Of Monsters And Men Have Hit US Shores Again

Of Monsters And Men are a wildly popular indie folk / pop band from Iceland. They recently made a stop at Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Arena. They are touring through North America and Europe through November. Then they ring in the new year in Australia with dates from the end of December through early January. The indie pop band Lower Dens opened the show.

The Lower Dens were formed in Baltimore in 2010. Their debut release, Nootropics was dropped in 2012. Since then, they have released 3 more albums with their latest, The Competition, released a day prior to this show on September 6th. This album consists of only two members, singer/songwriter Jana Hunter and drummer Nate Nelson. They’ve rounded out their sound on tour with the addition of Curved Light’s Peter Tran on guitars. Lower Dens’ music was well received by the growing crowd. Their brand of ethereal and introspective pop mesmerized the audience. This was not a high physical energy evening in comparison to say a metal or punk show. The energy this evening was more cerebral, making Lower Dens the perfect act to open it.

Like the Lower Dens, Of Monsters And Men (OMAM) also formed in 2010 but in the country of Iceland. They have three studio albums with their latest, “Fever Dream” released in July of 2019. The band was formed when lead singer / guitarist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir decided to build on her solo career and form a band. The band entered an annual Icelandic music competition in 2010 and they haven’t looked back! They have performed on Saturday Night Live and have graced the stages of numerous prestigious musical festivals around the world. Their music is an Icelandic version of folk rock with lyrics that are often subtle and introspective which takes the listener to a contemplative place.

The evening’s headliners proved to live up to the buzz that had been building as the audience filed into the arena. Their soaring and powerful harmonies filled the venue with a lush sound that captivated the crowd. Nanna traded vocals with fellow guitarist Ragnar “Raggi” Þórhallsson throughout the evening. The songs captured the audience regardless of who was singing. Behind these two singers is a band who is every bit as enthralling as Nanna and Raggi. They opened their set with the song “Alligator” from Fever Dream and it was hard to tell who was enjoying it more, their fans or the band. The set was representative of the band’s career with songs from throughout their 9 year history. OMAM has a unique knack of peppering in slower songs without bringing down the mood in the venue. They brought with them a light show that won’t soon be forgotten!

Some bands take the stage and “go through the motions”. Some bands take the stage and give a performance to remember. OMAM gives a performance that uplifts as they give a performance that one certainly won’t forget anytime soon!