Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.07.2018, Page 32

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Best of Reykjavík 2018
32
“You’ll stumble across sun-bleached 7”s, for-
gotten USB-stick releases and rímur compi-
lations in the dusty shelves.”
CITY GUIDE
The Reykjavík
Underground
No U-bahn, but plenty of goths
Words: The Grapevine Hipster Dpt. Photo: Art Bicnick
As repeat visitors to Reykjavík of-
ten remark, the Laugavegur strip
has evolved into an open-topped
puffin mall over recent years. So:
where the cool kids at?
Concerts
Reykjavík’s underground music
scene is thriving. If you enjoy noisy
guitars, shouting, or weird exper-
iments, try R6013 (Ingólfsstræti
20). You can “pay what you want”
for their early-doors concerts,
and have some free vegan food
too. If you’re into more arty exper-
imental music, check out Mengi
(Óðinsgata 2), where musicians
are encouraged to try out new and
crossover material. Iðnó (Vonar-
stræti 3) has been recently rein-
vented as a vibrant hub for gigs,
art performances, and shows of all
kinds. Sofar Sounds: Reykjavík
is worth checking out—they put
on surprise lineups in cosy local
living-rooms, for those who RSVP
fast enough. PW
Art
Reykjavík has a bunch of grass-
roots and artist-run galleries dot-
ted around the downtown area,
showing work by emerging artists
and experimental collectives. Ek-
kisens (Bergstaðastræti 25b) is a
buzzing basement space located in
a disused apartment. Listastofan
(Hringbraut 119) opens an exhi-
bition every fortnight, also acting
as a studio complex and social
hub for a community of creative
types. Gallery Port (Laugavegur
23) has a rapid turnover of exhibi-
tions and events, from a krútt-re-
alist embroidery show to pop-up
art markets. Harbinger (Freyju-
gata 1) is a white cube art space
with a contemporary programme
and a fascinating library of inde-
pendently released art books in
the back. JR
Comics
Nerd culture is always bubbling
under the surface in Reykjavík;
there’s no shortage of nerds, but
establishments catering to them
tend to be highly centralised. For
this reason, Nexus (Nóatún 17) is
pretty much your one-stop shop
for comics, role-playing games,
and all things geek. They even
have a regular meetup, called
Nexus Noobs, which as the name
suggests is a place for people new
to this culture to dig into some
Warhammer or D&D. So wheth-
er you need a Rick & Morty coffee
cup, some polyhedron dice, or you
just want to browse some graphic
novels, Nexus is your safest bet.
Search “NexusIceland” or “Nex-
usNoobs” on Facebook for more
info. PF
Records
Geisladiskabúð Valda (Lau-
gavegur 64) is an Aladdin’s cave
of vinyl, games and merch that’s
so old it feels second-hand,
even if it isn’t. Lucky Records
(Rauðarárstígur 10) has a sprawl-
ing range of vinyl; the neat ‘n’
tidy Reykjavík Record Store has
a more manicured selection. 12
Tónar (Skólavörðustígur 15) and
Smekkleysa (Laugavegur 35)
run labels alongside their stores,
so you may stumble across sun-
bleached 7”s, forgotten USB-stick
releases and rímur compilations
lurking in their dusty shelves. Fi-
nally, the Kólaportið flea market
(Tryggvagata 19) is worth a punt,
but be warned—you could leave
with some weird blue eggs, a VHS
tape of The Lost Boys and a duffle
coat. JR
Apparel
Gothy souls of all genders can con-
jure up their dark apparel at Rokk
& Rómantík (Laugavegur 62), a
recently opened boutique filling
a ghoulish gap in sartorial choic-
es. Their mother store Kjólar &
Konfekt (just two blocks up at
Laugavegur 92) offers a wide array
of delightfully whimsical dresses
and accessories for little kids and
grown adults, as well as top-line
cosmetics and cruelty-free hair
dying supplies. For a bold mix of
first-hand basics and design piec-
es alongside wild and creative vin-
tage wear, Gyllti Kötturinn (Aus-
turstræti 8-10) has a two-floor
array of ever-changing supplies,
as well as their mascot cat Baktus.
And for real deal second-hand,
you can’t go wrong with the Salva-
tion Army’s Hertex store (Garðas-
træti 6), with fair prices and fresh
deals all the time. RX
The force is strong in Nexus
Vesturgötu 3B | 101 Reykjavík | Tel. 551 2344 | www.tapas.is
late night dining
Our kitchen is open
until 23:30 on weekdays
and 01:00 on weekends
A LOCAL FAVOURITE
FOR 17 YEARS
TAPASBARINN – A MUST TRY IN ICELAND
Experience tapas the Icelandic way, made with
the freshest local ingredients in an energetic
and vibrant atmosphere.