Good Eggs Never Crack — Quarashi's 30th Anniversary Concert at Laugardalshöllin

On September 19th, Quarashi got together for a 30th anniversary show in Laugardalshöllin, Reykjavík. A callback to the now legendary September 12th 2002 show (catch the full 2002 show uncut here on The Vibe), which followed up their US tour. This has been a long-awaited encore and The Quarashi Vibe could of course not miss this opportunity to soak up the magic.

The show had gotten a lot of press and anticipation had been building with interviews and a spot on an Icelandic talk show called Vikan (The Week) with one of Iceland's most well known TV hosts Gísli Marteinn.

Upon entry, the venue was already alive with the buzz, opening acts included REW, a collaborative project between well-known Icelandic artists in the scene, Benni B-Ruff, Kjartan Trauner and Gísli Galdur (also known for DJ-ing for Quarashi), as the opening act, Icelandic rap veteran Emmsjé Gauti, Gísli Pálmi a popular, more recent (2015-) addition to the Icelandic rap scene, and keeping the crowd mellow until the very last moment the beloved Mugison, an Icelandic singer-songwriter whose work spans genres from electronic music to indie rock.

The venue was spacious but truly filled to capacity, every corner of the place crackling with the collective accumulated excitement of about five thousand people, all there for one united purpose: to see the magic of Quarashi unfold on the stage.

The stage layout allowed for a decent view pretty much from wherever you were situated, with large screens that alternated displaying the band on stage in real time as well as clips from old concerts and videos and cool graphics. One of the cooler features was the return of a beloved Quarashi icon, the astronaut, a reference to the Jinx era.

The lighting was clearly thematic and the dominant color was red, clearly recalling the most recent single Do It Again, and the forthcoming E.P. (now available for pre-order) Days of Strange, for which the cover utilizes red as the main color, and the vinyl itself is red.

The show opened with the tense build-up of an intro, the opening strains familiar yet updated, the screens crackling with purposeful static and interference.

The crowd switched between hushed anticipation and low-grade murmurs, to chants and shouts as the whole crew burst onto the scene one by one and seamlessly exploded into the much-loved Baseline, white spotlights cutting through an indigo haze, the energy was high from the very first note. Nobody could be mistaken, had there be any confusion before, they were now all present at a Quarashi show.

Very soon, it became clear why this has been a repeated wish from the Quarashi nation: "Please, please guys, do a proper stadium show." The quality of the sound alone elevated the experience far beyond the outdoors festivals, keeping up with the deep boom of the base without compromising on the clarity of the vocals or the crispness of the guitar solos.

Accompanying Quarashi on the stage, this time, was The Vintage Caravan, an Icelandic rock band known for dipping into genres from hard rock to psychedelic rock and many other related ones.

Clearly, they were a match made in heaven as they matched energy with the original crew beautifully, and filled in the sound really well, making everything just that little bit more rounded and energetic.

A particular shoutout to their guitarist for his performance during Copy Cat, as Smári Tarfur's performance on that one has always been an iconic part of the show and watching another artist do it justice was truly a beautiful experience.

The set list for the show was an absolute smorgasbord of delight, with the more popular hits all present such as Mr. Jinx, Mess it Up, Stars and Weirdo, as well as some deeper cuts and older favorites like Catch 22, Switchstance, and Mr. Caulfield.

One of the night's highlights was hands down, a beautiful rendition of Dive In, the near-hypnotic tones of Hössi's voice still holding up decades later, and watching the crowd waving their lit phones, swaying in synchrony with the soothing melody all as one, is one of this writer's more treasured moments from this particular show.

The night was filled with such pivotal moments, and it was honestly a fun and vibrant show as each of the guys has their own way of interacting with the crowd: from Tiny's use of call-and-response, to Sölvi's signature standing up for particularly poignant moments to drum or clap, Hössi's friendly and direct appeals to the crowd, Ómar's generous use of the stage, and Steini's antics such as rolling in on his skateboard for one of the encores and his generally widely accepted status as the band's favorite hype-man, there was absolutely something for everyone.

The show never died down, the energy in fact, held so well, that the crowd was literally singing for more after the band left the stage, and when the guys returned for the encores, the first being the new single, Do It Again, even the guys seemed almost a little struck by the vigor and vehemence with which the crowd was calling for them.

The show ended on the highest of notes: Stick 'Em Up. And there wasn't a soul in the venue that didn't get up and do just that.

As the crowd filtered out from the venue, one thing resonated, Quarashi may be entering its third decade of a long, well-lived musical life, but they can and will Do It Again, as often as their hearts desire and for their fans that's about as good as it gets.

Should the event repeat itself in the future, we at The Quarashi Vibe urge any fan who can, to secure their tickets on this magic power train - it's well worth it and then some.