Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Ever since Of Monsters And Men exploded with the endlessly looping ear worm “Little Talks,” the Icelandic act achieved a global presence and is now a decade-and-a-half deep into the groove.

Chicago has always been especially supportive, so much so that when the beloved band briskly sold out The Salt Shed after six years away from the area, an encore stop was tacked on to the end of “The Mouse Parade” Tour. 

Even the threat of a snowstorm and some falling flakes couldn’t stop a fairly full house from catching singer/guitarist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, fellow singer/guitarist Ragnar “Raggi” Þórhallsson, lead guitarist Brynjar Leifsson, drummer Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson and bassist Kristján Páll Kristjánsson not only address their latest long player, “All Is Love And Pain In The Mouse Parade,” but previous projects on back to the breakthrough “My Head Is An Animal.”

The 90-minute night began on the newer note of “Television Love,” accompanied by the flash of some strobes creating faint silhouettes of the musicians, which gradually increased in intensity with each chilling note.

“Dream Team” revealed a wall of ten umbrella-like lights, while Of Monsters And Men continued to merge enchanting indie rock, chamber pop and folk flavors during the much earlier “King And Lionheart” that has since become their signature. 

The sweeping, sublime vibes expanded throughout “Alligator,” “The Towering Skyscraper At The End Of The Road,” “Crystals” and “Styrofoam Cathedral,” amongst many others, as members painted rich textures and displayed close-knit harmonies, no matter if the mood was aggressive or understated. 

Somewhat surprisingly, “Little Talks” wasn’t saved until the bitter end, and though it made for a throughly enjoyable sing-a-long, there’s obviously a lot more to the group than solely this seven times platinum single. 

In fact, Of Monsters And Men kept the feels flowing into “Visitor,” followed by the acoustic beauty of “The End” and the momentum building “Fruit Bat, bringing the much-deserved victory lap to a crescendoing conclusion and certainly making up for an otherwise lengthy absence. 

For additional information on Of Monsters And Men, visit OfMonstersAndMen.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at The Salt Shed include Béla Fleck & The Flecktones (Dec. 3); Hot Mulligan (Dec. 4-5); Dijon (Dec. 7-8); Acid Bath (Dec. 12); Trap Karaoke (Dec. 19); DJ Diesel (Dec. 20); Gimme Gimme Disco (Dec. 31); Umphrey’s McGee (Jan. 2-3); State Champs (Jan. 9); Armnhmr (Jan. 16); The Bass Operation (Jan. 23); Drama (Jan. 24) and Atmosphere (Jan. 31). For additional details, visit SaltShedChicago.com.

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