Fortunately for us a Sigur Rós hiatus doesn’t mean a hiatus for front man Jónsi Birgisson. Not at all. After their last album was released, Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust (yes, I copy/pasted that in)in 2008, Jónsi decided he still had plenty of exuberance with which to stretch his silvery vocal cords.
Evidently he was working on his own amazing opus, Go, a darling and drippy little album that plays like ancient lullabies, cradling and caressing you like so many beds of cumulus clouds. Read Pitchfork’s review of Go.
Another great thing: he’s touring Europe this summer and following that with an extensive tour of the US this fall. Below are the dates and locations where you can experience his amazing show. I recommend visiting Jónsi’s website for details, audio/visual goodies and even to listen to Go in its entirety.
I was able to catch Sigur Rós last year and it literally blew my mind. I’m serious. I was picking up pieces of my brain from the concrete seats of the Greek Theater in Berkeley. It was crazy. (That and the perfectly timed downpour the moment they launched into their encore.)
Another cool tidbit: for those of you that missed the Sigur Rós tour last year, a concert movie is currently in production based on their London shows in November of 2008, made by director Vincent Morisset, best known for Arcade Fire’s 2008 documentary, Miroir Noir.
Jonsi Tour Dates 2010
07-24 Vienna, Austria – Arena Open Air
08-01 Woodford, Australia – Splendour in the Grass
08-02 Sydney, Australia – Enmore Theatre
08-04 Melbourne, Australia – Palace Theatre
08-07 Osaka, Japan – Summer Sonic Festival
08-08 Tokyo, Japan – Summer Sonic Festival
08-12 Oslo, Norway – Oya Festival
08-13 Gothenburg, Sweden – Way Out West
08-15 Helsinki, Finland – Flow Festival
08-17 Copenhagen, Denmark – Vega
08-19 Lausanne, Switzerland – For Noise Festival
08-20 Netherlands, Netherlands – Lowlands Festival
08-21 Kiewit, Belgium – Pukkelpopp
08-27 Santiago de Compostela, Spain – Festival Xacobeo
08-28 Saint Cloud, France – Rock en Seine
08-29 Zurich, Switzerland – Openair
09-01 Bristol, England – Colston Hall
09-03 Stradbally, Ireland – Electric Picnic Festival
09-05 Glasgow, Scotland – O2 Academy
09-06 Manchester, England – Academy
09-08 Leeds, England – O2 Academy
09-09 Birmingham, England – O2 Academy
09-11 Isle of Wight, England – Bestival
09-13 Bournemouth, England – O2 Academy
09-14 Brighton, England – Dome
09-17-18 Krakow, Poland – Sacrum Profanum Festival
10-15 San Diego, CA – 4th and B
10-17 Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
10-19 Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
10-21 Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues
10-22 Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex
10-23 Tempe, AZ – The Marquee
10-25 Grand Prairie, TX – Verizon Theatre
10-26 Austin, TX – Austin Music Hall
10-27 Houston, TX – Verizon Music Theater
10-29 New Orleans, LA – Voodoo Festival
10-30 Asheville, NC – Moogfest
10-31 Atlanta, Georgia – The Tabernacle
11-02 St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
11-03 Chicago, IL – Vic Theatre
11-05 Detroit, MI – The Fillmore
11-06 Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
11-08 Washington, D.C. – 9:30 Club
11-10 New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom
11-23 Groningen, Netherlands – Oosterpoort
11-24 Eindhoven, Netherlands – Muziekgebouw
11-26 London, England – HMV Hammersmith Apollo
Listen to the first song off Go, Go Do, below. Or else just stream the entire album.
Here is the “trailer” for his autumn tour, with visual quotes from The New York Times, etc.
