Sigur Rós @ Fox Theatre Detroit 3/1/13 (Concert Review, Setlist & Photos)

By Alexis Simpson

American reviews of the Icelandic band Sigur Rós most always include such accurate words as ethereal, spiritual, and haunting. His Detroit show was certainly avant-garde, an idealic experience, and even a bit high brow because the performance is akin to opera in the sense that the vocals are not in English. The group’s rare appearance in Detroit drew several months worth of buzz as fans grew more and more excited to see the awe-inspiring group in one of Detroit’s most iconic and beautiful venues.

The stage setup was fairly simple but spread wide across the stage in order to accommodate many musicians and their instruments. A wide video screen displayed unusual patterns, designs and ghost-like apparitions that changed according to the feeling of the music. Clear industrial-like light bulbs on stakes were scattered about for ambiance. The design was effective.

For the first few songs, the band performed behind a stage-encompassing sheer fabric that only showed shadows of the performers. The audience sat in their seats quietly except to show appreciation after each song. Cellphones were kept in pockets. The group’s leader, Jónsi, possessed a certain amount of curious charisma that drew his audience in due to his emotional facial displays and his interesting appearance.

His face appeared to be ageless and eerie, which was enhanced by his odd attire consisting of a blue militant jacket with colorful rainbow tassels that danced about to the music. Jónsi is blind in his right eye which did not hamper his brilliant bowed guitar work. At one point during the night, Jónsi held his falsetto tone for an extraordinary length of time which was a welcome show of bravado from the humble performer. Sigur Rós’ group of musicians played at the level of a 1eleven member chamber orchestra that produced lustrous instrumentals for Jónsi to sing on top of. At times the sound was so rich, that it felt as if the bass was burning your nasal cavities. The results were remarkable, most memorable, and left fans looking forward to new music despite the language barriers.