Audio By Carbonatix
Jonsi
Verizon Theatre, Grand Prairie
October 25, 2010
Better than: The last show I saw at Verizon Theatre–Brian Wilson. I don’t even think his keyboard was plugged in.
Jonsi’s performance on Monday night at Verizon Theatre was like watching a man go free.
No longer held up by the trappings of Sigur Ros, his show was his own, and he seemed joyful and engaged in the moment.
There was never a point in the night when Jonsi
didn’t hold the crowd in the palm of his hand.
From the opening pulls of
his acoustic guitar on “Stars In Still Water” to the final rumble of
“Grow Till Tall,” the audience was captivated and silent. A single
plastic cup on the floor that was accidentally kicked was loud enough to
disrupt several different moments of serenity for the 1,000 or so who
found themselves in Grand Prairie. Chalk the quiet crowd up to the fact
that the venue wasn’t even at one-fourth its capacity.
Those in attendance, though, knew what
to expect. After years of seeing him front Sigur Ros, they knew that silence
during the songs is the most respectful way to respond. But this concert
showed a brand new side of his artistry and showmanship. For one, Jonsi
wasn’t afraid to engage the audience straight on. In fact, he even
walked around the stage like a proper frontman–a far cry from his
onstage demeanor with Sigur Ros.
The visual
effects displayed on the huge screen behind the stage moved in tandem
with the band’s performance, which covered a range of emotions from
melancholy to triumphant. An illustrated window with rain pouring down
outside painted a fitting visual to go with “Around Us.” On “Saint
Naive,” a sketched wolf chased a dear through a wooded scene, and when
the two finally collided, the sketches exploded and melted off the
screen. The more joyful songs, like the brilliant single “Go Do,”
featured frantically played stomp rhythms on the drums that inspired
dancing in the aisles from some concert goers.
The
final song of the night, “Grow Till Tall,” was the show’s highpoint. It
started almost like a lullaby, or even a prayer. Jonsi sang the lyrics
“Grow and grow till tall / They all, in the end, will fall,” as a flower
on the screen began to bloom in the middle of a forest. The drummer
joined in lightly with a marching rhythm as the song began to build. On
screen, a wind started to blow. And as the musical build continued and
all of the instruments came in, the wind picked up and began to blow objects
across the darkening screen. Eventually, it started ripping everything
out of the ground, including the flowers and all of the trees. As the
song reached it’s release, the drums pounded one last time and the bass
rumbled a dark, looming note.
The band, finished, got up and left the stage, only
to come out for a final bow.
Critic’s notebookPersonal Bias:
I wasn’t sure what to expect after seeing the trailer for this tour. I
thought that it would be more theatrical, but it turned out to be like
seeing a happier version of Sigur Ros with stunning visual
accompaniment.
Random Note: $15 to park
at Verizon Theatre? Pretty ridiculous. In Deep Ellum, you can grab a
meter, see a band, and have a beer for that much.
