Over the past months, almost every guest on our show has brought up the state of the live music landscape in Reykjavík in terms of the lack of midsize venues to play. This being a huge subject for all of us over at Grapevine HQ — contributor Ish Sveinsson Houle tackled just this topic in an article in our 8th issue this year.
One young booker who is throwing caution to the wind and doing things her way is Agnes Hlynsdóttir, manager and booker at LEMMY and events and culture booker at Iðnó. She has notably created the Upptakarinn concert series at LEMMY (aka Up & Coming), that gives artists who have never played live a platform to perform their first gigs. Over at Iðnó, she has been making the historic, city-funded theatre a space for better known “midsize” names and more blowout gigs.
We sat down with Agnes for a candid and hopeful conversation about her work and the live scene. If you are a new performer interested in playing the Upptakarinn series, you can contact Agnes at info@lemmy.is.
Head to Apple Podcasts or Spotify to follow the show and catch all the weekly Hot Happenings episodes, out each Thursday!
Find more events to visit in the next few days below and on our listings website events.grapevine.is.
Hátíðni
Friday July 5 — Sunday July 7 — Borðeyri — 3.500 ISK or pwyc
Hátíðni is an arts and music festival that might have the most beautiful backdrop of all festivals in Iceland — never-ending fjords and lupine fields, but all of the magic happens in a derelict slaughterhouse. It’s a DIT festival organised by the post-dreifing arts collective where conventional rules are obsolete and a sense of community thrives. On the lineup: grassroots talent from Iceland and beyond. It’s going to be your most unusual festival ever. Unconvinced? Listen to our podcast to hear more. IZ
Distrakt #9: Malin Génie (NL/FR)
Friday July 5 — 22:00 — Kaffibarinn
Since February 2023, independent label Distrakt Audio has been regularly hosting some of the finest names in international house and electronic music over here in Reykjavík. Now their first one since April features their longtime favourite Malin Génie, a true genius known for his distinctive and diverse house style. Also on deck will be Lagaffe Tales head honcho Jónbjörn, beloved in Reykjavík’s club scene, and Distrakt-daddy Ali Demir. Get your ass on the dancefloor. RX
Saturday July 6 – Sunday 7 — Iðnó — 12:00-17:00
Do not be fooled – this is not the Q known for cruel tricks and treachery aboard the Starship Enterprise. This Q is the Queer Student Association, the University of Iceland’s longtime guild for LGBTQIA+ students and allies. Among their constituents are countless talented artists who have wares if you have coin. Now an annual highlight of the summer art calendar, Q’s Queer Art Market is a place to discover fresh talent, find new pieces for your collection and connect with a wonderful community. RX
Chili Seitz – bits of land and sea
Opens Saturday July 7 — SÍM Gallery & Gerðasafn Art Museum
Art about the ocean is as vast, endless and ominously mysterious as the ocean itself. It is seemingly bottomless; we will never truly be able to reach its depths. The cycle of tides is both mundane and mystifying, essential and ethereal. German conceptual artist Chili Seitz continues their ongoing immersive investigation of “intertidal ecographies” in this two-pronged exhibition. At the SÍM Gallery, a collection of large-scale cyanotypes depicts wave movement, while at Gerðasafn, three flags will be raised that reclaim the sky as the realm of wind and weather. RX
Organ Summer Series
Ongoing until August 25 — Hallgrímskirkja
The organ is a truly wild instrument. If you happen to be a synth nerd, they are the OG synthesisers. If you were raised in a church, they were very likely your gateway drug to music. And while they are indeed most closely linked with New Testament worship, they really make some ripping tunes. If you’re a metalhead or a techno fan, you must give the organ thanks. In fact, why not go listen to some of the incredible worldwide organists playing at Hallgrímskirkja’s Organ Summer series, bringing music both secular and spiritual, but all pretty goddamn great. RX
