Of Monsters and Men launch tour in Brooklyn with Winter in the Air
Winter was quietly making its presence felt in New York City, and it felt only right that the Icelandic folk-rock outfit Of Monsters and Men arrived just as the season shifted. After postponing the first few dates of this American tour while frontwoman Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir recovered from vocal rest, the band landed in Brooklyn for the official start of the run, and the crowd let them know they were ready.
Opening the night was Icelandic singer-songwriter Arny Margret, solo with her guitar, and she filled the large venue with an ethereal presence. At a place like the Paramount, openers often compete with coat-taking and audience chatter. But Margret had the room silent. Her haunting vocals and stark guitar work held the space.
Once Of Monsters and Men took the stage, it became clear the band was treating this like more than just another show. With their newest album All Is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade having dropped only weeks earlier, they were weaving their familiar anthems with fresh material and delivering both with conviction. The set opened with “Television Love” and moved into “Dream Team,” then gave longtime fans “King and Lionheart” and “Tuna in a Can.”
A standout came in “Ordinary Creature,” the new single with its recurring chorus “I want to run to your house when it gets dark out.” The crowd was locked in. Eyes closed, swaying, fully immersed. I can admit to a personal bias here as it’s my favorite off the album, but I’m clearly not the only one holding this opinion after seeing the crowd reaction.
The band didn’t shy away from their roots. Iconic staples like “Little Talks” and “Visitor” made clear of Monsters and Men aren’t shying away from their more than ten year history in the genre. The nearly ten-minute “Fruit Bat” seemed a purposeful wind-down before the band left and then returned for two encores. First, “The End,” the closing track from the new album, and then the fan-favorite “Dirty Paws” to finish.
Throughout, the band balanced stagecraft and sincerity. There were no giant gimmicks. Instead the weight came from the songs, the growing catalog, and that unshakable feeling of communal catharsis. Brooklyn may not have been the tour’s original kickoff, but in that moment it felt like home for the band. And for everyone there.
Of Monsters and Men setlist
Brooklyn Paramount, Brooklyn, New York (11/1/2025)
Television Love
Dream Team
King and Lionheart
Tuna in a Can
Alligator
Human
The Block
Mouse Parade
The Towering Skyscraper at the End of the Road
Ordinary Creature
Barefoot in Snow
Crystals
Styrofoam Cathedral
Little Talks
Visitor
Fruit Bat
Encore:
The End
Dirty Paws
