Live Review: Asgeir, Woodes

"I went to uni right across from this venue and have been to so many shows here," says Elle Graham, who performs under the moniker Woodes. It's her first time playing to a seated audience in this incredible space. "Even the roof is amazing!" she adds. The impressive venue is undeniably stunning and the design and acoustics of the centre create an intimate experience like no other. Graham serenades us with her beautifully iridescent vocals and pulsating rhythmic beats that echo all around us. The enchanting songstress plays songs from her new EP called Golden Hour, including Run For It and Dots. She also shares her fresh triple j Like A Version cover of Vance Joy's Lay It On Me, which, she describes, was equal parts terrifying and exhilarating when she first performed it on air last month. Together with her band, she creates intricate layers of effortless and delicate sounds on her quirky track Origami as she folds her arms around her body when she sings.

"The lights, the lights, the lights!" Graham exclaims in reference to the incredible stage light show about to commence before Asgeir Einarsson begins his performance. The Icelandic artist has travelled across the earth and it feels like he's brought the northern lights with him as the stage illuminates with coloured LED poles that pulsate to the flow of the music. It's the perfect complement to his latest album title, Afterglow. He unleashes his dreamy and angelic falsetto by starting off singing in his native Icelandic tongue to put us in a meditative trance. It takes a few moments for our eyes to adjust to the flickering strobes. We quickly appreciate the powerful enhancement it adds to the performance, which gives us a weightless feeling on a journey through an otherworldly territory. 

"It seems like we were here just a few weeks ago, it's good to be back and not sick," Einarsson says, as he mentions the show he played in Melbourne last year that had to be cut short after falling ill. Tonight certainly makes up for any lost time for fans as he plays for more than an hour, including a three-song encore. Einarsson is at the top of his game this evening and delivers a magical experience that captivates our senses in every way possible as we melt into the soundscape of melodic electronica.

It's the perfect venue for Einarsson to make use of the stillness in the air as the audience sits quietly without making a noise or holding up their smartphone to record a video. We are simply mesmerised in his engaging presence in the beautiful passing moment. Going Home is one of his songs that is even more powerful when played live. The emotional build-up combined with a massive electronic production creates a huge climactic moment. Torrent serves as the final spellbinding track before Einarsson and his band take a bow and the audience gives a well-deserved standing ovation.