Árstíðir – Evangelicky kostel, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm
For the final show of their spring tour I saw Árstíðir perform and acoustic show in a church as a quartet and it was wonderful on many levels. Hearing them play without microphones or much amplification created a special atmosphere where people really had to listen. The simple but beautiful church only added to that and not only filled my heart with warmth, but also lead to a few goosebumps. It was a bittersweet night for me – a beautiful ending to an amazing tour and time to say goodbye and return to real life. I have no regrets though and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. 🙂
The day had started with chaos and misunderstandings, but in the end it was all cleared up and will be filed under “shit happens”. None of that mattered though as soon as I got to hug the guys and Masha that day and had the wonderful opportunity to get a glimpse of them doing a photoshoot in Ostrava. It was amazing to see a professional photographer at work and the location was beautiful as well. After a late lunch it was time to travel to Rožnov. Upon arrival I went to my hotel to check in and was at the venue one hour later when the guys just got done with the soundcheck. I found a nice spot by the side, said hello to the girls from Prague and chatted with Masha.
The concert seemed to be sold out, the church was packed and when the guys walked in they were greeted with great cheers. Guillaume had to leave the previous day so the band had to play the songs without cello, which essentially meant more work for Karl. It worked really well. I had thought I would miss the cello, because I love all the cello parts very much, but to my surprise I didn’t and enjoyed this concert just as much as all the others, if not more so. I felt every note and every line that night – there was a special kind of magic at this place. 🙂
It was cold on the church floor where I spent much time sitting down so I would not bother people so much while taking pictures. It didn’t matter though, I was much to focused on watching the guys, taking it all in, trying to see and hear every little detail. Each and every song seemed to have a special meaning, felt right and true. From time to time, I took a look at the audience too: different age groups, new fans and old, some having traveled quite far and all equally enthralled. It was beautiful. <3
The music filled the small church and there were so few other sounds that at times I was afraid to even use my camera in quiet mode, because it seemed so loud. Not taking so many pictures made me listen more intently and it became a very emotional experience. During ‘Days & Nights’ I was close to tears for the first time that night, because during the lines “going round in my head is just how much I’ll miss it when I’m dead” I realized that this was something I would miss terribly. I found myself nodding and thinking, “yes, I would”. :’)
Once again the songs were mixed up since the last concert and not all of the new ones made an appearance, but ‘The Cannon’, ‘Moonlight’, ‘Ró’, ‘Vetur að vori’ and the untitled song with the working title ‘Kings of Giersbergen’ were still there. For the first time since last September they left out ‘Shine’, but I didn’t miss it. The set worked well. As an a cappella number they chose ‘Land míns föður’. Hearing ‘Næturylur’ again made me smile and ‘Kings of Giersbergen’ brought me close to tears for the second time. They played only one set so I was quite surprised when Ragnar announced they’s play their longest song, unless we were too tired. 😉 So I got to enjoy ‘Siðasta Kveðjan’ again and this time it made me cry. It was just too much beauty to bear. When it was over, Ragnar saw me wiping my tears and smiled. I smiled back at him and shrugged “yep, that’s the way it is”.
I loved all the other songs too. They carried me well that night, made the concert a sum of all the others I had seen this past week, let me relive all the emotions of the time on the road and all the memories.<3 When they ended the main set with ‘Ages’ the audience would not let them go and cheered even more than they had between songs. They came back for ‘Nú gleymist ég’ and ‘Góða veislu gjöra skal’, but people still did not have enough and clapped until they came out again for one last bow. This great reception was well deserved and the perfect ending to this tour. 🙂
Setlist
Heiðin
Látum okkur sjá
The Cannon
Orð að eigin vali
Day & Nights
Moonlight
You just have to know of me
Ró
Á meðan jörðin sjefur
Vetur að vori
Næturylur
Land míns föður
Someone who cares (formerly known as “Kings of Giersbergen”)
Siðasta Kveðjan
Kill us
Ages
Encore
Nú gleymist ég
Góða veislu gjöra skal
After the gig there were many who wanted to chat or get autographs and pictures so I kept in the background until most of them were gone. It had been an amazing week and I wanted a few words with each of the guys before it was time to go. After seeing them almost every day and being part of the family for a little while, saying goodbye was difficult, but I knew that when I started on this adventure. 😉 Each one of them took the time for a little chat with me and I got to thank them for the wonderful tour and the good times. After a big hug from all of them I finally turned and walked away, knowing I’ll carry these memories with me for the rest of my life. <3 I cried that night, as I sometimes do when something good has to end. Tears of joy, even mixed with a little melancholia, are always a good thing.
The next morning, when I had to leave, the skies were grey over Rožnov. The weather fit my mood and I was glad I’d have a full day before going back to work. In the coming months, while counting down the days to the new album and the upcoming concerts in the fall, I will look back on this week with a smile. It does not get any better than this!
Árstíðir spring tour: 8 concerts down, none to go. Last stop: home