Reykjavík Grapevine - 11.10.2013, Page 56

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SURVIVAL GUIDE ISSUE 16 — 2013GRAPEVINE AIRWAVES
While some may think of Iceland
Airwaves as a festival of locals and
devotee tourists, we know that the
city welcomes hundreds of first-time
visitors and hardcore music fans into
its arms every year. And though a lot
of those people have probably been to
other music festivals, ours is one un-
like most others!
There is a sort of magic that chang-
es the feeling in the air and a sense
that anything can happen. Yet within
this electrifying spontaneity one still
wants to feel ready for whatever’s
about to come. We are here to assist
you with some helpful suggestions
to get you through your Airwaves so-
journ.
HUNGRY HEARTS
Reykjavík Roasters (Kárastígur 1)

If you just want to grab a cup of joe
to-go, nowhere will get your engine
running as well as these caffeine ex-
perts. They were known up until re-
cently as Kaffismi!jan and the name
change only reflects their dedication
to delivering finely crafted coffee,
roasted on premises and brewed to
perfection. Take it away and feel the
buzz.
Priki! (Bankastræti 12)
This classic and cool catch-all diner
is great any time of the day, but early
birds should hit up their long run-
ning Airwaves Rock’n’Bacon break-
fast concert series. Get yourself
geared up with good music and hefty
servings of bacon, eggs and Ameri-
can style pancakes and some of the
best coffee in the biz.
Búllan (Geirsgata 1)
The only restaurant in town lucky
enough to have its own street sign,
this burgerjoint in the old harbour
area is beloved for having introduced
the real American-style burger to Ice-
land. It’s a sure-fire spot to pick up a
quick grilled meal (meaty or veggie),
perfect to soak up last night’s party or
prep your stomach for the madness
of the night to come.
Nóra Magasin (Pósthússtræti 9)
This fairly recent addition to the
city’s dining scene is a perfect mix
of casual comfort with a unique, up-
scale menu. Their short menu offers
a taut selection of fresh dishes that
combine elements of French and
Asian cuisine made with fine local
produce. It’s a great place to start the
night, with an intimate date or with
your entire festival party group.
CULTURE CLUB
Sundhöllin (Barónsstígur 45a)
Nothing is more local than a trip to
the local pool for a communal shower
and then some good ol’ hot tub gos-
sip. It’s also a proven hangover killer!
Take part in this timeless tradition
at the oldest pool in Reykjavík, con-
veniently located in 101 just behind
Hallgrímskirkja church. Make sure
to follow those shower rules—no one
is looking at your junk, but they’ll no-
tice if you don’t wash it!
Hafnarhús (Tryggvagata 17)
If you’re not up for off-venue daytime
concerts, take in some great Icelan-
dic art at this branch of the Reykjavík
Art Museum (it is also an official Air-
waves venue at night). Not only does
it hold temporary exhibits by cutting
edge artists from the world round,
but it officially houses the collection
of Iceland’s great modern artist Erró.
The permanent exhibition of his
work is completely breathtaking and
gives a glimpse at one of our biggest
cultural influences.
Iceland Expo Pavillion
(Old Harbour)
Even though everyone wants to get
out of the city and see some of those
iconic landscapes, it’s not so easy to
pull off between the concerts and the
parties and the hassle of car rentals.
If you can’t make it happen, head to
this giant 360° panoramic film that
was originally made for the 2010
World’s Fair in Shanghai. The fifteen
minute long film is a complete im-
mersion into the intensely enigmatic
power of Iceland’s nature, without all
that extra raingear and emergency
supplies.
Kraum (A!alstræti 6)
Since you’re coming for Airwaves,
you’re most likely going to want to
grab some of the official festival
merch (available at the visitor’s cen-
tre), but you might also want to grab
some of that great Icelandic design
you’ve heard so much about. Kraum
is the perfect spot for all your design
needs, covering a massive range of
styles, sizes, prices and practical pur-
pose. Even if you’re not in the market
to buy, drop in to check all these cre-
ations out, gallery style.
PARTY ALL THE TIME
Loft Hostel (Bankastræti 7)
What better way to start an evening
of shows than by socialising on a
forty-foot square deck overlooking
the city’s main drag? Not too much,
honestly. This bar on the top f loor of
a fine hostel is both an off-venue and
just a generally great place to hang
out. It’s also high up enough that you
can maybe get a view at how bad the
line-ups are outside venues! Okay,
maybe not, but it’s a really nice place
for a drink.
Bravó (Laugavegur 22)
This location has had many names,
but it’s always been a great place to
have a drink. Now the downstairs
neighbour to gay bar du jour KiKi,
this cosy corner is ideal for the begin-
ning of a night or for the very end.
The friendly bar staff have a secret
cocktail recipe that will loosen up
your bones to get you moving at the
shows.
Dolly (Hafnarstræti 4)
It’s one hundred percent pure house
at this funky little shack named after
Mrs. Parton herself. If you’re not all
danced out after all the great hip-
shaking sets at the festival, come
work out that extra energy here where
you’ll be surrounded by like-minded
grinders. Who knows who you might
find to grind on there, too. Hmm...
Kaffibarinn (Bergsta!astræti 1)
Of course, you can’t go wrong start-
ing or ending (especially ending)
your night at this Reykjavík stal-
wart. It has its up and downswings,
but in the end, this place is like the
beating heart of the local nightlife,
immortalised in classic movies and
raved about by locals and bloggers.
Go there to find out why and have
an unforgettable, or an unforgettably
forgotten night!
How to make the most of Reykjavík during the
five-day festival
—Words by R.X. Beckett
Wasted At Airwaves
Your last sip of beer is not the bot-
tle’s last song
—Words by Alex Baumhardt
You may have noticed that the big Air-
waves festival booklet is nowhere to be
found this year. That’s a good thing, says
festival manager Grímur Atlason, who
came into Airwaves four years ago with
the intention of making the festival less
wasteful and more sustainable. The book,
which was more than 50 pages long in the
past, will be available digitally on the Air-
waves website and on their app.
As the festival grows, paper won’t be
the only thing getting cut. Grímur would
like glass bottles, garbage bins and out-
dated equipment to be, in some part, re-
placed by aluminium cans, recycling bins
and the most energy efficient gear. “We’re
taking baby steps right now,” Grímur
says.
By default, the festival starts on a good
foot. Taking place in a city means you can
walk and bike everywhere and the infra-
structure already exists. No one is driving
to the countryside to trample over nature
in the name of two-stepping to a sun god
and flailing their arms in the air. But this
doesn’t negate the toll of getting to Reykja-
vík in the first place and romping around
the city on a 120-hour bender.
“We know this festival means that
there are a lot of extra flights coming into
the country,” says Grímur, who oversees
the arrival of 8,000 people to the festival
each year, 4,500 of whom come by plane,
leaving a carbon trail in the airwaves as
they fly in.
Going forward, he’s thinking of buy-
ing carbon offsets for those 4,500 or more
flights that bring concertgoers in, and
then plugging that into the ticket price.
He’s also trying to model Airwaves after
Hillside Festival, an event of similar size
that takes place each summer in Ontario,
Canada. Environmentalism is a part of
Hillside’s mission statement and they
provide concertgoers with reusable cups
to bring to shows, locally sourced, or-
ganic food and recycling bins everywhere.
“I saw what they were doing there and
thought, ‘we should definitely be doing it
this way, too,’” he says.
Grímur says he wants to distinguish
the festival from Iceland’s tourism indus-
try, one industry he feels is unsustainable
and shamelessly cashing in on the fest’s
foreign audience. “Iceland kind of brands
itself as this really ‘green’ country and we
all know that’s not totally the case,” he
says. He’d like Airwaves, however, to earn
the distinction of a ‘green’ event.
The potential to carry this out has a lot
to do with where Grímur can extend his
control. In 2012, he commissioned volun-
teers from World Wide Friends (WWF), a
non-profit organisation promoting envi-
ronmentalism, to pick up at venues after
shows and salvage recyclables. He is hop-
ing to get more volunteers this year.
At venues like Harpa and Reykjavík’s
Art Museum, he wants to make sure that
beer is being sold in aluminium cans
rather than glass bottles (aluminium cans
are more easily recycled and repurposed)
and he wants to make sure they are mak-
ing access to recycling bins easier for all.
At smaller venues and off-venue sites,
he carries little weight over the materi-
als used, what’s served or how clean they
choose to make their involvement in the
festival.
He hopes to incentivise all venues to
join Airwave’s green effort in the future
and to please start by selling beer in alu-
minium cans at a lower price (with recy-
cling bins in handy spots). And if a more
environmental Airwaves festival means
cheaper beer, then perhaps we’re ready to
dance on the grass of that other, greener
side.