The surprisingly loud and lush nine-piece indie-folk/pop ensemble from Iceland lit up Meijer Gardens on an overcast evening, with much of the capacity crowd on its feet the entire night. Review, photo gallery.
Icelandic Folk-Pop: Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir led Of Monsters and Men at Meijer Gardens on Monday. (Photo/Anna Sink)
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The amphitheater at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park felt like a roaring arena on Monday night when Of Monsters and Men came to town.
Multi-Instrumental Charm: Of Monsters and Men created a wall of sound in the amphitheater. (Photo/Anna Sink)
After the Australian indie-pop quartet Cub Sport finished its energetic set, members of a sold-out audience of 1,900 (permeated by younger fans) rose to their feet the minute the Icelandic band took the stage and proceeded to clap, sing and dance their way through the entire set.
Pushed up against the stage barrier were among the liveliest of fans, who could be heard shouting every “hey” and belting every word.
“The band had a really great energy and the harmonies were so good,” said fan Cori Curtis, of Grand Rapids. “It was so fun to hear all the different instruments. They’re a really talented group.”
Boasting nine on-stage members, and double that many instruments, the folk-rock/pop ensemble built a wall of sound, layered by a long list of instruments: Ambient guitars, keys, drums, horns, accordion, glockenspiel, and of course, a kaleidoscope of lush harmonies, all made appearances.
Setting the mood for the show, the band started with an instrumental build-up that saw frontwoman Nanna (her full name is Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir) swaying around and pounding on a floor tom with mallets.
GETTING LOUD, WITH GORGEOUS VOCAL HARMONIES
Delving into newer material, the band employed its arsenal of instruments to get loud and distorted, verging closest to rock ‘n’ roll during that point. Thick, rumbling bass lines rattled the amphitheater and crashing drums rang through the air as the fronting duo interchanged vocal lines with a confident, soulful essence. The fans approved, by way of nodding heads and stomping feet.
Capacity Crowd: Much of it stood the entire evening.
A couple of songs in, the group lunged into one of the songs that thrust them into the international spotlight with its distinct, layered folk sound, and dueling male/female vocals: “Mountain Sound.” Faces in the audience lit up and the band appeared to be thoroughly enjoying themselves as well, playing a tune they’ve surely performed hundreds of times.
At every turn, it seemed a new instrument found its way into the hands of a musician and onto a song. When she wasn’t gracefully waving her arms or cradling the microphone, Nanna switched between acoustic and electric guitar, while frontman Ragnar stuck to mostly acoustic guitar (with the exception of a song played on the piano and a couple on electric guitar). Floor toms were placed at every corner of the stage, trumpets and trombones offered bright melodies, and an accordion gave a pleasing additional layer.
Few words were spoken during the set, but when they were, Nanna and Ragnar’s noticeable accents outlined their sentiments, which included compliments of the “beautiful garden,” “perfect weather” and, of course, the engaging crowd.
Acoustic Power: Ragnar engaged the crowd throughout the night. (Photo/Anna Sink)
Of Monsters and Men’s live rendition of its current U.S. single, “Wolves Without Teeth,” from the group’s most recent album, “Beneath the Skin,” featured gorgeous chorus melodies, rhythmic, tribal-sounding drums and soaring electric drums — inspiring both band and crowd to groove to the music.
Just before finishing the main set, the band played another track that has been a cornerstone of its career, “Little Talks.” The passionate track from the group’s debut album, “Mountain Sound,” had Ragnar and Nanna sharing lead vocals, their voices dancing around one another perfectly.
After returning to the stage for a raucous encore, the band closed out the evening with fan favorite, “Dirty Paws,” another dance-worthy jam that saw all nine musicians at their most energetic, with Nanna making her way to the sides of the stage to address the fans at the far reaches of the venue.
Near the end of the song, Ragnar turned the microphone toward the crowd and backed away. He gave the crowd a smile, and the many voices in the amphitheater carried the chorus to the end.
PHOTO GALLERY: Of Monsters and Men, Cub Sport at Meijer Gardens
Photos by Anna Sink
Copyright 2016, Spins on Music LLC
