Last Friday, with a couple of friends, we attended Amiina’s concert at the Þjóðleikhúskjallarinn, located in the complex of the National Theatre in downtown Reykjavík. As I didn’t enjoy much the previous big event in occasion of Puzzle‘s release, I was somehow concerned. However, the Þjóðleikhúskjallarinn is not the NASA with its impersonal dispersiveness; among the audience — no more than a few dozens of attendees altogether — casual listeners seemed to be absent. The small Þjóðleikhúskjallarinn, with its warm tones and dim lights, feels a bit like a venue from a film of Aki Kaurismäki: it has a bizarre metaphysical quality to it it’s difficult to describe.
Amiina’s girls appeared at ease, almost like they were performing not for the public but for a small gathering of friends: with controlled and delicate manners and of course with their music, at the same time soothing and intense, they managed to win everybody’s attention. With spontaneous tranquility they exchanged places and instruments, all without breaking the atmosphere created by sounds.
The songs performed were mainly from the latest album, Puzzle, with a few exceptions. During the first encore they played Ammælis, a favorite of mine. I’m so fond of the old Casio VL-1! Every time I listen to it, this song brings back memories of childhood.
Whoever had the chance to be at the concert last Friday will agree with me when I say Amiina offered to the audience more than a few moments of pure delight. As I previously said, I had other occasions to attend Amiina’s shows and I am of the opinion this band, unlikely many others that are part of the Icelandic music scene, deserves the right conditions to truly express their full potential. Noisy venues and huge distracted audiences — both recurring threats so common at music festivals — are definitely against the effectiveness of Amiina’s art. The mind must be free to wander and have a moment of respite through unfiltered spaces, picking up notes here and there, to be able to grasp the whole musical richness of the band.
The show was being recorded, so I couldn’t move around much with the camera for fear of causing some horrific incident. I hope anyway you enjoyed the photos.
Images ©Pu the Owl. Don’t use without permission. Pu’s photography blog can be found at Manic Owl Works.
Wish I were there!
Wonderful pictures, thank you for sharing!
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