Tom Moon:

If you think American rock bands face long odds chasing success, consider the improbable tale of Sigur Ros. The five-piece band from Iceland makes spacey progressive music, with often-indecipherable lyrics. Despite those apparent handicaps, the band has gone from playing small clubs to headlining large international rock festivals. The band’s fourth studio CD is called Takk…, which means “Thanks.”

Bruce Springsteen’s acoustic concert tour stopped in Madison this evening. I found the event quite enjoyable. A few notes:

• The 8:00p.m. event began at 8:20. He finished a great show 10:50.
• The tour program was $20 (I offered 10)
• T-Shirts were $45 while a coffee mug was $15.00
• I purchased tickets (section 212) via ticketmaster the “moment” they were available. I understood that there would be 4,000 seats. That seems to have changed. I wonder how the seating distribution actually worked out?
• I thought his performance was wonderful. His voice was powerful and he seemed to be quite engaged, mentioning that someone told him it had been 30 years since he performed (commercially) in Madison.
• Mentioned he had not been invited to the White House lately – though he had been there some years ago, “when it was more fun”.
• Former State Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala sat not far from our seats.
• I was very impressed with the rather elegant lighting.
• Springsteen mentioned a number of “almost stalkers” who follow him around, including one who passed along photos on top of various mountains with a Bruce Springsteen banner.
• He also spoke briefly about what it’s like to be the “boss” ie rich (“Houses, money”)
• He said he would be back with the E Street Band but when a fan asked for a date said that he did not know when it would be.
• The crowd was a very interesting cross section of Madison area (I think) people. I’d say the average age was late 40’s to early 50’s.
• Tickets were being sold outside the Coliseum for 40 to 45 each.

Springsteen appears next in Worcester, MA on October 20.

Kristian Knutsen nicely rounds up the local blogosphere’s review of Friday’s sold-out Sigur Ros performance at the Orpheum:

The Daily Page, unlike many others, was lucky enough to attend the Sigur Rós show last Friday night. Sold out some two weeks in advance, the concert (previewed in last week’s edition of Isthmus) was held at the Orpheum Theatre on State. The line for the general admission show began forming in the late afternoon and eventually wrapped around the corner of E. Johnson St.

Bob Boylan:

Hear a full concert by Iceland’s ambient rock group Sigur Ros, recorded live from the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, Md. The band’s performance originally webcast live on NPR.org Sept. 11 as part of NPR Music’s ongoing concert series from All Songs Considered.

Iceland’s quite interesting Sigur Ros plays the Orpheum on September 23.
I included track 8 in a 2004 Mad City Marathon slideshow here Quicktime. The music fit the very wet ’04 marathon.
Jason Kottke reviewed their performance at New York City’s Beacon Theatre last night and included links to some photos of the show.
The band offers a handy Icelandic pronunciation guide on their website.

Bruce Springsteen is playing at the Coliseum (Interesting venue) 10/15. Tickets were still available late this morning via tickmaster.

The Rolling Stones are touring, again. Here’s their setlist.

All Things Considered:

The world British singer-songwriter Richard Thompson creates is so vivid it feels as if you’re in the company of the characters he chronicles: bikers, schoolyard bullies, dreamers, lovers and losers.
For nearly four decades, Thompson has performed and recorded a wide variety of music, from traditional folk songs to rock-and roll.
His latest effort is Front Parlour Ballads, a mostly acoustic work recorded in a small studio in his garage.

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