Reykjavík Grapevine - 22.05.2009, Side 14

All over Akureyri
600 Akureyri
Bringing more music to the North
The fourth annual Akureyri International Music festival (AIM for short) is
held this year between May 28th and May 31st, with a special concert on
June 4th. For those of you who are new to Iceland (or failed your geography
exams horribly), Akureyri is the second largest urban area after greater
Reykjavík and is generally referred to as the ‘Capital of North Iceland.’
Aim’s um, aim is to not focus on any particular music genre, but to
bring exciting music to the picturesque town. Sadly, due to the increasing
cost of importing music, this year’s festival is not so international.
Organisers have instead focused on good Icelandic music drawing attention
towards the festival.
Originally started as an idea over coffee, two very different musicians,
Pálmi Gunnarsson (singer and bassist for Mannakorn) and Jón Hlöðver
Áskelsson (classical composer), moaned about the lack of concerts in their
scenic village and took matters into their own hands. Viva La Revolution
baby! They eventually decided on organising a blues festival to get things
going. It worked out well. The festival changed its shape the following
year giving more genres a chance. Over the phone, organiser Baldvin Esra
Einarsson stresses that “It will develop in the future, and grow”
Running a festival of this magnitude isn’t plain sailing. In fact, the
organisation behind it almost went broke in 2007 because the profit in
ticket sales unfortunately didn’t cover the overall costs. Generous financial
support from local companies helped getting it back on track and things
have cooled down since.
Pálmi and Jón ś main goal is not to have a huge festival like overseas,
just a quality festival that brings invigorating acts to Iceland every year.
“Overall, the introduction of Akureyri to the world is our greatest ambition.
We also want to utilise our new music hall when it is ready. It’s being built
right now and should be ready in 2010. Then we can invite bigger and better
acts in to a professional music hall with proper sound and lights,” says
Baldvin
Headlining acts this year are the Reykjavík Big Band with Bob
Mintzer; the newly founded Akureyri Big Band; Reykjavík’s very own
Hjálmar and Retro Stefson; the legendary Megas & Senuþjófarnir; and
Mótettukór Hallgrímskirkju. The festival will mostly be held at the local
hotspot Græni Hatturinn but also in the multifunctional art room Ketilhúsið.
Stay for a special premier of choral piece, Passion Hymns, by Akureyri
composer Jón Hlöðver Áskelsson on June 4th. —JONATHAN BAKER ESQ.
28
May
31
May
Akureyri International
Music Festival
M U S I C
MAY – JUNE
– continued –
3 WED
Dubliner
22:30 Live Music.
Kaffi Zimsen
23:00 Open stage concert with Eliney
and Myrra.
Rósenberg
21:00 Grapevine concert. Artists TBC.
4 THU
B5
21:00 Three Voices.
Church of Akureyri
20:00 Akureyri composer Jón
Hlöðver´s premieres choir piece
Passion Hymns.
Dubliner
22:30 Live Music.
English Pub
22:00 Live Music.
Rósenberg
21:00 Stéfam Örn Concert.
OUTSIDE
REYKJAVÍK
Keflavík
Paddy's
May 22
Megabite 12am - 04.30am
Free admission
May 23
Megabite 12am - 04.30am
Free Admission
May 28
Live Music: TBA 10pm - 01am
Free Admission
May 29
DJ Mixed Emotions 12am - 04.30am
Free Admission
May 30
DJ Mixed Emotions 12am - 04.30am
Free Admission
June 4
Classart
Lifun 10pm - 01am
June 5
Grammið 12am - 04.30am
Free admission
June 6
Grammið 12am - 04.30am
Free admission
June 7
Paddy's Poker Night
Ísafjörður
Kaffi Edinborg
May 23
Virtual Motion 10pm - 01am
Admission: 500ISK
May 28
Drekktu Betur - Pub Quiz
09pm - 11pm
May 30
Hjónabandið 12am - 03am
Admission 1000ISK
June 4
Drekktu Betur - Pub Quiz
09pm - 11pm
June 5
Eyþór From Bubbis Band
10pm - 01am. Admission 500 ISK
Edinborgarhús
May 22
Virtual Motion
10pm - 01am. Admission 15000 ISK
Akureyri
Græni Hatturinn
May 22
Dúndurfréttir (a Pink Floyd tribute
band) 10pm - 12pm.
Admission 2000 ISK
May 23
CC Reykjavík 10pm - 12pm
Admission 2000 ISK
May 28
Aim festival:
Retro Stefson
Hjálmar
9pm-12pm. Admission 2000 ISK
May 29
Aim festival:
Akureyri Big Band
9pm-12am. Admission 1500 ISK
May 30
Aim festival:
Megas & Senuþjófarnir
9pm-12am. Admission 2000 ISK
June 4
Trúbatrix: Elísa, Elín Ey, Myrra Rós
9pm-12am. Admission 1000 ISK
June 5
Hvanndalsbræður
9.30pm-12.30am. admission 1500 ISK
June 6
Hvanndalsbræður
9.30pm-12.30am. admission 1500 ISK
Sjallinn
May 29
TFA Party Zone. 12am - 03am
May 30
Ný Dönsk 12am – 03am
May 31
Á Móti Sól, Buff
12am – 03am
Ketilhúsið
May 31 Reykjavík Big Band feat. Bob
Mintzer
5pm – ?
Church of Akureyri
June 4 Choir of Hallgrímskirkja
8pm - ?
Húsavík
Gamli Baukur
May 23
Rokksveitin Sigríður
12am - 3am
May 31
Reykjavík!
Sudden Weather Change
9pm - 01am. Admission: TBA
June 5
Record Launch Party:
Ljótu Hálfvitarnir 12am - 03am
Free Admission
Egilsstaðir
Skjálfti
May 22
Discoteque 11pm - 03am
Free Admission
May 23
Silfur 11pm - 03am
Admission 1500 ISK
May 29
Discoteque 11pm - 03am
Free Admission
May 30
Live Music: TBA 11pm - 03am
Free Admission
Valaskjálf
June 6
Ný Dönsk 11pm -03am
Admission 2500
Selfoss
800 Bar
May 22
Klaufar (country music band)
11pm - 03am
Admission 1500 ISK
May 23
Ingó & Veðurguðirnir
01am - 03am. Admission 1500 ISK
May 28
DJ 800 10pm - 01am
Free Admission
May 29
Live Music: TBA 10pm - 03am
May 30
1st Anniversary of 800 Bar:
Jet Black Joe 11pm - 03am
Admission 2000 ISK
June 4 Live Music: TBA
10pm - 01am
Free Admission
June 5 Live Music: TBA
10pm - 01am
Admission: TBA
June 6
Live Music: Land & Synir
11pm - 03am
Admission 2000 ISK
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