Of Monsters and Men captivated the crowd at The Mann’s Skyline Stage

Of Monsters and Men | Photo by Michelle Montgomery | michellemontgomeryphotography.com

Icelandic folk-pop band Of Monsters and Men brought a dynamic performance to a packed crowd at the Skyline Stage at The Mann on Tuesday night. Complete with heavy fog, an impressive light show, and the addition of touring band members, Of Monsters and Men gave the audience a highly produced and exciting performance. With nine musicians on stage, the band was able to create a complex and textured soundscape that included guitars, keyboards, percussion, brass, and accordion.

Touring in support of their 2015 sophomore LP Beneath the Skin, OMAM played a set comprised mostly of their new songs. Opening up with a stark and percussion-heavy “Thousand Eyes,” lead singer/guitarist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir started intensely banging away on a drum front stage, drawing all attention on her throughout the powerful buildup. Their performance of “Thousand Eyes” immediately captured the crowd’s attention and successfully set the tone for the rest of the evening. Scattered throughout the set, Of Monsters and Men performed a select number of their catchy hit songs including “Little Talks,” “Dirty Paws,” and “Mountain Sound” off their acclaimed debut album, 2012’s My Head is an Animal.

Co-singer and guitarist Ragner “Raggi” Þórhallsson’s vocals beautifully complemented Hilmarsdóttir’s throughout the set, specifically on sonically lighter songs like “Empire,” “Human,” and “Hunger.”  Throughout the show, Hilmarsdóttir interacted with the crowd in between a few songs. She notably recounted Of Monsters and Men’s great experiences with Philly, including how Philly was one of the first US cities to play their music on the radio.

The band then played a live US debut of their new song “Backyard.” Towards the middle of the set, Hilmarsdóttir shared a story about how OMAM visited a music department in a Philadelphia school, and the kids played their of their songs for them. She then dedicated the performance of “Lakehouse” – one of the songs they played – to those schoolchildren. The set closed with an energetic performance of “Six Weeks,” and the band encouraged the crowd to clap along throughout the song. Leaving the audience wanting more, OMAM returned on stage to play a three-song encore.

Danish singer-songwriter Nanna Øland Fabricus, better known as Oh Land, opened up the show with a short but sweet set of electro-pop tunes. She performed a set comprised of songs pulled from all four of her albums, including her most recent LP, 2014’s Earth Sick. Backed by a 3 piece band, Oh Land’s impressive vocal range shined throughout her energetic performance.

Below, check out a gallery of photos from the show, along with OMAM’s setlist and fan videos from their performance.

Setlist
Thousand Eyes
Crystals
King and Lionheart
Empire
Black Water
I of the Storm
Backyard
Human
Hunger
Slow Life
Mountain Sound
Wolves Without Teeth
Lakehouse
Little Talks
Six Weeks

Encore
Organs
Dirty Paws
We Sink