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In many ways last night's showing of Heima felt like attending a Sigur Ros concert. Approximately a hundred fans sat quiet and observant, occasionally succumbing to the temptation to tap a foot.
Heima follows the band after their 2005/2006 Takk tour, when they performed a series of free concerts in their homeland. The best way to describe the film is eye, and ear, candy. For this viewer the film's visuals served as a introduction to the unknown world of Iceland, a world that proved as stunning and idealistic as I imagined it. Winding roads, ice-capped mountains, fields glistening with dew: the Icelandic Tourist Bureau should think about getting their hands on this film.
One of the most interesting side stories portrayed in Heima was the country's struggle for and against modernization. In one scene the band plays in a valley to protest the building of a dam as a new energy source. Ironically they are unable to plug in their instruments without electricity; thus an acoustic set is born (bjorn?).
As you would expect, the music is the film's true stand-out (check out our review of accompanying album Hvarf-Heim). Director Dean DuBlois is clearly a fan: consider the loving attention as the camera pans from pe
rformer to performer, stopping for a vibrato of strings, a crucial drumbeat. New yet faithfully rendered versions of "Starálfur" and "Ágætis Byrjun" are highlights, though nothing can top the mountainous heights of closer "Untitled No. 8." (The band seems to recognize the awesomeness of this song, as they used it to close ( ), the documentary, and 2006's Uptown Theatre show in KC -- a moment Heima blissfully returned me to.) As fellow blogger Backdrifter noted after the film, it was somewhat disappointing to hear studio acoustic versions of the songs dubbed over what could have been beautifully raw renditions. Nonetheless, the music is gorgeous, gripping.
After NPR complained about Sigur Ros giving "the worst interview in the history of electronic media," I was a little worried about how the band would fare with a documentary. Thankfully Jonsi and company did a fair job with the interview portion of the documentary, even bringing in some humor now and then. Besides, as any Sigur Ros fan knows, their music isn't about the words. It's about the feeling.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Review:
Sigur Ros Documentary Heima
Monday, December 3, 2007
Featured Event:
Free Showing of Heima
Ordinarily on Mondays we write about an upcoming concert. Yet as all music lovers know, we're entering the Annual Concert Drought®. (Don't believe me? Check out our skimpy upcoming show schedule.) I don't know about you, but when winter gets forceful and bands hibernate, I like to travel to the little warm center of the world known as... you guessed it, Iceland!
Now you can, too. Tomorrow, Tue., Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. Lawrence's Jackpot Saloon is hosting a FREE SHOWING of the Sigur Rós documentary Heima. (On a side note, the special that night is $1.50 PBR draws! Get glacial and glitzed!)
Still not convinced? Check out our review of Hvarf/Heim -- the documentary's accompanying album -- here. Watch a preview of Heima here.
P.S. That's a free showing of Heima, you pervs, not -- something else...
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Something Besides Radiohead to Moisten Your Pantaloons? Some New Sigur Ros Should Fit the Bill.
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Sorry to be vulgar, but this is Sigur Ros we're talking about. Last month we posted a snippet from the upcoming Sigur Ros documentary Heima. Now the band has posted a track from the accompanying album Hvarf-Heim on its Myspace. Although not recorded until recently, "Hljomalind" was born in the age of Agaetis, so I don't have to tell you it's good. Check out the track's uncharacteristic guitar, which fellow blogger Backdrifter aptly described as "not played with a bow."
Friday, August 24, 2007
Sigur Ros: Heima Trailer
I vaguely remember reading about this DVD, due later this fall, some time ago on P4K, and then promptly forgetting about it. D'oh! The trailer, which you can watch below, looks fantastic, and helps remind me what an impressive force this band is live.
Thanks to Gorilla Vs. Bear for the heads up.