Arts & Entertainment

Sigur Rós to put on an epic concert Monday 

By Jonathan Bruder
The Daily Cougar

Sigur Rós will bring its unique, epic sound to Houston when it visits the Verizon Wireless Theater on Monday.

The band, despite only limited name recognition, has scored several successes in the United States, with a prominently placed track on the soundtrack to the Cameron Crowe film Vanilla Sky.

They also won the prestigious 2000 Shortlist prize for new music, judged by a panel including Trent Reznor, Beck, Dave Grohl and Macy Gray, beating out the now-seminal Air, Gorillaz and the Dandy Warhols. 

The tour supports the October 2002 release of ( ). The new album has the same spacious feel as their previous work, but executes with increased maturity.

On ( ), none of the songs have titles. This album comes ready to play, with no need for single-searching or track leapfrog.

It seems more suited for classical radiois hour-long blocks than popis whack-a-mole rotation. No track is less than six minutes long; the longest runs 13. 

One can expect a truly epic performance when this band hits the stage. 

Sigur Rós holds sway in glitterati circles but functions just as well underground. Before touring Europe with Radiohead, they toured with Godspeed You! Black Emperor. 

But unlike Godspeed, Sigur Rós uses lyrics to bring its ethereal music down to earth.

The post-rock element is perhaps the most interesting part of the act. With or without a full orchestra, the Icelanders grow lush soundscapes. They start slowly and wait for the last possible moment to crescendo.

The sequences are sometimes as hard as metal, albeit without the growly machismo. As soon as you think the music has reached its peak, the band cranks it one notch higher. 

And one never knows what to expect; previous performances have included everything from harps to large stone xylophones. 

If Monday's show is half as good as ( ), you won't be disappointed.

Tickets are $21.50, and can be purchased from Ticketmaster.

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