Whoever claimed laughter is the only cure for grief did not know about music

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Árstíðir – Dreikönigskirche, Dresden; September 22nd, 2014 

The Árstíðir concert in Dresden happened on one of those strange days that I’d rather erase from my memory – up until concert time that is. The magical power of their music put the smile back on my face and the beautiful sound at the Dreikönigskirche in Dresden left me in awe. But the looks of it, the same happened to everyone else who was there. The venue just calls for delicate music to be played and a-cappella songs to be sung. 🙂

It had been a strange day off between concerts, because while I had enjoyed spending a night in my own bed for a change, there was this sadness that I could not shake and it made me view everything in a negative light. On the long train ride to Dresden I momentarily lost it during a nice conversation with a fellow traveler (who followed a spiritual teacher all over the place), but it came crashing back down soon enough. I don’t like myself much when I’m in such a mood and it’s no good place to be in, much less alone. Thus, hoping the music would cure me, I asked the guys if it was OK for me to see the soundcheck. Luckily they agree and not only was I greeted with comforting hugs, but the healing powers of the music immediately took effect. I still felt sad, but nowhere near as bleak as I had the hours before. Some of the songs moved me to tears and it felt good letting all the emotions out.

Soon soundcheck was over and they were letting people into the venue. I got my camera ready, then had a little time to chat with the familiar people I met. The guys were a little late and the people in front row already contemplated clapping them out when they finally walked in. From then on it was a night of much music and little talk. Except for the song titles, they hardly said anything by way of introduction. There was the occasional “this is a new song” and some banter about the iPad setlist not always being the best thing, but less than that only ‘Shine’ and ‘Heyr himna smiður’ got a few words.

Either way, the songs spoke for themselves in this church and I hardly dared using my camera because the amazing acoustics carried any sound quite far. Luckily there are some more dramatic parts in the songs where the “click” of my DSLR’s mirror was drowned out. It was a good excuse for not taking all that many pictures. 😉

The band had shook up the setlist since the last concert, having rehearsed a few different songs on their day off. ‘Someone who cares’ moved to the beginning of the set, directly after ‘Heiðin’. It worked quite nicely in that spot. Shortly after, ‘Lost on you’ made an appearance. Slowly all the bad thoughts of the day left me, and the music took over. It moved me so much I was close to tear several times. Every song called out to me that night, everything was more beautiful than I had hoped for.

Especially the a cappella songs worked well with the reverb in the church and it made me happy they played four of them, all except one with Gilaumme. He got several solo parts too and a special introduction from Karl at one point. The first set ended with ‘Shades’ for which A. decided she could not sit down and came to stand next to me. IT sounded magnificent and when the last notes of the cello rang out, everyone was quiet for a little while. In fact, that happened for every song: People quietly waited to see if it was really the end and only started clapping after a brief pause.

The second set started with ‘Ró’ that had been rearranged to include four handed piano. Karl was sitting next to Ragnar for it and I enjoyed listening as much as I enjoyed watching them. Both versions work well for me. 😀 ‘You again’ was back as well and more beautiful than the first time around. Even ‘Heyr hymna smiður’ worked for me this time and was nothing short of amazing.

Too soon the second set was over and we called them back for encores. Before, Ragnar asked us for requests. I considered yelling out ‘Siðasta Kveðjan’, because it would have fit the location and my earlier mood so well, but I’m sure they would not have played it anyway. ‘Kill us’ took the crown though, it seemed tougher, tighter and more powerful than ever before. 🙂 The last encore was sung among the crowd as always and contained one English song I had not heard them do before and the final ‘Góða veislu gjöra skal’. I could have listened for some more hours, but it ended there. *sigh *

After the show I stuck around, but did not take much, just listened in. We learned that the version of ‘Ró’ on the album is a mixture of the old one and the one they played that night. It all ended in the same bar we had been to the previous year with drinks, stories, much laughter and a general good mood. Exactly what I needed. After a last hug goodbye, I found myself at my hotel, head buzzing with Caipirinha and good memories. 🙂

Setlist not quite sure this is correct

Heiðin
Someone who cares
Orð að eigin vali
Lost in you
Silfurskin
A medan jördin sefur
Moonlight
Land mins föður
Shades

Ró
You just have to know of me
Heyr hymna smiður
Cannon
Days & Nights
You again
Shine
Nú gleymist ég

Encore
Ljoð í sand
Kill us
Because
Góða veislu gjöra skal

pictures of tis concert

Árstíðir Germany Tour 2014: 3 concerts down, 7 to go. Next stop: Erlangen

Surprises and unexpected beauty

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Árstíðir – Syke, September 20th, 2014

What a night! Árstíðir concerts are always good and they usually are lucky with the sound and light technicians they have at the venue, but once in a while everything fits so well that a concert stands out as exceptional. The concert in Syke was one of those where everything was right from beginning to end. My feeling was the guys pretty much blew their audience off of their collective feet. During the quiet parts you could have heard a pin drop (and even on the quietest setting my camera felt way too loud), while after each song the room burst into cheers. I watched people swaying in their seats, lost in the music, I saw others singing along or just listen with their eyes and often their mouths wide open in astonishment. 😀

A sunny day awaited me in Syke after the long trip from Ducherow. Soon after arrival I checked on the venue and wondered where exactly the entrance might be. “Konzertsaal der Kreisparkasse” (concert venue of a big bank) didn’t exactly sound promising and when I realized it was actually in the building of the bank, I admit that my hopes sank a bit. Last time in Syke they had been playing at a church and now this? Oh well, I’d seen them work their magic at the strangest of places so why not here?

Later, when I went back there was still nobody waiting at the door so I spent some time walking around, looking for the Polish girls. They were nowhere to be seen, but the Solingen gang from last year spotted me and called me over. Thus, we had a quick dinner together and got back to the venue after they opened. Finally the mystery of the entrance was solved. It was on the left and we had to go all the way up the stairs. Bumped into the guys on the way in and got a quick hug each from Ragnar. The room was rather packed already, but I still managed to find a seat in the second row. Not that I was going to be sitting much…

Got me some water only to kick it over first chance I got. * laughs * Had a quick chat with Linda who told me again how much fun they had with my present. This made the smile on my face even bigger than it already was. Finally the Polish women arrived too, telling us they were stuck in traffic in Hamburg.

Soon it was time to go in and I choose a spot in the back from where I could photograph the entire stage. The organizer introduced the band and said they had moved them from the church to here because this venue has better sound. That remained to be seen, but I sure liked the setup of the room and the stage pretty much had the perfect size. Soon the band walked out to thunderous applause and my smile got even brighter. I felt a rush of love for these guys who brought so much happiness to this room. 🙂

They told us they’d sing new songs for us but would start with an old one – ‘Heiðin’. The sound was great indeed and I totally loved the lights. During the course of the night the lighting perfectly matched each and every song, subtle during the more quiet parts and more dramatic when need be. Pretty much as good as it gets. ‘Á meðan jörðin sjefur’ was next, a chance for Karl to shine. During the course of the night, they all got their moment in the spotlight, but what I especially liked is that they have worked more harmonies into some of the new songs like ‘Shine’ and ‘The Cannon’ – after all, this is what I love most about the band.

‘Silfurskin’ made an appearance again and seemed even more beautiful than the first time around. I am totally in love with that song. <3 They ended the first set with ‘Shades’. It felt newer and fresher than it had in a long time and was perfectly underlined by dramatic lighting. The best moment for me was when Linda walked over and pointed out how the Solingen gang where all standing by the wall singing along and rocking out to the song. Awesome! ‘Shades’ should always make people move like that. Anyway, no matter if people moved their bodies or just listened in awe, they clearly loved the song and clapped for a long time after it. 😀

During the break I bumped in the guys again and got hugs from Gillaume this time. 🙂 I also finally met G. whom I had told about this concert. She had brought a friend and they were both blown away by the performance. Seeing there happy faces made me feel proud of the guys. I always knew they could win over anyone who saw them live, but getting proof of it made my day even better. 😀

The second set did not contain any songs I didn’t know this time, but that didn’t make it any less enjoyable. I loved everything about it from the music to the audience reaction. People were really into it and I spent almost as much time watching them as I spent watching the band. It was just awesome, no matter which song was played, the reactions were loud and happy.

The encores were fun too. Not only made ‘Ljoð í sand’ and ‘Kill us’ people really happy, but after the guys had walked out through one door and people were still clapping and yelling for more, they snuck back in from the back and just stood there in the audience, without people noticing them. It was funny. I stood at the front and gestured for everyone to turn around, but it took a little while before they caught on. ‘Góða veislu gjöra skal’ was perfect to end the show. 🙂

The usual after concert madness with lots of people wanting to get autographs and have a chat, lasted quite a while and they had to pack quickly after. Once everything was stored in the car it was time for goodbyes. I hugged everyone before I left. One day at home for me and one day off for the band before the tour continues

Setlist

Heiðin
Á meðan jörðin sjefur
Orð að eigin vali
Silfurskin
Næturylur
Moonlight
Látum okkur sjá
Land mins föður
Shades

Ages
You just have to know of me
Cannon
Someone who cares
Days & Nights
Shine
Nú gleymist ég

Encore
Ljoð í sand
Kill us
Góða veislu gjöra skal

pictures from this concert

Árstíðir Germany Tour 2014: 2 concerts down, 8 to go. Next stop: Dresden