Øya Highlights: Miike Snow

Marjana Jaidi / August 19, 2010

Miike Snow’s performance was the one I was most looking forward to on Øya’s second day. And while Richie Adomako and Kenroy George reported on one of three sold-out NYC shows back in March, I personally never had the pleasure of seeing them live.

The band took the stage in matching black jackets and white theatrical masks, which coupled with the lights, fog and ambient intro, gave off an eerie vibe reminiscent of the Phantom of the Opera. They launched into “Cult Logic” and “Burial”, removing their masks in one fell swoop during “Black & Blue” to reveal the full emotional range behind their music.

Physically watching each member’s contribution to the sound made me appreciate the complexity of each song even more. While the entire set list came from their eponymous debut album, the live interpretations were not mere regurgitations of the originals. Miike Snow pushed the boundaries of each song’s structure, adding improvisational breaks to several album favorites, including “Sylvia” and “Black & Blue”. As expected, they ended the show with a rousing rendition of their first single, “Animal”.

Click through for photos from Miike Snow’s Øya performance, or CLICK HERE for more snaps of the festival.