A few scant weeks after brother #2’s visit, brother #1 and his family were in town yesterday. They came over for a bit of a hangout before said brother and I went to see Sigur Rós play at Meridian Hall. It was my first time since seeing them in September 2001 and October 2002.

It was worth the 20-year wait. They played for a combined 2.5+ hours, and had all the magic I remember. They swung from delicate to punishing with little warning. They seem as tight as ever, with the maturity that comes from two additional decades of touring. Jonsi still emits alien whale song from a slender body in such a way that it beggars belief. I got choked up during “Svefn-g-englar”, but the final movement of “Popplagið” was so overwhelming that I teared up.

The setlist, according to setlist.fm:

1. Vaka
2. Fyrsta (>)
3. Samskeyti
4. Svefn-g-englar
5. Rafmagnið búið (>)
6. Ný batterí
7. Gold 2
8. Fljótavík
9. Heysátan
10. Dauðalagið
11. Smáskifa [followed by intermission]
12. Glósóli
13. E-Bow
14. Ekki múkk
15. Sæglópur
16. Gong (>)
17. Andvari
18. Gold 4
19. Festival
20. Kveikur
21. Popplagið

Today the brother + fam are wrapping up their visit to Toronto, and we’re off to Montreal for a week. It’s my first work break since December and and our first time back in Montreal together since Lindsay finished her Masters there. À bientôt!