Photojournalist: Carrie Bergan

Of Monsters and Men are an Icelandic indie rock band that apparently has only ever played Milwaukee twice! Once in 2015 at The Rave/Eagles Club for FM 102.1’s Big Snow Show and this past Tuesday at The Riverside Theatre. I was very fortunate enough to witness this breathtaking show, not realizing how little they’ve been in my city, and grateful for the opportunity. This band has been around since 2010 and is known for their song “Little Talks,” which was one that remained a core favorite through my early teenage years. I arrived at the venue just a little bit before doors, and the line was already stretched down the block all the way to the bridge over the river. It was clear that I was not the only one excited to be in that room, and from the looks of it, tickets did very well. 

Before they took the stage, Gordi (Sarah Payten) opened the night. Her music was a cool mix of electronic and indie folk, which I guess has earned the name “Folktonica.” She introduced her bandmates mid-set and even encouraged us to sing along after teaching us a part in her song “Cutting Room Floor,” which instantly stuck in my head for the rest of the night. I was blown away by her stage presence and the unique vibe that came with it. I got to tell her really quickly at the end of the night how much I loved her set. I hope she returns one day and I can be there in the front row singing along. This is a hill that I will die on: always showing up early for the opener. I have only ever been a little disappointed by the first band once out of almost five hundred concerts, so the odds of enjoying the entire lineup are very high.

Gordi was the only opener, so after a set change with an instrument line check, it was time for Of Monsters and Men to come out to play. Their set was made up of a mix of tracks from their most recent album, All Is Love and Pain in The Mouse Parade, to songs from their first album, My Head Is An Animal. The older songs earned the most applause, which I get since they don’t play in Milwaukee very often, and it was definitely a must-be-at event for the year. The two frontmen of the band, Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar "Raggi" Þórhallsson, talked to the audience between songs, and I enjoyed the fun words they shared. The delicateness of their overall sound was amplified ten times over by watching everyone in the room sing along while staring in awe at this group. I sang along the loudest once they played “Little Talks,” while wishing they would have played more from that album. Maybe next time? Right before the encore, there was a brief darkness over the stage before returning triumphantly to give us two more songs that night. Especially when they responded to a particular crowd shout, which I’m sure made those fans especially happy to have been acknowledged in the sea of people.

Of Monsters and Men are definitely a one-of-a-kind live show, and I don’t recommend missing out on seeing them live. Get a ticket and go because they are still on tour, especially since I do not know the next time they might grace Milwaukee with a night like this.

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OF MONSTERS AND MEN

photos by Carrie Bergan

GORDI

photos by Carrie Bergan