Reykjavík Grapevine - 07.10.2011, Qupperneq 54

1)
A GIFTCARD TO THE AWESOME FONTANA
NATURAL STEAMBATHS FOR SIX
AN ICELANDIC GOURMET FEAST FOR TWO
AT TAPAS BAR
A TRIP TO YOKO ONO’S PEACE TOWER
FROM ELDING WHALE WATCHING
A GOODIE BAG FROM KIMI RECORDS
A GOODIE BAG FROM RECORD RECORDS
A FANCY GRAPEVINE TEE
A FANCY GRAPEVINE STICKER
A PERSONALISED LETTER FROM THE EDI-
TOR ABOUT HOW AWESOME YOU ARE
A BEER AT THE GRAPEVINE OFFICE
A DOUBLE-MASSIVE UPSIDE DOWN HIGH
FIVE
2)
A GIFTCARD TO THE AWESOME FONTANA
NATURAL STEAMBATHS FOR TWO
A GOODIE BAG FROM KIMI RECORDS
A GOODIE BAG FROM RECORD RECORDS
A FANCY GRAPEVINE TEE
A FANCY GRAPEVINE STICKER
A PERSONALISED LETTER FROM THE EDI-
TOR ABOUT HOW AWESOME YOU ARE
A BEER AT THE GRAPEVINE OFFICE
A DOUBLE HIGH FIVE
3)
A GIFTCARD TO THE AWESOME FONTANA
NATURAL STEAMBATHS FOR TWO
A GOODIE BAG FROM KIMI RECORDS
A GOODIE BAG FROM RECORD RECORDS
A FANCY GRAPEVINE STICKERA BEER AT
THE GRAPEVINE OFFICE
A HIGH FIVE
A BOX OF FUCKING AWFUL PENS THAT WE
ARE SICK OF SEEING AROUND THE OFFICE
BECAUSE THEY DON’T FUCKING WORK
What Do i nEED to Do to Win
thEsE aWEsomE pRiZEs?
Write us your BEST GODDAMN
AIRWAVES STORY. Send it to letters@
grapevine.is. If you don’t have a story,
write your BEST GODDAMN AIR-
WAVES FANTASY. The cuttoff date is
Airwaves Thursday, 3pm. We will totally
rate them according to how awesome
they are, and then publish them on our
website and then print them. You re
now our intellectual property. YUM!
iceland airwaves 2011 Venues
Faktorý amsterdam Reykjavík art museum
Since getting a big, colourful revamp
before the last Airwaves (from its old
incarnation as Grand Rokk), Faktorý
has established itself as one of the
funnest and best-sounding venues in
town. It is mid-sized but packs in tight-
ly, well separated by the staircase for
the dancers in the front and drinkers
in the back, where drink prices won’t
break the bank. It’s totally versatile
sound-wise so you can go real hard or
very quiet in here. Anything goes!
Probably not the first place that comes
to mind where Airwaves is concerned,
this unlikely bar comes pre-warmed by
a crowd of hard-drinking, hard-partying
regulars. Between the beers and the
VLT machines, you can expect a gritty,
rocking experience in a dive-bar atmo-
sphere that still boasts good hygiene
standards. Plus, it’s caddy-corner to
three other venues so you are in good
proximity to party hard.
Once a year, the Reykjavík Art Mu-
seum is transformed into a concert
venue like no other. The stark, white
prison-like hall that inspires thoughts
of madness has led to some of the
craziest shows and wildest dancing the
festival has seen. The cavernous size
and great atmosphere make it easy
to move around, find your friends and
have a blast while feeling all fancy-
pants.
Smiðjustígur 6 Hafnarstræti 5 Tryggvagata 17
Glaumbar
Another bar that went away and
came back again, Glaumbar spent a
year moonlighting under the name
Risið, and was a big spot during the
last Reykjavík Jazz Festival. Now this
second-floor club is back in full force
under its original name to host shows
in a stylish and wonderfully danceable
environment—even Julian Assange has
been known to bust a move here!
Tryggvagata 20
Gaukur á stöng
Here’s a venue with a great story!
Gaukur á Stöng existed in its current
location many years ago, being one
of the original Airwaves venues
and known for some of the most
memorable shows of the ‘80s, ‘90s
and early 2000s. It shut down and re-
opened under different names several
times until very suddenly, one month
ago, it was re-incarnated to its rightly
given moniker! We expect it to be as
crazy and awesome as always, where
you can pound booze back and watch
the show from the smokers’ patio.
Tryggvagata 22
02 Grapevine Fancy Airwaves Special Go to www.airwaves.grapevine.is for extensive + up to date festival coverage
you’ve made it through harassing
airport security, scrutinising border
guards and cramped, smelly planes
and here you are. Congratulations!
Welcome to Reykjavík. is it your first
time doing this festival? oh man.
you’re probably going to need some
help. and don’t tell me you are here
with friends and they have done it
before because you are going to lose
them at some point amidst all the
partying fun and you’ll need our help!
so take it now! We care about you
having the best time and not leaving
penniless.
FillinG up youR tummy
Food prices have taken the biggest hit
in post-crash Iceland so eating is where
your pocket will get dented the hardest.
Your best bet for some decently priced,
body-friendly food is to hit up the Bónus
supermarket (Laugavegur 59, Hallavei-
garstígur) as soon as you get here. Grab
lots of yummy, protein-rich on-the-paw
snacks like trail mix, skyr shakes and
bananas and you’ll be set to keep your
energy up in the day. Also get some
grilled cheese sandwich fixings for late
nights.
The daytime is okay for finding cheap
sustenance. For morning through mid-
day healthy snacks we recommend the
new one-man show in town Litli bónd-
abærinn (Laugavegur 41) for delectable,
organic, veggie-friendly lunch foods and
killer coffee. You won’t shell out more
than 1.200 ISK here to be full to the gills.
If you’re in need of something greasier,
the good folks at Prikið will be doing
their ‘Rock’n’Bacon’ breakfast every day
and, as always, have a great daily burger
deal for 1.000 ISK.
After dark it’s a whole other ball
game. Your options for cheap food basi-
cally get widdled down to pylsur. The
most popular Icelandic hot-dog stand
in town, Bæjarins Bestu on Tryggvagata,
slings them out for 300 ISK a pop and
170 ISK for a Coke. Not a bad boost
while you’re running between Faktorý
and Hafnarhús! Then on Lækjatorg you
will find a bunch of food trucks offering
up standard burger fare and sticky-
sweet waffles in whipped cream. Worst
case, you’ll end up at the 10-11 on Aus-
turstræti at 4:00 in the morning buying a
styrofoam burger and soda!
GEttinG booZED up
Let’s get one thing clear right off the bat:
there is really no such thing as “cheap”
booze over here. This is a small island
and import taxes are high on deliciously
decadent items like alcohol, so prepare
to always pay at least a fingernail. But
here’s the best you can do.
If you were flying in from abroad, you
better have taken full advantage of the
Airport Duty Free, not just for yourself
but for all potential friends you’re going
to make here. Getting to an after-party
empty is a bit gauche. But you’re a long
way from Keflavík now, so we won’t
berate you.
Alternatively, once you get into town,
hit up the Vínbúð (liquor store) on Aus-
turstræti as soon as you can (on your
grocery shopping excursion, perhaps?).
There you can stock up on as much
pre- and post-show libations at the best
prices available in town. Beer in bars is
always cheaper so we suggest going for
wine and harder stuff if you’re into that
whole scene.
Luckily, a lot of places have nice
drink specials in the early evenings—es-
pecially at the off-venues! They want to
lure you in, see. Check out some great
unofficial programming and happy hours
at places like Barbara (Laugavegur
22), KEX Hostel (Skúlagata 28), Dil-
lon (Laugavegur 30), Hemmi & Valdi
(Laugavegur 21) and The Laundromat
Café (Austurstræti 9). The modus ope-
randi goes as such: the earlier you start,
the less you’ll pay. Flasks are also super
helpful but you didn’t hear that from us.
And seriously: pre-drink.
DoinG thE hoRiZontal mambo
You are all grown up by now and know
who you are and how you like to oper-
ate when it comes to nuding up with
another person—or persons! But you are
in a new place with new social customs
so you might be feeling a bit shy. All we
can say is: don’t be!
While concerts can sometimes be an
awkward place to meet potential mates,
there are some pretty sure-fire spots to
go on the prowl. Bakkus on Tryggvagata,
nestled between four of the festival’s
venues, is a two-floor madhouse where
people from all walks of life gather for
wild antics and often get what they were
coming for if they play their cards right.
The classic and incomparable Kaffi-
barinn (Bergstaðastræti) has also been
known through its lengthy existence as
a place that has helped conceive a few
babies.
If long-haired, leathery rocker types
are your thing, head over to Bar 11
(Hverfisgata 18) where there’s a regular
crowd of gruff hotties. For those into a
more refined type, suited up and fancily
dressed, check out Næsti bar (Ingólf-
stræti 1A) where there’s a ‘classy’ crowd,
dim lighting and nice cocktails. If you’re
looking for a same-sex hook-up environ-
ment, the city’s one and only queer club
Barbara is your safest bet. The music is
fun and the kids are way cute.
You should also keep in mind that,
unlike a lot of other cities, everyone goes
everywhere regardless of orientation so
don’t expect places to just be straight
or gay. If someone hits on you and it’s
not your cup of tea, just be nice and re-
spectful and move along. And vice-versa
if the unwanted attention is coming your
way! Remember kids: NO GLOVE, NO
LOVE.
thE moRninG aFtER
Surviving the endless hangovers the
festival provides is the key to your
Airwaves success. If you’ve forgotten to
bring aspirin along with you, hit up the
pharmacy for some Treo, Alka-Seltzer-
like pain-killer tablets with a caffeine
kick and drop on in some OJ. Then get
yourself to Sundöllin pool (Barónstígur
45A), sit in the hot tub for a while and
be amazed at how your hangover has
disappeared. Top it all off with a killer
burger at Vitabar (Bergþórugata 21) and
a quick nap and you’ll be rearing to go.
If all else fails, do as the Icelanders
do and start drinking again! HAVE A
GREAT FUCKING TIME! WOO!
the Grapevine’s
Comprehensive
Guide to airwaves
How to do it all and not go broke!
By Rebecca Louder
WE HAVE MADE A FANCY NEW WEBSITE! YOU NEED TO GO THERE RIGHT NOW!
THE ADDRESS IS WWW.aiRWaVEs.GRapEVinE.is
Here’s the deal. We got so excited about effing Airwaves that we conducted a whole
bunch of goddamn interviews and wrote a shitload of articles we can’t even begin
to fit in this supplement! Are we bad at planning? YES! Are we awesome at making
stuff? YES! So we figure, INTERNET HAS NO WORDCOUNT! So we’re publishing all
that stuff on our fancy Airwaves site, AND MORE!
Go to WWW.aiRWaVEs.GRapEVinE.is right now for articles, interviews, op-eds,
photos, videos, festival tips, trix and rumours as well as REVIEWS OF EVERY GOD-
DAMN ICELAND AIRWAVES SHOW!
REVIEWS
www.airwaves.grapevine.is
thE most aWEsomE GRapEVinE aiRWaVEs ContEst yEt!
WIN FREE SHIT! IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS! MAKE NEW ONES! LEAVE THOSE OLD, BORING FRIENDS IN THE DUST!
GUYS SO GUESS WHAT! We are running a special fancy Airwaves contest for all you fancy readers out there!
We will award THREE prizes! Here they are, in order of awesomeness