Jónsi and Alex perform at the Lincoln Theatre on Oct. 28, 2019. (Photo by Jason Nicholson)

Ten years ago, Jónsi of Sigur Rós partnered with musician Alex Somers to record an ambient album, Riceboy Sleeps. This year, Jónsi and Alex celebrated a decade of Riceboy Sleeps by taking it on the road with an orchestra in a tour that stopped at the Lincoln Theatre in DC recently. Jason Nicholson shot the show.

On Oct. 28, the scene was dark with lots of machine-generated fog and funky lighting. Jónsi and Alex were barely visible, blending into the back of the orchestra but in front of a choir.

During the show, Jónsi and Alex first appeared for introductions to introduce a new musical piece, All Animals. They left but returned after an opener to perform Riceboy Sleeps in its entirety. The entire show consisted of the three chapters of All Animals in the intro and then later the nine “songs” of Riceboy Sleeps, which together create a cohesive movement.

Stream Riceboy Sleeps by Jónsi and Alex on Spotify:

In perhaps the most memorable part of the show, Jónsi and Alex placed packets of Pop Rocks candies on the arms of the Lincoln Theatre chairs prior to the concert. Jónsi and Alex explained to the audience that they should eat the Pop Rocks upon a specific cue from the conductor of the orchestra. When the conductor gave the signal, the audience ate the Pop Rocks, and the noise generated by the candies added to the experience of the specific orchestral piece.

Here are some photos of Jónsi and Alex performing at the Lincoln Theatre on Oct. 28, 2019. All photos copyright and courtesy of Jason Nicholson.