Sigur Ros @ Grand Ballroom @ Manhattan Center, NYC - pics

Incredible show - one of the best I have seen in years. Can't wait for MOMA.

amazing show. but they didnt play festival or Ara Batur from their new album.with that said that was still Possibly the best show I've ever been to

That was one of the most amazing shows I have ever been to. They played everything I wanted to hear, except for Untitled #4. I am still so happy.

So incredible.

Does anyone have the exact set list?

AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING

one for the ages. a truly special night.

hafssol was the best.

such teases...i kept thinking/hoping they would take their "final" bows and run back to their instruments to play festival.

i'll add another wow to make it 6/6.

Gobbledigook and Hafssol were probably the highlights, but it was all amazing. Great setlist. Would have loved Andvari and Agaetis Byrjun too but it was close to perfection.

holy shit that encore was absurd

Was absolutely ridiculous. Probably the best show I've seen all year!

seriously unbelivable.

I just hope the MOMA show is not a buzz kill from this. Such incredible energy.

it was an amazing show. one of their best in years, honestly. even though i was expecting more from the new album. can't wait for september!

The new songs really made the show. Best Sigur Ros show I have been to so far. Great venue too.

Wow indeed.

Also click on my name to see some of the photos I took from the evening.

I agree that the new songs brought the overall set to a new level. Also the best Sigur Ros show I ever saw.

I was in the 3rd row. I thought my face was going to melt off.

Sick.

seriously, this show was on some next level shit! the sound was perfect and LOUD! I haven't seen many shows that could compare to this. it would have been acceptable for them to smash their instruments during that encore! so intense! im not going near MoMa after that, I'm fine with waiting til September.

I saw them at Bonnaroo and it was mind blowing.

The acid probably helped with that, but still. Damn they're good.

I love how you could tell who was on what drug in the audience.

Not sure it was the best show i have ever seen like some others have said but I guess those who said that have not seen as many shows. Still it really was an exceptional performance. And kudos to the audience. Except for a very small number of schmucks yelling out shit, you could actually hear a pin drop during the silent moments. There was one point where there was almost a minute of silence and i thought i was having an out of body experience. Also security or lack of it was great as well.

Now i must say there is no way MOMA will be anything close to this beauty. FIrst of all it is not a real show but a small short performance during the exhibit viewing. The room is nowhere as glorious sounding as the one tonite. They played about 2 hours tonite so subtract 1 1/2 hours from that and there is MOMA. Enjoy. I agree with the person above about not wanting to go near that place. I am giving my tickets to my buddy who missed tonite's show. I want nothing to cloud this performance for a while.

fantastic show indeed, their best i saw together
with the radio city music hall few years ago.
but if you say that was the best show you ever saw
in your life it means that either you are 17 Y.O.
or you didn't see many shows yet...

someone offer your moma tickets to me!

Nice pics, BV! Not the same old shit, for once.

How did last night's show compare to their first ever major NYC show at the Beacon Theatre years ago? I hope some non-newbie fan can answer this...

Hey A-Holes!! I am someone who is not 17 and have seen hundreds of shows and I can say that last nights show was one the top 5 shows of my life. And yes I have seen many, many good shows. Everything from Neutral Milk Hotel half a dozen times, to Tortoise opening up for Yo La Tengo at Maxwells, to Radiohead at Liberty State Park (yeah the 2nd night).

If this show should not be on the top on one's lists then why don't you be constructive and list your top shows.

PS Before you make a comment about the bands I listed all being from the late 90's remember that No Age, Abe Vigoda, and Crystal Castles won't be making music in 3-5 years from now.

I agree with 7:23. I have seen some amazing shows in my days including sigur ros 8 times. 4 times at the beacon, once at radio city, once at the msg theatre and twice at keyspan. This was by far the best and most epic performance to date in my opinion. I cannot wait for tonite. whether the rumors of them playing the entire new album are true, or a full set or even 4 songs. It will be amazing.

not to mention, O'Death.

"holy shit that encore was absurd"

My sentiments exactly!

Definitely one of my top five shows. I went numb at a few points . . .

Crowd was surprisingly well behaved . . . I've NEVER been to a concert of this size when the band could go silent for a minute without some douchebag hooting. The only weakness in the crowd was the large contingent of fuckfaces snapping pics with their IPhones after running up to the stage. Dude, you're 10 feet from the band, put your fucking camera away!

"The only weakness in the crowd was the large contingent of fuckfaces snapping pics with their IPhones after running up to the stage."

And, of course, that stupid, stupid bitch that actually jumped ON stage near the end. I could have fucking gutted her.

Fortunately, Jónsi had his eye closed and didn't even notice her.

Wow, wish I could have been there -- sounds like an amazing show. I saw them at Beacon (or was it somewhere else?) about three or four years ago, and it was incredible ... I had a cold and was on NyQuil, which actually worked quite well w/ the band.

Prog lives
Great show

One of the top 3 show's I've ever seen. And I've seen many excellent, memorable shows. I saw U2 before they turned 25, SRV a week before he died, Zappa on his fairwell tour, Husker Du in their 2nd to last performance, Pixies Hammerstein (Thursday night) ... I loose count. This one was jumped the que. Yes!

yeah - this was way better than the beacon shows for sure.

My favorite show remains the first time I saw them, in the fall of 2001 at the 9:30 Club in D.C. I hadn't heard a lick of their music before seeing them live. I remember hearing Svefn-g-englar for the first time, and I nearly had a meltdown. It was all so new and strange to me, and probably everyone else there. We felt like we'd discovered something truly magical. Now it's strange to see the frat boys with turned-around baseball caps and their "XOXO Gossip Girl" dates throwing up devil horns because they heard Popplagið live for the first time. I guess any long-time fan feels this way eventually, don't they? That it's weird to share "your" favorite band?

Nice pics, Russ

For those who are not too blissed out to avoid tonight's show....any idea about the details?

Are Sigur Ros playing in an auditorium? Will there be seats? What time is a safe time for a ticket-holder to arrive considering the anticipated crowd?

I've only seen SR once....at the Beacon the first time they played NYC. I thought it was an excellent show, but after reading all of these great comments, I really wish I had attended last night's performance.

They continue to mature and of the three shows I've seen over the years this was the best. Not sure I would put it in the top 5 but it could crack the top 30 which is good considering I've been seeing shows since Pink Floyd 77.

"Now it's strange to see the frat boys with turned-around baseball caps and their "XOXO Gossip Girl" dates throwing up devil horns because they heard Popplagið live for the first time"

Even the pigeons can enjoy the crumbs left over from my muffin. That doesn't make the muffin any less enjoyable.

Well I have seen Beethoven, Mozart, The Beatles and Dan Deacon.....this show was better!

I saw Curtis Mayfield in 1972, and this show was just behind that one.

"How did last night's show compare to their first ever major NYC show at the Beacon Theatre years ago? I hope some non-newbie fan can answer this..."

Their first major show was at Irving, not the Beacon. The tours for AB and () didn't have a brass band, so although they were great shows, it didn't have that extra something the brass section brings.

I think their shows last time at MSG were a bit better. The setlist flowed better and they had a better light show. Not sure if starting out with Svefn-g-englar was the best idea, but the concert still was amazing.

mary kate olsen (or was it ashley) gave me a sub-par squeezer in row L during hafsol

phew the review above makes me not want to shoot myself for missing this show as I was at the MSG ones at least...

I saw them play Svefn-g-englar live 10 seconds after it was written. You are all posers.

I have already seen the MoMA show, and it was awesome. I live on Mars and eat dirt for sustinance. I also have way too much time on my hands

01. Svefn-g-englar
02. Glósóli
03. Sé lest
04. Ny Batterí
05. Við spilum endalaust
06. Hoppipola/með blóðnasir
07. Heysatan
08. Viðrar vel til loftárása
09. Sæglópur
10. Olsen Olsen
11. Inní mér syngur vitleysingur
12. Hafsól
13. Gobbledigook

Encore:

14. Popplagið

"phew the review above makes me not want to shoot myself for missing this show as I was at the MSG ones at least..."

Well I did say it was still amazing. :)

hey anon 7:23...i've seen michael jackson off of thriller, pavement off wowee zowee, u2 off of achtung baby, radiohead off of ok computer, etc. etc., and no age will probably be making music in 3-5 years from now. even if they aren't, that doesn't mean they can't put on an all time great show now. stop being old, buddy!

I wrote Svefn-g-englar 12 years ago and sold it to Jonsi....The name of the original band was Iceland Rockerz....sellouts!

did anyone else notice that the seating numbers for floor sections 3 and 4 were reversed from the one posted on ticketmaster? instead of decreasing towards the middle, they increased...so my friends with floor 3 seats 11 and 12 actually ended up on center aisle. lucky for them, but sucky for whoever had seats 1 and 2.

How about the crazy old head bobber dude in the front middle...that guy was wild.
Awesome show, though.

Amazing setlist (the only song I missed was Ágætis byrjun), amazing musicians, amazing venue. I still have goosebumps and though I was sober for the show - I felt like I was high as a kite. At one point I was wondering why my face hurt and I realized it was because I had been smiling for over an hour.
Kudos to the band for picking such a lovely and intimate venue and to the pre-sale ticketing agency (I think it was WASTE?) - for great customer service and amazing seats. It was an evening I'll never forget.

mind officially blown

I was the crazy old head bobber dude.

From the Sigur Ros Message Board:

Setlist

01. Svefn-g-englar
02. Glósóli
03. Sé lest
04. Ny Batterí
05. Við spilum endalaust
06. Hoppipola/með blóðnasir
07. Heysatan
08. Viðrar vel til loftárása
09. Sæglópur
10. Olsen Olsen
11. Inní mér syngur vitleysingur
12. Hafsól
13. Gobbledigook

Encore:

14. Popplagið

to Anonymouse June 17, 2008 9:56 AM
...At one point I was wondering why my face hurt and I realized it was because I had been smiling for over an hour.

I think i am still smiling this morning at work.. round 2 tonite at the MOMA!!

I thought the show was great except for all of you retards with your "affordable" point and shoot digital cameras and iPhones. Nothing like getting into a trance like state from such a serene show only to have the lit back display of your camera break into my view or you flash going off just behind me. Seriously annoying. Do everyone a favor and leave that shit at home and just grab some pro shot pics from the web, I'm sure they're way better than your fuzzy, out of focus attemt at photography anyway.

For MOMA, I read somewhere (maybe my ticket confirmation or their website) that it is in Theatre 3 which (I think) is one of the little theatres where they show movies (much smaller than last night). But people keep talking about the Poprally events being near the exhibits in some main MOMA space. MOMA is closed today so I guess it could be anywhere. Not sure. Any ideas? Maybe I should call and ask to try to see when to get there.

Hey all - need a ticket for tonight, if anyone can spare one [6.string.fury-at-gmail-dot-com]. Thanks!

I tried calling MOMA, but I was unable to reach a live person. I guess we'll find out tonight.

HAHA coldplay totally ripped off their look : futuristic homeless people!

what time are you all getting there tonight? the site says 7-11? Seems like a long window.

They only sold 800 tickets. And doors are at 7. I was told Sigur Ros will go on at 8:30.

sound was too loud otherwise impressive show

"Hey A-Holes!! I am someone who is not 17 and have seen hundreds of shows and I can say that last nights show was one the top 5 shows of my life. And yes I have seen many, many good shows. Everything from Neutral Milk Hotel half a dozen times, to Tortoise opening up for Yo La Tengo at Maxwells, to Radiohead at Liberty State Park (yeah the 2nd night).

Posted by Anonymous | June 17, 2008 7:23AM

DUDE, that list is not even impressive and it does not make your point.

I did not go to last night's show. I am going tonite but still it seems that those of you saying it was one of the best shows ever are as dumb as the people from the Vampire Weekend show thread claiming that piece of shit show was "unreal" or the classic Daft Punk at Coney Island morons.

Actually I am sorry i did not make it to last night's show because from what I have heard friend's tell me it was still hot. Good thing about not going is that tonight will not be a let down.
Oh and about tonight. No they are not playing the full album or a full set. It will be about 30-35 minutes and the show is in the big room. How could they play in the small place anyway?? Yes, they only sold 800 tickets but there was another 150 or so guest list and press. That is almost 1000 people

look at all the positive comments!

that being said, I never can quite get into these guys all the way. Now i'm pretty convinced that seeing them live might change that.

sound was TOO LOUD? are you kidding? It was PERFECT loud - any post-rock fan would drool at the oppurtunity to hear a band rip up a soundsystem like that.

who knew the manhattan ballroom sounded that fucking loud and clear!? Holy shit.

It was like Godspeed! You Black Emperor re-incarnated there with 12 people on stage for most of the show....

how bout that crazy head bobbing guy in the front row? i was sitting next to him. i am his wife. we had sex in the bathroom during heysatan.

music should never be played loud. in fact music should never be played at all. thats the only way to enjoy it.
sigur ros played music. therefore, they were not enjoyable.

dancing at sigur ros > dancing at daft punk

"Prog lives
Great show
Posted by Anonymous | June 17, 2008 8:50 AM"

Sigur Ros is NOT prog you dimwit.

"One of the top 3 show's I've ever seen. And I've seen many excellent, memorable shows. I saw U2 before they turned 25, SRV a week before he died, Zappa on his fairwell tour, Husker Du in their 2nd to last performance, Pixies Hammerstein (Thursday night) ... I loose count. This one was jumped the que. Yes!

Posted by Magoo | June 17, 2008 8:51 AM"

I have to think Magoo's post was a joke in response to some of the other posts.I hope it was not a serious comment. Early U2 while obviously seeing them as a young band did not come close to what they became later on. Zappa's farewell tours sucked. Husker Du were terrible towards the end They hated each other by that point and were not in sync at all. Pixies Hammerstein was on the reunion tour which of course are not considered to be the best.

"we had sex in the bathroom during heysatan"

Pitty you missed it.

do you think there will be confetti tonight?

>>>I thought the show was great except for all of you retards with your "affordable" point and shoot digital cameras and iPhones. Nothing like getting into a trance like state from such a serene show only to have the lit back display of your camera break into my view or you flash going off just behind me. Seriously annoying. Do everyone a favor and leave that shit at home and just grab some pro shot pics from the web, I'm sure they're way better than your fuzzy, out of focus attemt at photography anyway.

well f'n said and THANK YOU.

just because you CAN run up the middle row to shoot "photos" with your iphone or circa 1991 digital camera does not mean that you SHOULD. besides those f'n annoying m'fers it was definitely one of the best shows ever.

Anon 11:08 : The bell just rang, you need to go back to school. Don't worry, someday you will learn taste, and tact.

i've seen them a few times and they always leave me mind and heart blown. whoever it was that said it was "other level" is right indeed. it's more than just hearing or seeing them and the feeling can actually lift you out and around your own body. very surprisingly no one mentioned how the bassist lost his sound during Glósóli, a mostly bass driven song. thankfully it came back when it absolutely needed to be back for the explosive ending but man, i couldn't believe it went out. either way, a breathtaking experience as always.

hey 11:08 take a history leason of music you may learn something

The kid opening up was pretty good. Does anyone know his name? We tried to get his LP, after the show, but, didn't see where it was being sold. Also, someone mention that they can't wait for september. are they scheduled to come back for another show?

I just called MOMA. Sigur Ros goes on at 9 and plays a one-hour set.

"hey 11:08 take a history leason of music you may learn something

Posted by Anonymous | June 17, 2008 11:31 AM"

I am 11:08 and sure I will right after you take an english LESSON you fucking moron.

Sorry that was too easy but seriously dickhead, please impart that vast musical knowledge of yours and school me. Everything I said is absolutely true.

amazing performance.

my only gripe: they were selling the upcoming CD for $10 at the merch table. as someone who pre-ordered the album through their website, this was mildly disappointing.

I thought the sound was loud as well, maybe because I was seated upstairs. Some people form my section also moved over to the back because when at one point it was unbearable. Maybe for those sitting in the ground area it was different.
When they were playing stuff off Takk sometimes you could not hear his voice because the volume of the instruments and the bass was too overpowering. Again, that's my impression.
That said, this show was impecable, but I agree with a previous comment that their show at RCMH years ago was their best. Those outfits were amazing!

>The kid opening up was pretty good. Does anyone know his name?

http://www.helgijonsson.com/

he plays horns in sigur

"I just called MOMA. Sigur Ros goes on at 9 and plays a one-hour set.

Posted by Anonymous | June 17, 2008 11:44 AM"

FALSE INFORMATION

Tom,
pretty sure that was Helgi Jonsson cd they were selling for $10 dollars, not the new sigur ros album

The new Sigur Ros CD was on sale at the venue for ten bucks.

"The new Sigur Ros CD was on sale at the venue for ten bucks."

Really? I did not see that but can you please upload that somewhere in FLAC. Thanks.

It's not false information. Call fucking MOMA. 9 p.m. for one hour.

that wasnt' the new cd, it was the opener Helgi Jonsson EP that he was talking about.

none of you guys mentioning best shows ever mentioned Dan Deacon, who def had 3 or 4 best ever shows on my top 10 list.

that wasnt' the new cd, it was the opener Helgi Jonsson EP that he was talking about.

>none of you guys mentioning best shows ever mentioned Dan Deacon, who def had 3 or 4 best ever shows on my top 10 list.

clearly you need to goto more shows.

I think that they had both CDs - the new Sigur on Helgi's. At least I saw them both. The t-shirts were not so great though. The MoMA poster in a t-shirt I would have paid $30 for.

11:44 #1 - you need to calm the fuck down. Maybe you should channel your aggression and take up tennis or something. And, by the way, you are totally wrong on all of your points. But then again, nobody brought up Hammer so I guess you are in the minority there.

MOMA show starts at 9 p.m.

This board saddens me.

"The show was great"
"Yeah, the show was great"
"Fuck you, the show sucked, I know I've seen every concert ever."
"Fuck you, I liked the band before you liked the band"

Really constructive, kids.

Is it true they are coming back in sept????

Where are you guys getting the 9pm start time from. MOMA is closed today so how are you getting through? The Sigur Ros message board is saying something different about start time and run time.
Plus I just called that poprally number that was listed on an earlier thread. The girl there said 8:30 they go on and they are playing(they think) around 40 minutes maybe a little less.

Also, she said there might be some available tickets at the door which you would have to pay cash for.

idiots...dan deacon is the best live act ever...

unless his ipod breaks and the music stops...

moma just told me doors at 8, show at 9. Im thinking that they all are making up times on the phone to play with us.

"11:44 #1 - you need to calm the fuck down. Maybe you should channel your aggression and take up tennis or something. And, by the way, you are totally wrong on all of your points. But then again, nobody brought up Hammer so I guess you are in the minority there.

Posted by Anonymous | June 17, 2008 12:03 PM"

WOW, so in addition to you not knowing english(leason) you can also not count. I was 11:44 post #3 and you cannot read as well. The original comment cited Pixes at Hammerstein.

Again, tell me how i was totally wrong instead of just saying I was.

unbelievable show. i've been to a bunch of sigur shows, that was the best one by far. the fact that the crowd could feed off the band's energy and remain silent for a minute in what i can only describe as a group meditation was a minor miracle. the sound was incredible, the they really gave it everything. the marching band and amina were unbelievable. other than radiohead, can't think of anything better

I indie-olympic'd you and i'm not going to the Moma show, b/c its going to be soooooo lame.

shut the hell up you friggin idiot...

Well you can be certain that people on here saying 8pm doors and 9pm show time are giving out false info. This is not a concert. It is an exhibit that has a short performance included in it.

The whole thing starts at 7. It even says that on their website. So how would doors open at 8????

Disappointed they didn't play Festival...

sigur ros are the best band around . period. no need for arguing

I bought the new Sigur Ros CD last night. Ten dollars at the stand. Those shirts were overpriced

how funny was it last night when Kim Kardashian jumped onstage for "Poppaglio"? Or some girl who thought she was Kim Kardashian. And the band didn't even notice.

Last night was incredible. The Beacon shows from a few years ago were better in my opinion (the horn section isn't really doing it for me) and I think there was more guitar at the Beacon. That said, this show was one for the ages.

I feel like an asshole...in the moment of never wanting to forget the show (which i know i never will) i ran up to the front...and yes with a digital camera. fuck. A few moments in i was like " what am i doing?!?" So i put the camera back in me pocket. Sorry for you folks who had to have the digital screens juxtaposed against that beautiful ending.

if anyone has an extra tic for this eve - pls email me - vmarkc@gmail.com. ill gladly pay a [fair] premium.

there are some new commenters on bv that really are depressing and angry...i hate all this indie wank too but wow, the vitriol is ridiculous on these commenters.

even though I wont be there, how can you be sure MoMA will not be better? you will be able to stand right next to the band, for gods sakes. doesnt that beat seeing them from whatever row you saw them from at hammerstein.

the problem with this site is that no one has to take ownership of their comments. one guy is probably posting 5 times in a row arguing with himself.

and now i must interject that sigur ros's homecoming show in 2005 was the best ever. it surely beats the one from last night that i didnt go to.

it doesnt top daft punk however.

I liked the opening kid. "There were tornado warnings. Houses were destroyed."

those new Sigur Ros songs are prime.

we should settle this with a cage match to the death.

Anon 1:01pm How do you know there are new commenters on here pray tell? This blog has been filled with hate and vitriol for a while now.

Anon 1:02pm here are a few reasons you can be sure MoMA will not be better

1)At almost 1000 people how will you be able to stand right next to the band? How many people do you think were in the Ballroom last night?

2)The show is going to be much much shorter than last night's

3)Having been at these shows before, this is not going to be the set up from last night with the lighting and stage set up. It is a stripped down small performance.

4)Again having been to shows at MoMA before the room is not made for concerts and soundwise is not the best.

Hope that answered your question.

12:45, I appreciate the apol. and the realization that it spoils the show for others.

The douchebag award for the night is a three way tie: the girl who jumped on stage, the couple in front on the left with the duel cameras (girl with camera, dude with IPhone), or the guy who got physical over the drumsticks.

this band is good.
they are very talented and creative.
they do things that most other bands don't.
could never really get into them, but I respect them.

that said, there is no fucking way they put on the greatest show of all time last night.
that's what everyone here is making it sound like.
c'mon people.
a little perspective here...

1:12 yes Ive been to these events at MoMA in the past. If you get there when the doors open you can secure yourself a prime spot. I mean get close to the front of the line.

Also getting there early means more time for free drinks. As the night goes on, they ran out of the booze in the past.

I also called MoMa today, confirmed they said 9 pm show, scheduled to play for 1 hour.

114, I vote for the girl who jumped onstage. She brought her purse!

Actually 1:16, you're wrong. Last night's show was without a doubt the greatest fucking show ever played by any band in the history of the universe. Too bad you missed it. Sucka.

Who's giving out false information? Call MOMA - you think because the museum is closed nobody is working there? Geez. Dial the main number and push 0. When the operator comes on, ask what time sigur ros goes on. The answer is 9.

yesterday was my 21st sigur ros show and i think it was one of the better new york ones. i've been to every ny sigur ros show other than the one with bjork & BAM (only because i was not in the country) and last night was definitely amazing.

just outta curiosity, 136, what was the best Sigur Ros show you saw, and which was the best NYC one?

Thanks for letting us know why you missed the one with Bjork and BAM...we were wondering where you were for that one.

Last night was definitely one of the greatest concerts I've ever experienced. There are very few bands alive existing on the same level as Sigur Rós. Only Radiohead may be greater live.

For my review and pictures, go here:
http://www.nypress.com/blogx/display_blog.cfm?bid=21488988

1:28...you're retarded.

Portishead > Sigur Ros > Radiohead

best 2nd night in Reykjavik in '02 with the 2nd night at 9:30 club in '03 a close second. Best new york one, i would probably have to say was beacon 2002. i'm partial to the ( ) tours, though.

wait a minute, Bjork is better than Sigur Ros. I think we can all agree on that.

It's nice to see everyone get so competitive over music.

Just in time for the olympics!

Daft Punk vs MIA vs Sigur Ros vs Arcade FIRE vs Vampire Weekend

Awesome!

Go for the Gold!

you forgot Dan Deacon, 2:09

oh look johnny leather is back! if i remember correctly didnt he watch as his stuff got robbed or something?

For all of you who were at the show: Even though we don't know each other, we shared a beautiful experience. I'm grateful that we were all able to enjoy it together. We come from different walks of life, we might dress differently, we all express our excitement differently, but we came together and experienced something truly wondrous together. Ignore all the divisive griping and nit-picking; we all had a place there and it wouldn't have been the same if not for each and every one of us! Thank you, and thank you Sigur Ros :)

As for those of you who are attempting to douse the fires of enthusiasm that have sprung up on this page, remember: no one is asking you to agree with our impressions of the experience. We all have our own, valid feelings about it. Those of us who were actually there, that is.

2:55 is insane. It was a great show - no doubt. But it's not exactly like marching with Martin Luther King. It's a concert. You need some perspective.

I doubt 2:55 is insane, actually. He's not the one who mentioned Martin Luther King.

how great was "Hafsol" last night? Never really noticed that song before--it has a real "Astral Weeks" kind of power.

I don't know - 2:55 spoke of the show as if was the single greatest event in his/her lifetime. Alas, it was just a concert, albeit a great concert.

I'm sure I'll get eaten alive for these comments (as does anyone who comments about how great or how bad this show was....viva la medicrity!) but...

I am really shocked more people haven't complained about the sound in that room last night. I was on the floor, row G in what should be a sound sweet spot, but they had the system up so high that there was a really distinct reverb coming off the ceiling anytime the music got beyond a whisper. It really made it hard to get swept away when the moments of auditory crescendo were also the ones that were the most muddy and difficult to hear. I think the United Palace shows will actually be better in that way.

That being said, any time a band can demand a minute of silence from a room that size MID-SONG and have a really great stage presence the way they did, I'll enjoy a concert lots. Especially Untitled #8.

Also, how funny is it to hear people yelling out song requests from ()? "Untitled 2!" "No, play untitled 6"!

Hilarious.

I'll pull out my camera whenever I please, so fuck you and your view.

sigur ros is like lapping warm milk from a saucer.

What a bummer that many feel the need to stir up contoversy here. This show was the bomb. Everyone who actually went had nice things to say, albeit some tempered with volume, amateur photography, and the skanky ho stage jumper.

Clearly those arguing that the show was not great either (a) were not there (likely), or (b) are mean by nature.

Makes me want to give up te vegan lifestyle, I feel so sad. Can anybody send me some blue light?

Love and Beads,
Ephram

I heard a rumor that SR may be coming back to the ny area after they finish up in scotland. Can anyone here confirm such hope?

sigur ros will be back in september.

any info on where sigur ros is playing in september? or are those the 5 song shows?

I want to see them again already.

SR will be playing a series of 4 intimate concerts at bowery ballroom in september

that sounds awsome. im guessing tickets arent on sale yet? thanks for the info

dont fall for that bowery comment, though i wish it were true. from what we know, they're playing the United Palace.

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2008/06/sigur_ros_touri.html

full autumn tour info will be released tomorrow. best to my knowledge: nyc sept 17th & 18th, boston 19th, & montreal the 20th. ticket go on sale in late june.

It's almost 24 hours later and I'm still feeling the high from the show. I'm not sure I've felt quite like this since -- and I cringe to even say this on here -- Daft Punk @ Coachella (which was undoubtedly better, but still...)

As far as the people who weren't there and think the rest of us are smoking dust, I totally understand -- I wouldn't really believe it either. I'd seen them two or three times before and thought they put on a decent show and all ... but god DAMN! Hate if you must, but that shit last night was special.

seriously - i haven't been able to get over last night either

AWFUL SHOW

im still in sigur ros mode too. seeing them is as life changing as psychedelics

"It's almost 24 hours later and I'm still feeling the high from the show. I'm not sure I've felt quite like this since -- and I cringe to even say this on here -- Daft Punk @ Coachella (which was undoubtedly better, but still...)"

Last night was fantastic. But I was there last night and at Daft Punk @ Coachella. You still cannot beat the element of the unknown and surprise with Daft Punk at Coachella. I mean, Sigur Ros was absolutely incredible last night, but that isn't all that shocking. We all knew they would be wonderful...

tonight was horrible. ugh. short set and a crummy crowd of drunks.

Crowd was not great tonight and the sound wasn't wonderful. But they played longer than I expected and sounded good. Just not like last night.

Sorry to hear that MoMA wasn't as good ... free booze will do that, no doubt. Never saw Daft Punk, nor heard of them (sorry to say). Do like these guys though, and no sooo much more b/c I finally saw them live. I too smiled for 2 hours straight last night, and had difficulty putting it into words today.

What was the set tonight? How long did they play? Where did they play (what part of MoMA)?

just got back from moma...musically, it was okay...though i cant say im a massive sigur ros fan. as an event, walking around with my friends and enjoying the art installations and listening to sigur ros, it was a great night and a lot of fun.

mary kate...or ashley was walking by me. so was henry kravis if that turns you on.

i think i saw mischa barton too.

Just got back from MoMA. Certainly not a short set -- they played for 100 minutes, on my watch (much more than the 30 minutes that were being predicted). It was crowded, but we were able to see most of the stage (minus the keys) from the third floor. The sound wasn't too bad, and the vastness of the spaces helped with more of their distortion (Gobbledigook, for example, didn't work as well). Hafsol was great, as usual. And the encore was a surprise (name is escaping me); another building song like Hafsol.

Certainly quite a different experience from a few nights ago at B'roo, that is for sure. But enjoyable never the less.

"tonight was horrible. ugh. short set and a crummy crowd of drunks. "

you obviously weren't there if you said short set.

Are you guys crazy?

The MoMA show was amazing.

They played for 2 hours, w/full band incl. horn section, strings

They setup shop in the foyer by the main staircase overlooking the garden

We got a free commemorative poster too

Perfect.

Encore was:

Iceland National Anthem (horns), Ny Batteri (I think)

I was at the very front and enjoyed the show more than the Grand Ballroom.

It was fucking MoMA, free booze, super intimate, free poster, amazing setup

special evening

did they play 'Vaka' tonight?

MoMa setlist:

Svenfn-G-Englar
Glosoli
Se Lest
Ny Baff
Vid Spilum Endalaust
Hoppipolla/Med
Vidrar
Saeglopur
Inni Mer Syngur
Olsen Olsen
Hafsol
Gobbledigook
------
Popplugid
All Right

Fantastic show!

MOMA show was unbelievable

incredible show for $20. front row, free drinks and a poster, to boot!

I hated tonight's show. No light show or atmosphere. The crowd was full of talking NYU douchebags who obviously didnt care and the stage was particuarly low. I was in front for the first 70 minutes but couldn't take all the talking around me so I moved to the middle and the band became invisible. Not a big deal since at least the sound was better but I feel really bad for anyone not in the first three or four rows.

^^^^^

This person was not upfront. I was against the rope and there was absolute silence upfront.

All the talking was way in the back.

^ same here and I agree. The douchebags were audible from the front only once. One or two scary folks in the front getting a little too into it, though. Sorta pathetic.

you people who complain about tonight depress me. i was 3/4 way back and the people talking didn't ruin it for me. get over yourselves. for twenty bucks you got a great full length set, drunk if you so desired, and a free poster.

I was just on the phone with a friend who, like me, was at both shows. I said i know when i come to Brooklyn Vegan there will be fuckheads who are claiming tonites show was unreal and incredible. Sure enough there is. I am here to tell you they are WRONG. And i was right up front. The show was good but nowhere near last night's amazingness. I can tell you that these people saying this were not at last night's show or are just total lemmings.

Firstly how you call call this intimate is silly. Mercury Lounge is an intimate show dummies. The sound tonite in that room was not as good as last night. Not as long either. I clocked it at 1 hour and 35 minutes by my watch.

The best part of it though was how i got in to the show. I like many got the email without the credit card acknowledgement. But thanks to some stupid BV'ers who printed what the correct email looked like. I used a little photoshop copy and paste and took that with my confirmation number to the event. When i got there i gave the confirmation number and id. They said i was not on the list. I did a little yelling, showed the email that i made up and without much more they said "oh our computer must have made a mistake" and said ok to my 2 tickets. I then said i had to wait for my friend to get there and went outside and sold my +1 to someone for 150 and brought them in. So thank you to those stupid BV'ers and thank you to the poprally morons.

Breaking it all down as someone who ACTUALLY went to both shows, if you went to Grand Ballroom you got the better show and one for the ages. If you went to Moma you got a good show, a poster and free drinks but a show that wont be remembered as the previous nights will be.

I'm afraid to say the Manhattan center show was the best I've seen in my life for fear of betraying all of my favorite bands, but I really think it was! And yes before you jump down my throat, I've seen some amazing shows. I was at a private event with the Cure, around a dozen people. I saw the Pumpkins final show ever. Bjork singing mostly acapella was truly spectacular. Radiohead 6-7 or seven times, Roger Waters doing "Dark side of the Moon" in it's entirety, Portishead in their prime, among many, many others.

I've seen them once before (I think it was Radio City - but it might have been the Beacon.) But that thing I experienced last night was nasty!

I'm now a firm believer that they should just be one of those "touring bands" contstantly touring everywhere, all year - every other year, spreading their vibe to people who have no idea what they are in for. If they did that, they could very well help heal this world.

Agreed with poster above. The Grand Ballroom show was such a wonderful experience. Tonight though was barely decent. Yes they played for longer that expected and the price was good, but that doesn't change the fact that the audience was horrible, the sound was less-than-stellar and the magic was simply not there this time around.

That's a shame but it makes me feel better that we missed it. I almost thought that we should've attended the other way around, MoMA and skipping Manhattan Center!

Price wasn't good if you were the guy who paid $150 to the creep Anon 1:13. Reminds me of those idiots that sell Allman Beacon tix for a gross profit. You scammed your way in - good for you - but don't take advantage of other poor slobs. In the words of Theodore Ted Logan, "Be excellent to each other"

If some moron is willing to pay $150 for what may or may not even be a full set, then the joke's on them.

I missed the Grand Ballroom show, along with thousands of people. But I fortunately did not miss the MoMA show.

People can argue all they want about how horrible or great their set was, it's all relative. What is incredible to me (and it was) may blow to someone else. That's their opinion.

Too many people were talking about how this would be a "half hour set" or they "would only play five songs" that every track after post-thirty minutes felt like it could be the last, adding that much more power to it (to me at least).

They took the stage at 8:45 and didn't leave from the end of their encore until 10:35. If someone is going to dispute that being the absolute best deal you can get for a $20 show, I challenge them. Factored in with free drinks, and a free poster, it basically averages out to a nearly free show.

Simply astounding.

Anon @ 1:13

"Firstly how you call call this intimate is silly."

- I'm not sure if you were at the same show but how much more intimate does it get when the lead singer (Jonsi) is mingling with the crowd before the show and walking through the gallery with fans.

You're a dick too but it seems like you already know that.

People who proclaim the sound and lights were better at the Grand Ballroom are you some type of rocket scientists? Last time I checked MoMa is a musuem and not a concert venue.

With that being said, I though last night was amazing. I was prob 30 feet back from the stage and there was no d-bags around me talking the whole time and the sound was fine.. granted I assume all of you who complain about sound listen to vinyl only and will not dare use one of those mp3 devices. But let's be honest with ourselves, even shows at the Bowery Ballroom have these type of people who go to shows to be part of the "scene" and chat the whole way through.

Let's see, the ticket was $20 and they played for close to 2 hours. The setlist was very similar to the night before (which I could not attend) and it seemed to me that the band pretty much laid it all out there for us. On top of that, they give you free drinks and sweet poster.

Thanks to Sigur Ros and PopRally for putting together last nights gig. It was damn good and an experience I will not forget.

BTW, that exhibit was amazing:
http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/exhibitions.php?id=3991

Glad the MoMA folks had fun. I'm sure it was a good show. Can't compare the two cause I was only at Monday's show, but I can say that Monday's was more of an experience than a concert. Everything worked in unison - the setlist, the energy, the crowd, lights / fog / confetti, venue. I'm sure that MoMA was a very special SR show as well, but Manhattan Center was a very special occurance, at least comparitive in my 30 years of attending such events.

Peace

There is so much negativity on this (and other BV) board. Last night's MOMA show was really good... without the magic and silent crowd of Monday, but still a great deal for $20.

Heard a few people in the galleries talking about BV comments. I wonder what % of the people there read this blog?

I wonder if people would be happier if BV offered "Missed Connections" for concerts? Like "I saw you at MOMA in the cable knit sweater. Our eyes met as we told the kids next to us to be quiet." Would give people something else to do rather than post angry stuff here...

I agree with 8:56, however I dont think the jerks that post here would ever dare to reveal any of their personal info for fear of getting beer spilled on them. the nice people wouldnt dare put their personal info for fear of being ridiculed by the jerks. downward spiral, basically.

btw- I am the person who told you MoMA would be amazing, and looks like I was right.

yeah apparently they played the same set last night as the night before minus one song (forget which). SOFA KING AWESOME.

I REALLY wish I could have seen the MOMA show, but the Grand Ballroom show was incredible. It was my first time seeing them and it was fantastic. I just wish they played some more of untitled-3, and 4 would have been lovely....

Whats up with the blurry photos?

Has anyone found a download of this show yet?

They were recording this show for CURRENT TV (I asked the cameraman upfront) and said it will air as part of a music special in July

(the MoMA show, that is)

That's great - why don't you post that info in the MoMA BV page? Personally, I want to hear / see the Monhattan Center show again. ||: And again :||

"did anyone else notice that the seating numbers for floor sections 3 and 4 were reversed from the one posted on ticketmaster? instead of decreasing towards the middle, they increased...so my friends with floor 3 seats 11 and 12 actually ended up on center aisle. lucky for them, but sucky for whoever had seats 1 and 2."

I noticed and I was slightly pissed. I had seats 1 and 2, right on the center aisle. Instead we ended up being near section 1 (or was it 4?).

Current TV MUSIC SPECIAL info is official:

Sigur Ros@ Moma

http://current.com/topics/77037582_sigur_ros

Aug 5th @ 10pm EST.

Check Local Listings!

There is a link to the Grand Ballroom show in the Siguros.uk forum.

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