Sigur Rós Bring Ethereal Night To Detroit

Icelandic outfit, Sigur Rós made a phenomenal stop at Detroit’s Masonic Temple on Friday night.

Being the only band on the ticket, Sigur Rós devoted an evening of music entirely to their powerful songs.
The band started off the night with a new track entitled “Á”.
Lead singer and guitarist Jónsi played his electric instrument with a violin bow throughout. He presented a unique and gorgeous tone, perfectly complimenting the band’s ambiance and his angelic voice.
The stage was set with colorful lights that sometimes strobed along to the beat. A backdrop played images of both abstract and landscape, complimenting the band’s sound in color and monochrome.

Despite some apparent technical woes, and one stop and restart, the band played on… Jónsi masked his frustrations and fronted an enchanting set regardless.
Sigur Rós included an intermission between sets, surely as a courtesy to both them, and the audience, who were more than willing to sit through an entire show without interruption.

After a 20 minute break, the band took to the stage to continue delivering a remarkable experience with the track “Óveður”, a piece of their first musical release since 2013’s “Kveikur”.
Crowd members mostly sat in silence, enjoying the mesmerizing vibe. Some nodding their heads along, others cheering appropriately at the start of their favorite songs.

After completing with “Popplagið” (aka “Untitled #8), the crowd erupted to its feet, cheering and clapping until Sigur Rós reappeared to wave and bow, ending out the transcendent night.
Projected on the backdrop screen was “takk”, the Icelandic word for “thanks”.

Sigur Rós will be touring the US through June 17th in Queens, NY, before heading overseas to several countries throughout the fall.

Words and photos by: Tiffany Cuthrell