Sigur Rós at the Greek Theater, Berkeley, 10-3-2008

Sigur Rós are often called a post-rock band, and they were certainly out in full-on rock mode at Friday night’s show at UC Berkeley’s Greek Theater. The band performed as a four-piece (absent the string and brass players from recent tours) in a guitar-oriented configuration that allowed the band to explore the darker, prog rock-tinged aspects of its often ethereal catalog. The stage design—epic green backlighting, smoke and saturated high-contrast close-ups of instruments—perfectly set the mood; not to mention lead singer/guitarist Jónsi Birgisson’s dark-prince-from-the-future costume and tortured, spastic bowing. When rain came down late in the set, it seemed like just another part of the pageantry.

That’s not to say the lighter side of Sigur Rós didn’t make an appearance as well. An audience sing-along during the bright “Hoppípolla” where Birgisson urged everyone to sing harmonies “an octave lower if you need to” was a highlight, as were several upbeat, guitar-centered tracks from 2008’s Me_ Su_ Í Eyrum Vi_ Spilum Endalaust just before the encore, the band released a rain of confetti onto an ecstatic crowd during the celebratory “Gobbledigook,” a trial run for the actual, wetter rain. A good time was had by all, despite some puddles to jump in.

CS