Of Monsters And Men

The Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men quickly turned the Brooklyn Paramount into an intimate space with their warming harmonies and nostalgic sound on November 2nd in NYC, following their sold-out show on the 1st. The venue began to transform when Of Monsters and Men’s opener, Icelandic singer/songwriter, Arny Margret, came onstage with just her guitar and her melodic voice. The song “raddupptaka_001” was especially enchanting; it was sung in full Icelandic, and her soft voice filled the theater, while fans swayed to the calming, emotional sound. Arny Margret created a peaceful atmosphere for Of Monsters and Men to enter shortly after her set ended.

When the house lights turned off and the stage went dark, the crowd erupted in excitement as the members of Of Monsters and Men walked onto the stage. The band consists of Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir (lead vocals & guitar), Ragnar “Raggi” Þórhallsson (lead vocals & guitar), Brynjar Leifsson (lead guitar & backing vocals), Kristján Páll Kristjánsson (bass guitar & backing vocals), and Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson (drums & backing vocals).

This was the second show of The Mouse Parade Tour, following the rescheduling of the first two shows due to lead singer Nanna losing her voice. During the show, a fan asked how she was feeling, and even though her voice was not feeling perfect, she expressed how great her soul felt, a heartwarming interaction between her and a fan.

The adrenaline amongst the crowd skyrocketed as strobe lights flashed in sync with the opening instrumentals of "Television Love.” When Raggi began singing, fans immediately felt at home; a connection that intensified when Nanna joined in harmony with Raggi. “Television Love” felt like a continuous levitation as fans' energy rose, and Arnar’s drums perfectly matched the crowd's passion.

The crowd began to clap along to the addictive beat, led by bass guitarist Kristján, as “King and Lionheart” was played as the third song of the set. A song that is special to the community of OMAM fans, as it comes from their first-ever album, My Head is an Animal. Long-time fans were also exhilarated to hear “Alligator,” a song from OMAM’s third album. This song brought an electric energy to the Brooklyn Paramount, accompanied by red and white strobe lights and a hazy fog. For the entirety of the song, fans were jumping, dancing, and singing at the top of their lungs.

The night continued to become more and more special as OMAM performed “The Actor” for the first time live, a song from their fourth and newest album, All is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade. The energy remained alive in quiet anticipation for “The Actor’s” slow musical build, which later exploded into a lively musical arrangement featuring the talents of all the band members, accompanied by a colorful arrangement of lights illuminating the stage and the crowd.

When “Mouse Parade” began, the lights dimmed to a beautiful deep blue, the fog increased, and all you could see were the silhouettes of all the members in a circle singing the beautiful, haunting melody of the song. Fans were entranced in the moment, and the Brooklyn Paramount,with its high ceilings and 18th-century French-inspired architecture, perfectly complemented the eerie harmonies, creating the ideal setting for fans to become fully immersed in the music.

Following “Mouse Parade” came the beloved “Dirty Paws.” The crowd's enthusiasm was thrilling; everyone sang along with Nanna and Raggi, and the venue felt like one big family. Fans shouting the “la, la la” part of the song in perfect unison was incredibly inspiring and brought all fans, new and old, together as one.

Nothing could have prepared anyone for what was to come next. The beat dropped and “Little Talks” took over the venue. It truly felt like being struck by lightning; the adrenaline coursing through the crowd was riveting, and fans sang the entire song word for word, alternating between Nanna and Raggi’s parts. “Little Talks” is OMAM’s most-streamed song, and for very good reason. The live version of the song took the emotional conversational song to an entirely new level. The entire venue was a part of the song, and chills engulfed the crowd as it came to a close.

Of Monsters and Men closed their set with “Ordinary Creature,” a beautiful, high-energy song from their most recent album, but they were not done yet. The band returned for an encore and sang a very special song that had been requested by the crowd earlier in the set. The song was “Love, Love, Love,” and before it began, Nanna gave a beautiful speech to the crowd about how this song was the start of everything that Of Monsters and Men are. It was a surreal moment that connected everyone’s hearts in the crowd, and was the perfect ending to a magical night.

This is just the beginning of The Mouse Parade Tour, OMAM’s first North American tour in almost 6 years. It is incredible to witness this new era for Of Monsters and Men as their latest album continues to grow, and fans from all demographics come together to experience the beauty that is Of Monsters and Men.