Roy Thomson Hall

(* Wordless Music Orchestra)

Toronto, Canada

Aug 14, 2023

Set 1

Blóðberg
Ekki múkk
Fljótavík
8
Von (live)
Andvari
Starálfur
Dauðalogn
Varðeldur

Set 2

Untitled #1 – Vaka
Untitled #3 – Samskeyti
Heysátan
Ylur
Skel
All alright
Untitled #5 – Álafoss
Sé lest
Hoppípolla
Avalon

External Reviews

thatericalper.com

22 Comments on “Roy Thomson Hall”

  • Karlita Riquelme

    says:

    I saw them in Chile 7 years ago and I loved it so much but this time it was magical, special and honestly, no words to explain how beautiful it was with the orchestra

  • Danny teetee

    says:

    I felt on cloud 9 for a solid 2 hours. Solid minimalist lighting really brought the cozy feeling to the gig. Wonderful sound/venue. One of the best gigs I have ever been to. 7th time seeing SR and it was the best. A tab of acid really hammered the experience home.

  • Peet

    says:

    I was hoping for a little more spunk from the boys, feels like they missed a great opportunity to do something magical with the orchestra.

  • Alastair

    says:

    A night I won’t soon forget. Beautiful, emotional, a little mysterious – as all great art should be. Had tears in my eyes as the strings trembled on Ekki Mukk and shivers down my spine as Alafoss was converted into an orchestral wave of sound. Thank you SR and Wordless Music Orchestra for one of the best concerts of my life. It was so special and I am glad I had to good fortune to witness it.

  • Ryan

    says:

    I have seen Sigur Ros 12 times now. Really enjoyed the show but I couldnt help but feel like I was constantly wishing everything was louder. All of the instruments just didnt have that same heavy punch I am normally used too. The few times drums were used I could barely notice they were even being used. Even tracks like Untitled 1 that although start slow have always had such a heavy sound wave within it. Just felt like everything needed to be Amplified to another level.

  • Sarah M

    says:

    What an incredible night. This was the first time that I saw the band live, although I have been a fan for years & years. The lighting added a really beautiful ambiance, and I feel so incredibly lucky to have been able to have been witness to the magic. Jónsi’s voice is absolutely ethereal. A really beautiful experience!

  • Craig Martin

    says:

    Peaceful and free. A most beautiful evening.

  • Kristie

    says:

    This was my third time seeing Sigur Ros and this was the most intimate, achingly beautiful show of them all. I must note how incredible it was to look around and not see anyone on their phones, completely entranced by the music. If you’re contemplating seeing them live, I cannot recommend it enough. No artist compares to Sigur Ros live.

  • David Lewis

    says:

    Beautiful…sublime…exquisite!

  • Paul

    says:

    Such a beautiful night of music. So moving but needs something more. I wish they had dressed in white so we could actually see them on stage. Also louder rock sounds work well with orchestras so it didn’t have to be all quiet and repetitive. Throw in some hypnotic dynamic lights and Olafur Arnolds would have blushed.

  • Dave Cawthorne

    says:

    A beautiful evening. However, after seeing countless Sigur Ros shows, I was hoping for a bit more intensity after each song. I understand that my personal desire clearly differed from the experience that the band developed for this tour.

  • Christina

    says:

    Goosebumps from start to finish. The standing ovation that just kept going capped off what was a beautifully perfect evening.

  • Joseph

    says:

    My 8th Sigur Ros show, and easily my favourite of them all. One of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. Hearing so many deep cuts for the first time live, with their full, magnificent arrangements (Staralfur, Andvari, Se Lest, Avalon, Dauðalogn, Varðeldur, Von) was an absolute gift. The tracks from the new album (the lower strings in Blóðberg!) sounded incredible. Unlike some of the other commenters here, I didn’t miss the intensity of heavier staples from previous sets like Popplagið (as much as I love those songs) and totally appreciated the quieter, gentle, contemplative vibe they were going for with this show. It totally worked for me, and it showcased the subtle but beautiful compositions throughout their catalogue and illustrated how Sigur Ros is so much more than just Jonsi’s voice. A big thank you to everyone who was involved in putting this together. It was a life-affirming experience.

  • Miranda

    says:

    ***

  • Michael Loftus

    says:

    Last night in Toronto was one of the most powerful musical experiences of my life. The orchestrations, the performances, the beauty and acoustics of Roy Thomson Hall – everything was perfect! I didn’t want the show to end, but here is what it looked like when it did.
    I so wanted to attend one of the concerts on this tour, but it seemed that it wasn’t going to work out. Everything came together with a just few days to spare – whew!
    Best wishes to Sigur Ros and the orchestra for the remainder of the tour! Are any of these shows being recorded for eventual release? I hope so.

  • Lourdes & Tom Primeau

    says:

    Beautiful, but not sublime. We arrived to the show chasing intense rainbows of sound, only to discover a gentle rainfall instead—the sleepwalking Sigur Rós. While subtly breathtaking in its own intimate way, the evening unfortunately fell flat for us due to its repetitive rhythms and shockingly muted acoustics, lacking the powerful depth and vivid multidimensionality that typically defines the live SR soundscape…a massive disappointment, considering how we took a train from Windsor to Toronto in hopes of experiencing the ethereally majestic Glóð (a Platonically PERFECT opener) and expansively driving Klettur. Perhaps it is our fault for misjudging what appeared to be the intentionally introverted nature of the show, but it was simply a shame to not witness the orchestra’s nuanced talent blossom alongside the heavier art-rock elements of SR, especially after Átta’s release. Unless this is simply an experimentally orchestral in-between show preceding Átta’s official world tour? It felt like we were watching a show unfold behind a glass partition, witnessing its sacred beauty from afar without experiencing full soul-involvement. Sure, we were given the mirrors at RTH, but where was the smoke? Decadence? Substance? We also missed Jónsi x Fischer’s perfumed magic at the merch, although we don’t want to be too greedy here! What can we say? The performance simply needed a heavier base note with far more projection.

  • GVB

    says:

    Beautiful show and experience. If everyone felt the way I do when listening to Sigur Ros all would be ok. Can’t wait for the next one

  • Rick Strauss

    says:

    Magical Concert. I’ve seen them three times. To me this was the best. The sound was perfect! Looking forward to getting the CD

  • A magical and beautiful night of music, so grateful to have seen this wonderful performance…

  • Truly magical.

  • Ryan

    says:

    I’ve seen SR three times now, and each one was different in some magical way. I knew going in that this would be an unforgettable experience, and although I agree with those who say the spectacle and build wasn’t the same, I think that’s part of what made this evening unique. I had chills even when I sat down in the venue before the band played, and I got choked-up several times throughout the show. More importantly, I’ve been reliving it over and over in my head, both because I recorded it and also because it’s just stuck there as a wonderful memory. Thanks to everyone involved for making such an incredible experience possible, and here’s to the next time I see the band in whatever way they choose to present the music that means so much to me. Takk.

    https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cv83Q4IAM7-/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

  • Aline

    says:

    It’s been a week and I still can’t get over what I experienced at my first SR show. It was incredible to me. Loved the atmosphere they created and was entranced by the music. I can’t wait to see them again. Thank you for the best musical experience in my life so far.

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