Sigur Ros (Concert Review)

If you and I ever attend the same concert, we should hang out. I'm not saying that because I'm fun to hang out with (which I am); I'm saying that because I always meet the most interesting people at concerts, so I should meet you. A Sigur Rós concert I went to at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia's historic Fairmount Park was no different.

My best friend, whom I affectionately refer to as my wife, ended up joining my photographer Lauren McLean and me at this particular Sigur Rós concert. The Great Lawn at the Mann is pretty big, so as I made my way back up to the lawn from the TD Pavilion, I texted my wife to get her location. Normally, when you ask somebody what their location is, you ask where they are in relation to a thing that's clearly visible. But the thing that stood out on the lawn the most that night wasn't even a thing. It was a girl. Wearing a hula hoop made of glowsticks.

Mind you, Sigur Rós is an experimental post-rock band from Iceland. They're not the kind of band you would typically associate with glowsticks. With eleven people on stage, including an assortment of string and horn players, going to a Sigur Rós concert is more akin to going to an orchestra than it is going to a rave.

When I asked my wife where she was in relation to Hula Hoop Girl, she jokingly replies, "What do you mean? That's me." Little did we know that actually would end up being my wife later in the night.

Sigur Rós' set lasted just over an hour and a half — which is pretty long, but at the same time, not long enough. Between the second-to-last and last song, Hula Hoop Girl runs across the lawn spinning her glowing hoop in circles around her arm. My wife and I started to clap. We weren't clapping to be ironic or mean. We were clapping because Hula Hoop Girl was filled with joy, we were filled with joy, and clapping just seems like the appropriate thing to do when everyone is filled with joy. (That is, if you don't have a hula hoop in your hand.)

Hula Hoop Girl smiles at us and comes prancing over.

My wife throws her hands in the air in jubilation. In one single motion, Hula Hoop Girl gracefully swings her hoop up and over my wife's arms, down her long lean body, and back up and over my wife's torso again. When Hula Hoop Girl gets to the forehead area, she stops and centers the hula hoop perfectly around my wife's cranium. Hula Hoop Girl was crowning my wife. Then, just as quickly as Hula Hoop Girl approached us, she left and galloped away into the night.

I love Hula Hoop Girl, whomever she is. She provided me with the absolute perfect description of what it's like to see Sigur Rós live. So, without further ado, here's why being crowned with a glowing hula hoop is like going to a Sigur Rós concert:

1. Impressive visual element: The visual element of a glowing hula hoop is obvious. But if you're not familiar with Sigur Rós concerts, let me clue you in. They're phenomenal. As if it wasn't enough to be moved by the ethereal falsetto vocals of Jónsi Birgisson (Sigur Rós' lead singer), or by the band's dynamic orchestration, a cinematic video montage plays on screen in the background during the entire concert set. The screen spans the length of the stage. With each new song, a new montage plays. You might see raindrops that sizzle like dancing fireworks. Or an undulating ocean that submerges you in an icy underworld. Either way, the impressionistic montages are inspired, creative, and majestic visual treats.

2. Unique instrumentation: Like Hula Hoop Girl, Jónsi Birgisson also uses a unique instrument. However, instead of a hula hoop, he uses a cello bow. On his guitar. If other people tried to do something as different as this, it would probably seem like they were trying too hard; it would be awkward. But with Hula Hoop Girl, and with Jónsi, their instrument of choice wasn't awkward — their instrument was more like an extension of their body. Both made perfect sense.

3. Being surrounded by glowing light: I'm no longer talking about visuals here. I'm talking about what being surrounded by a glowing light feels like. It feels uplifting. Divine. Transcendental. Whether you're being crowned with a glowing hula hoop orb, or whether you're being mesmerized by an all-encompassing spectacle of light and sound, what you're experiencing with your physical senses is nothing compared to what you're experiencing with your sixth sense. You sail away to another universe, soaring upon Jónsi's angel-like vocals, as you rise and fall with a crescendoing and climactic soundscape.

You go somewhere that's out of this world. But there's no place you'd rather be.