Winhara’s Light Show

Winhara w/Sprengjuhollin
Rivoli
10.29.09

I had no idea what to expect as I walked into the Rivoli last Saturday night.  What initially brought me into the bar was to see the return of an icelandic band, Sprengjuhollin (pronounced “spreeg-guuee-hollin”) who performed here at the same venue at March.  How often do you get to see a band from Iceland?

Sprengjuhollin have been on a Canadian tour, playing in the East Coast and in Montreal before returning back to the big smoke.  With their arty Norwegian look, they sprung onto stage with tons of energy and punch.  Atli Bollason (piano/back up vocals) was charged as the lead frontman in getting the crowd into their music. Although no one had seen them a few months ago, or even heard of their existence before that night, the band was ready to party.

Sprengjuhollin put in a fun bouncy set of pop, egging the crowd to move up from hiding in the back bar to “get into it” with them.  They did pause from their jumping, head banging and guitar raising to give a quick lesson in Icelandic pronunciation:  teaching the crowd how to stay their name!

Their acoustic track, “Worry til spring” was a standout, showing us they had more to offer than a Saturday night drunken jump ‘n dance act.  The lead singer had a sweet Sunday morning voice, and reminding me of Copenhagen’s darling, Teitur (planes and airplanes album).  There were some issues with EQ levels through their set, to the point where it sounded like white noise on some of their faster and louder numbers.  It never stopped these lads from having a great time and enjoying their time on stage.  I’m looking forward to hearing more from this band as they grow from their icelandic roots and into the English pop music scene.

Winhara exploded onto the stage with a strong set of powerpop and synth (think a cross between Muse and The Killers), combined with an light show you wouldn’t expect from an indie band at the Rivoli.  It was clear they had an eye for details, and kudos to them for that – they understood that experimenting alt-rock with electronic can mean layer disaster and gimmicky if you don’t watch yourself.  All their songs had a strong musicality to them, and you could sense their progression from alternative to the electro-rock space.

There was some good energy in the crowd, despite a trio of drunk guys at the front of the stage who were a little over zealous in showing their love of the band.  I understand that “friend-power” spark the beginnings of success, but sometimes this love can take away from the experience to others… especially when bashing into them or shouting like bandits on a cowboy manhunt.  Is this better than a stone cold comatose crowd? Or the ambivalent yet noisy peanut gallery in the back bar during Dan Mangan’s intimate acoustic set?

All frat boys aside, I was impressed with one of their newer electronic songs, “Five Alarm” with an infectious electronic beat and power vocals. Their title track, “Hold Back Light Show” was full of OK GO fun, and something you could easily hear on the radio. Their encore cover of Depeche Mode’s Precious (below) was also impressive and something I’m hoping they continue to explore their synth experimentation as they head back into the studio this winter.

Winhara put on a well crafted show and show lots of potential.  They want it and you can feel it.  I’ll be looking out to see them when they return in 2010.

Sprengjuhollin myspace: http://www.myspace.com/sprengjuhollin
Winhara myspace:  http://www.myspace.com/winhara

-ROBB ENG

Add comment October 27th, 2009