“Icelandic Indie Magic Fills the Palace in St. Paul”
Friday night in downtown St. Paul felt electric as fans packed into the Palace Theatre for the first of two sold-out shows from Of Monsters and Men. The place was buzzing long before the lights went down, and you could feel how excited everyone was to see the band back on stage.
The show started off with Icelandic singer Arny Margret, who completely won the crowd over with her beautiful voice and simple, heartfelt songs. She played alone with her guitar, which made it feel really personal and intimate even in such a big room. At one point she sang a song in Icelandic and laughed, saying we probably wouldn’t understand it but honestly, it didn’t matter. The emotion in her voice said everything.
When Of Monsters and Men came out, the crowd went wild. They opened with huge energy and kept it going all night. The mix of guitars, drums, and layered vocals filled every corner of the theatre. Nanna and Ragnar sounded great together, switching off on vocals and sharing smiles throughout the set.
They played a good mix of songs from across their albums. “Alligator” hit hard early on, while “Human” and “Dirty Paws” gave everyone a chance to sing along. Of course, the biggest moment of the night was “Little Talks.” As soon as that opening horn line hit, the whole place lit up, phones out, voices loud, everyone jumping and shouting “hey!” in perfect unison. It’s one of those songs that just feels different when you’re part of a crowd singing it together.
The Palace Theatre itself was the perfect spot for this show. It’s old, beautiful, and just the right size big enough for the sound to boom, but small enough that you still feel close to the band. The lighting and visuals were great too, with warm colors and flashes that matched the music without being over the top.
Of Monsters and Men sounded tight, happy, and genuinely thankful to be there. The crowd gave it right back. Between Arny Margret’s stunning opener and the band’s energetic, emotional set, it was one of those nights that reminds you how good live music can feel.
