abstract images. The band members all switched positions multiple times throughout the night, and the lineup ranged from three keyboardists to strings and brass, and even multiple xylophones and percussive sets. The stage lighting illuminated Jónsi as he wailed through the next few songs with his remarkably high and unwavering voice.
The setlist for the night consisted of a nice mix of energetic and soothing songs, spaced out well to keep the audience engaged and interested. “Sæglópur” was a touching blend of piano, light percussion, and atmospheric vocals that made couples attending the show hug each other, and friends smile. As the song progressed and the band built up energy, each note tugged at the strings of the collective heart of the audience. This emotional outburst continued when Sigur Rós played their most commercially successful song, “Hoppípola.” The entire lawn lit up with smartphone cameras to capture the overwhelming moments, and the band thanked the audience for their enthusiasm.
Switching gears back to the low, distorted notes of bow on guitar, the band played the eponymous track from their new album Kveikur. Members of the crowd wiped away tears and were once again enamored by the unique percussive sounds and droning chords. During “Festival,” Jónsi held out an extremely long note that silenced the lawn and demanded wild applause. More impressive than the length of the note (a whopping 49 seconds) was the high pitch and unwavering of the note, even in his last breath. Not one to miss a note, he effortlessly regained his composure and continued on with the rest of the song, after which the band finally took their leave… Or so it seemed. Sigur Rós returned to the stage to play two more songs in a fifteen-minute encore that ended the night with high energy and higher praise. The Icelandic musicians took their final bows amongst a roaring crowd and exited the Lawn at White River.
The Good: Sigur Rós gave an absolutely stellar performance from start to finish, without so much as a single mistake. The intimate crowd was very into the show, and the on-stage visuals made sure that even those unfamiliar with the band could easily enjoy the set.
The Bad: The opening act was tough to endure. Thirty minutes of unidentifiable angelic loops atop scenic panorama videos put the half of the crowd that wasn’t off getting pre-show snacks to sleep.