Efterklang / Daníel Bjarnason @ Le Poisson Rouge

What has gotten into me lately?  I was late to a show again and found myself shimmying around crowds of people to find a decent spot to setup.  Shame shame.  To my advantage, Le Poisson Rouge chose to seat the majority of the floor, allowing for easier movement around the back and sides.  I found a nice spot just in time to see Icelandic producer/composer Daníel Bjarnason and positioned myself nicely to catch Denmark's Efterklang; not a total European affair as New York's Sam Amidon opened the show.

For those who don't know, Daníel Bjarnason is a composer who released his debut album, Processions, last year and brought his contemporary classical sound to the classical-friendly Le Poisson Rouge.  With minimal knowledge of his background but a building critical acclaim for his music, I knew I had to capture his set.  Leading a group of more than twenty musicians, Bjarnason composed his award-winning piece "All Sounds to Silence Come" then "Spindrift" and "Bow to String" from Processions.  It was a refreshing experience to listen to some great classical music, a music I love dearly, and see it performed eloquently.  Well done.

After finding a spot on the floor, yes the floor, in front of the closest seated guests, I proceeded to enjoy the indie pop/rock sounds of Efterklang.  Their music is so fun and easy to listen to, it was no surprise that their show was sold out.  Their latest effort, Magic Chairs, is pure pop joy from start to finish; needless to say, their music translated to an excellent set full of great songs and an atmosphere that would be hard to match.  Take your pick.  All of their songs were good.  I was very pleased with all the artists who performed, as I am sure most in attendance did as well.  Videos from the show are below:

enjoy.