Of Monsters And Men are certainly wearing their newfound fame and attention well. Formed just three years ago, the folk-flavored quintet charged out of Iceland like a force of nature and has captivated audiences with the beautiful, stunning and soulful vocal interplay of multi-instrumentalists Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, Ragnar Þórhallsson, Brynjar Leifsson, Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson and Kristján Páll Kristjánsson and their intricate, folky charms as well. The innate accessibility of the band's sound and their debut full-length album, My Head is an Animal, got them immediate notice justifiably but, now, it's hard to not feel like we're witnessing the birth of a Fleetwood Mac-sized phenomenon as Of Monsters And Men's shows have gotten bigger and better attended, and the band has responded by increasing the showmanship they exhibit nightly to make the shows true EVENTS. When their current tour of North America brought the band to the Fox Theater, it only made sense that Ground Control would commission its head photographer Raymond Ahner to capture a lens-eye view of the show, if only to see if the band was able to win hearts without having been in attendance.
As it turns out, OMAM's image really can make hearts melt and voices ring out loud and clear. Decked out in dark-toned but carefully tailored and looking like the twenty-first century's answer to Stevie Nicks, lead singer Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir proved that she is indeed able to release pheromones which can melt and then win hearts as songs like “Dirty Paws,” “Mountain Sound,” “Beneath My Bed” and a solid cover of Yeah Yeah Yeahs' “Skeletons” held the audience at the very well-attended show in awe. The singer's pitch was perfect and the instrumental accompaniment was beautiful, but the thing that really made the show a spectacle not to be missed was the presentation; spectacular lighting and sound were the things which ensured that those who had never seen the band before would remember the night they saw Of Monsters And Men at Fox; the production was just stellar and really highlighted every turn and shift (like when Ragnar Þórhallsson, Brynjar Leifsson and Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson stepped up to the mikes to assist Bryndis) that the band made throughout their set.
After a three-song encore (“Numb Bears,” “Little Talks” and “Yellow Light,” for the curious), of Monsters And Men left the stage easily to great applause. The show was certainly not the loudest anyone who had ever been to the Fox Theater before had seen, but it was definitely memorable; this time, the spectacle was something that had to be seen to be believed and those who did see it would definitely be on guard, wondering when they could see the band again.
Photos:
Of Monsters And Men – Fox Theater – Oakland, CA – 16/05/13 – [Photos]
Artist:
www.ofmonstersandmen.com/
www.myspace.com/ofmonstersandmenmusic
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www.twitter.com/monstersandmen
Tour:
Of Monsters And Men's North American Tour continues. For an updated list of shows, click here .
