Grapevine Events: Easter Egg Hunts, Stelpur Rokka, Jazz, Jesus & More

Easter is upon us! We’re headed into a lovely and — dare we say — much needed holiday weekend and we are ready to party! Don’t expect the same level of madness this weekend, since there are some church-related laws that will shorten opening hours, but there’s still lots to do and fun to be had! If you’re headed out of town, you might want to head up to Ísafjörður for the Aldrei Fór Ég Suður music festival. If you’re staying in town, look no further than our list below — and more still on our events site. Whatever you do, be mindful of the shorter opening hours for pretty much everything!

Easter Egg Hunt on Viðey Island

Thursday April 6 — 11:00 — Viðey — 2.100 ISK for 18+, 1.050 ISK for 7-17, free for kids under 6

What better way to kick off the holiday weekend than a good ol’ fashioned Easter egg hunt! Sleeping in, maybe? But don’t sleep on heading out to Viðey for the most wholesome hunt there is. The beautiful little island is just a quick-boat hop from the city (leaving from Skarfabakki Harbour) and will be chock full of chocolate eggs of all sorts, with extra special ones full of super surprises. The hunt is open for people of all ages and fun for the whole family, but be cool and let the kiddos get the best haul. The game starts at 12:30 so make sure to catch one of the boats before then, and go frolic like a happy bunny. RX

Stelpur Rokka Presents: gugusar, rauður & Ókindarhjarta

Friday April 7 — 19:00 — Völvufell 17 — Free, donations accepted

The wonderful people of Stelpur Rokka are throwing their second show of the year on Friday night, an all-ages party like no other. Playing on the bill are newcomers rauður, recent Grapevine faves Ókindarhjarta, and rising solo star gugusar. All three young acts have been displaying great promise in their live shows lately, gugusar in particular having gained wide attention around the music scene over the past couple of years. The Stelpur Rokka organisation has been a driving force in helping young people start bands and bridge the gap with older generations. The show is free but they will happily accept donations to keep converting the youths into musicians. RX

Óskar Guðjónsson MOVE

Friday April 7 — 19:30 — MENGI — 3.900 ISK

Ya like jazz? Well, go jazz things up with some super experimental jazz courtesy of Óskar Guðjónsson’s MOVE project. The show will be a performance of works that have come out of a laboratory set up by himself, Eyþór Gunn, Matti Hem, and Valdi Kolli, where songs were constructed, deconstructed and reconstructed. These learned-unlearned-relearned pieces are all about bringing in new ideas while holding onto certain textures. It’s definitely a show for those who are deeply into musical process and next-level instrumentalists. RX

Friday Night Party Screening: Jesus Christ Superstar

Friday April 7 — 21:00 — Bíó Paradís — 1.990 ISK

Well, it is Easter and Passover weekend, so it would be a bit silly to leave out something Jesus-related. If you’ve never heard of it before, Jesus Christ Superstar is a gritty tale about a nice hot Jewish boy who quits his carpentry practice to follow his dream of starting a prog rock band with his twelve best buds, taking his girlfriend along as they hit the road and reach stardom. Just kidding! It’s a rock-opera about the crucifixion! Whichever way your beliefs lean, there’s no better time than now to watch legendary musical-maker Andrew Lloyd Webber’s massive hit about the last week of Jesus’ life. You may just become a true believer (in great musicals)! RX

Gaddavír, Krownest & Katrín Lea

Saturday April 8 — 18:00 — R6013 — Pay what you can — All ages

Ever since throwing their doors back open last weekend, the beloved basement DIY venue R6013 is bringing the fire! This Saturday promises another stellar and slightly unhinged lineup, as is their way. Akranes hardcore punks Gaddavír and melodic hardcore-metal kids Krownest will tear shit up, while newcomer pianist-songwriter Katrín Lea will calm things down. Like really good liquorice-chocolate: you gotta have a little smooth to balance out the edge. Swoon to her heartfelt tunes and then open up the pit. The show has a suggested donation of 1.500 ISK and all the proceeds go directly into helping R6013 continue to bring quality independent all-ages shows. RX

Sóðaskapur, Hylur og HáRún

Sunday April 9 — 20:00 — Gaukurinn — Free

Sunday’s not usually the most popular night for a fun show around these parts, but wouldn’t you know it, we have Monday off too!? (Well, sadly not everyone — caretakers and service workers, we salute you.) This show is a perfect chance to see some more young musicians on the rise. Singer-songwriter HáRún plays 90s Jewel-reminiscent guitar pop, rock band Hylur give mid-naughties indie vibes and a great live show, and headliners Sóðaskapur serve riot grrl jangly punk made for getting loose. It’s the last long weekend until August, so go bop around and make the most of it! RX