Sigur Ros Live
Masonic Temple
Detroit, MI
June 3, 2022
by Michelle Waters
The musical artists from Reykjavik, Iceland, known as Sigur Ros took over Detroit’s Masonic Temple stage on June 3rd, filling the historic performance hall with moody lighting and cinematic, sweeping sounds for nearly 3 hours (minus a 20-minute intermission about halfway through).
As a fan of their music for the past 20 or so years, having seen them once before in concert already, I pretty much knew what to expect from a Sigur Ros concert. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t absolutely blown away, over and over again, that night. Lead vocalist (and mastermind behind the music) Jonsi haunted the crowd with his vocals and bowed guitar, keeping perfect tone with the recorded works fans have fallen in love with.
All four members (yes, there are currently 4 members performing together, including returning member Kjartan Sveinsson.
The tone felt sacred from the beginning. Did it hurt that we were in a gorgeous temple? Absolutely not. But when the space is already filled with what sounded like a Sigur Ros Liminal Sound Bath once the doors open, it’s hard to deny the calm that washes over you, and the mental clarity you grasp before Sigur Ros even take the stage. No opener needed; everyone was ready to enjoy a magical performance as soon as they claimed their seats.
The concert started off strong with Vaka and Fyrsta, soaring through our emotions and leaving us baited, waiting for more. Each song built upon the next, leaving the dynamic explosion of sound that is Popplagio as the grand finale of the evening.
Full set for the evening:
Vaka
Fyrsta
Samskeyti
Sven-g-englar
Ny batteri
Gold 2
Fljotavik
Heysatan
Daudalagid
Smaskifa
(20 minute Intermission)
Glosoli
E-bow
Ekki Mukk
Saeglopur
Gong
Andvari
Gold 4
Festival
Kveikur
Popplagio
As you can see by the titles of the songs alone, and as is true in their lyrics, as well as their live performances, English isn’t commonly spoken among Sigur Ros. Instead, they use a combination of Icelandic and “Hopelandic” (a made-up, gibberish language). But as you can also see at any of their live performances, the fans don’t mind. They are lost in the wave along with the band, floating on a cloud of daydreamy, soaring anthems.
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