Jonsi

Amber, Jonsi, and Me

When I was growing up in the Spokane Valley there was a small field across the street from our house. There was a dirt path that carelessly ran through it which I used to walk from my place to my best friend's house. There were some old scary trees in that field as well that stood over a ditch. I remember playing in that field using dead branches as swords or guns, pine cones as grenades, and saving the world from imminent destruction. We would often return home with mud on our jeans and wet from climbing those trees or from diving in the ditch to escape imagined harm. I remember finding empty robin eggs and toying with rolly-polly bugs and enjoying that small patch of nature. This was our world. Our world to discover and manipulate with young naivety and innocence. This is also the world that Jonsi (of Sigur Ros) portrayed in last night's concert promoting his solo album.

After the concert, Amber asked if I knew if Jonsi was an environmentalist, because all the imagery he used had to do with forests, animals, and insects. I'm not sure if he is, but I don't think his intention was to promote environmental politics. I think his message and the theme of this solo album, "Go", is much more simple. It has more to do with exploration, growth, and the struggles and miracles of living.

His set started very quiet and it seemed as if he was slowly grabbing our imagination with a sort of bedtime story or lullaby. What followed was a finely crafted dream scape with alternating moments of reflection and rapture. My favorite part of the concert was the song "Kolindur" followed by "Tornado" played one after the other.

As I have posted about Sigur Ros in the past. What I have said about them also applies to Jonsi. It is an acquired taste. Many of the songs are in Icelandic. So many people have a difficult time relating. Although, Amber and I agree that Jonsi is not a pop star by any stretch. He is actually soft spoken and shy as we found out after the concert. Rather he is a musical artist in the purest sense much like a painter or a sculptor.

All in all Amber and I had a wonderful time. Well worth the money we spent. I do want to shortly mention how awesome Jonsi's drummer was. We don't think we've seen such a brilliant percussionist (I say that rather than drummer, because he didn't just sit behind the drum set the whole time) in ages. After the concert we asked to have our picture with him. He was shocked, because who asks to take a picture with the drummer? Really, he was that good.

If you're brave and into something new that is more escapist than pop music, give Jonsi a chance. We're very happy we did.