Tag Archives: great scott

Ásgeir with Connor Youngblood at Great Scott

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asgeir

Anytime an Icelandic band comes to Boston, I do everything I can to be there.  As it so happens, the Ásgeir gig this last Friday coincided with my new purchase of a much faster camera lens.  So, I was able to practice and catch a great gig, two birds…one stone kind of thing and the like.  You can click any of these pics to see the actual photos on my Flickr account.

The gig was at Great Scott, a bar in Allston famous for hosting acts rather late in the night.  FM Belfast played there last year also to a sold out crowd.  It’s a simple set up, but the sound is typically good, and the beer and vodka rather cheap.

connoryoungblooc

Connor Youngblood opened for the band.  He’s a youngin’ out of Dallas Texas often seen on stage with multiple instruments strapped around him.  His pedal boards were impressive, and so was his ability to shift between the sounds and loops he created during his songs.  There is very little out there on him, but I did find this interview, and his website. (which could use an about me section.)

Ásgeir and his band of motley fools were next.  Filling the tiny stage to it’s capacity and beginning the soothing songs he’s famous for.  We luckily got to hear a few songs in Icelandic, and he did a very smooth, high pitched version of Heartshaped box a little more than halfway through his set.  The girls, and a few guys, were swooning and it made taking photos nearly impossible as the crowd was all but sitting in the band’s lap on the stage.

TrioasgeirI have to say that I loved his drummer, and even though the lighting wasn’t very good and he was in the dark a lit of the time, it was fun to watch him play.

I still have quite a bit of practice to get the hang of the new lens, there were noise issues, and a prime lens takes some getting used to.  But the concert was great, and good times were had.  So, thank you to Ásgeir‘s management for the opportunity to snap some shots, and thanks to  Ásgeir and Connor Youngblood for a great gig.

It was a fantastic Iceland music snack before ATP Iceland, which is less than a month away.  But that’ll be an entirely different post.

 

FM Belfast live at Great Scott Feb 28, 2013

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fmbelf

As it’s somewhat of a rarity to see Icelanders gracing our Boston stages and bars, I thought I would write a quick review of FM Belfast’s concert at Great Scott last night, Feb 28th 2013.  The gig got off to a late start, and as people drifted in YDIMITU began their heavy beats hidden behind two massive strobing LED blocks set to retina destruction level.  Next, the ever cheerful keys duo Child Actor took the stage and played to a still increasing dance floor crowd.

With slightly less than 200 people in attendance, FM Belfast came out to stage with full force AND Mexican party favors:

pineapple

Instantly the floor of adults became partiers and the fun began.  Dancing on an amazingly small stage for 5 people, only a foot up above the crowd, Árni, Lóa, and crew had the audience crouching low, jumping high, and bouncing around every which way ‘til Sunday.  It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen an American adult audience be so alive and it was refreshing.

jump

 

“Are you ready to jump!?” Shouts Árni just before the instruments kick in and a sound wave of music blasts over a very hyper audience.  I’ve seen many shows at Great Scott, but never have I began wondering just how much more the floor could flex before it might give in.

 

I wish I had a setlist for you, but I didn’t think about writing a review until this morning, so I am unprepared.  All the classics were hit as well as a good amount of stuff from the new album.  And of course, the band did underwear, and lost their pants in the process. There was blending of songs, and improvised extensions to allow the audience to dance even longer. The only song not played I would have liked to have heard was Tropical.

But it truly was a fantastic show, made slightly cooler by the smaller, very excited crowd.  You can check out my blog post on FM Belfast, which includes links to stream their albums as well as links to all their pages here. And you can catch FM Belfast live at the Studio at Webster Hall on March 3rd.

Thank you FM Belfast for a great night!

2nd Iceland Airwaves Roster update

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Well folks, the second batch O’bands has been announced for Iceland Airwaves 2013.  Múm (pronounced Moom) will be there, as well as Sin Fang, pronounced Sinn Faiinnnng, Bloodgroup (pronounced giddy) and Metz (pronounced with a silent Q).  To see the line-up so far click here.

And, if you’re in the Boston area, remember that FM Belfast is playing at Great Scott tomorrow, Feb 28th, at Great Scott in Allston.  It’s $12 or so, and well worth it.

FM Belfast

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FMBelfast

A birthday track made by a couple, for a friend, became the beginnings of a snowball gradually gaining speed and size, rolling it’s way through dance floors, festivals, and bar venues taking peoples’ pants in return for lively gigs that feel more like all encompassing parties; this, is the FM Belfast I’ve experienced.

This post was done out of my chaotic order as they are playing Great Scott in Allston (Boston) on Feb. 28th.  I always get excited when an Icelandic band comes to Boston, but FM Belfast is famous for putting on amazing live shows anywhere they play.  They have an incredible knack for feeding off the energy of a crowd, creating their own energy, and turning any environment into a party.  I tried to find clips of live shows, but I honestly feel that you thumbing through this 47 minute set would probably give you a better idea of what to expect:

according to legend, and their website.  A couple, Árni Rúnar Hlöðversson and Lóa Hlín Hjálmtýsdóttir, put together a birthday song for a friend.  As music things typically do, it got around and eventually more music was created by it.  The band expanded, and now includes players from a slew of great Icelandic bands, such as Borko, Retro Stefson, Múm, and Benni Hemm Hemm.  Depending on who’s available and what they are doing the roster can change from 3 to 11 players and that adaptability and keen sense for a good mood is what makes going to one of their gig’s absolutely worth it.

Before going into just how great the first time I saw them was, I feel there needs to be a little discography lesson and knowledge shared.  They are witty and have no lack of catchy tunes.  On How to make friends, there is a keyboard playing monkey named Pedro being Tropical, a warped drunken-like version of the classic Pump up the jam,  motivational songs about being President, and of course, one of their most popular songs about being Icelandic and running down the street in their Underwear.  The band actually put together a lo-fi video for the song Underwear, I have to admit it cracks me up:

The newest album, Don’t want to sleep, still carries on the dance beat, but the lyrics get more serious, but not too serious.  You still have fantastic songs about learning American, and not wanting to go to sleep either.  But you also get darker dance beats and more mature sounding tracks like In Line, and Happy winter.  In line is actually my favorite track off of the album.

Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir was kind enough to answer my 4 questions:

1. What is your favorite off-venue Airwaves joint to jam at? My favorite off venue last year was KEX hostel.

2. If you combine all of the band’s favorite colors what do you get? To start with, one of our bandmate has the favorite colors Neon Green and Burgundy red so I think the combo will always turn out to be pretty diarrhetic. Mine is a gray purplish sort of blue, I have a pen with that color and it’s called Cornflower. One bandmate doesn’t know and I can’t be bothered to call the rest of the guys. But like I said, the end result will be brown.

3. What are 3 Icelandic bands we haven’t heard of that we should? Nolo, Prinspóló and Boogie Trouble.

4. If you could be any creatures playing your favorite song, what would you be, and what song? It would be a really big crow singing Smog’s song Feather by Feather.

You can learn more about them on their website.  Gogoyoko actually has a lot of remixes, and their full length albums, so I would suggest going and giving them a listen.  And of course they are on Facebook.