http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPEhKNlPLBo

Tuesday night Kari and I went to see Sigur Ros live at Agganis Arena in Boston.  I had heard nothing but praise for their live performances, so my expectations were higher than a remote control helicopter with Riley in the room.  Sigur Ros’s most recent album, Valtari, left me a little bit unfulfilled, so I was hoping for some Shawshank-level redemption.

I must first say that my expectations were met… and exceeded.  Sigur Ros not only killed the tunes, but they also provided a complete show.  I’m not talking about dancing around the stage bullshit, I’m talking pyrotechnics, perfectly-timed light effects, and a mood-setting background screen with really cool visuals.  You could nearly smell the music.

The highlight of the show for me was a new tune, Brennisteinn, because it provided an unfamiliar sound, a potentially new direction for Sigur Ros.  Pay attention to the percussion.  It won’t be nearly the same as being there live, but it’s pretty neat nonetheless.