Ogden Twilight • Of Monsters and Men • July 30, 2026 • Ogden Amphitheater
Reviewed and Photographed by Morgan Newbold
Last Thursday, Icelandic alternative folk band Of Monsters and Men was welcomed back to Utah for their sold-out show at the Ogden Twilight concert series! It was their 5th time playing in Utah, and everyone was very stoked to have them back! It was my first time seeing them, so I was beyond excited to check them off my list, as I, and most likely many who were in attendance, have been listening to them for over a decade. I knew hearing some of my favorite songs live was going to be a surreal experience. I pulled up right before the show started, and it was PACKED! Every bench in the bleachers and every spot on the lawn was full with eager fans, repping the band’s merch, beers in hand! It was an incredibly hot evening in Ogden, but that didn’t kill the mood of the night whatsoever!
Of Monsters and Men are a 4-piece folk band that formed in Garðabær, Iceland in 2010. The group consists of lead vocalists Nanna Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar Þórhallsson, lead guitarist Brynjar Leifsson, drummer Arnar Hilmarsson, and bassist Kristjánl Kristjánsson. They have had the same lineup for pretty much their entire career and have built a huge following all over the world! Their hit song Little Talks went viral in the US after a performance of it was recorded by a Seattle radio station.
They quickly signed with a label and put out their first album, ‘My Head is an Animal’, in Iceland in 2011. It was later released in the US in early 2012, leading to rapid nationwide status and a lot of radio play. The band then signed with Universal Music Group and played festivals like Lollapalooza, Newport Folk Festival, and Reading and Leeds. They have released 3 more albums since then, and continue to tour the world with major success!
Opening the show was Australian folktronica songwriter Gordi. Her musical and vocal style very much emulated Bon Iver, whom she has also toured and performed with, and everyone loved it! She had an adorable and humorous personality and amazing style. She and her band confidently captured the attention of the large crowd that was trying to beat the heat. I loved their performance.
As the sun started to set and the humidity calmed a tiny bit, the crowd cheered in anticipation for the main act of the night! The 7 performing members of the band walked onto the stage with huge smiles of gratitude on their faces. They looked SO young! Like they were in their mid-20s at most! Beautiful and youthful-looking group of people. I was really excited to witness this performance. They opened the show with Television Love and Dream Team, from their latest album ‘All is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade’. Then followed it with songs from each of their albums. It was wonderful to hear my favorites from their early albums like “Dirty Paws” and “Crystals!”
The lighting perfectly complemented their soft and joyful energy, with tones of purple and magenta predominantly lighting up the stage. In the middle of the set, they brought Gordi back out to sing The Actor with them, which sounded so wonderful! During another song, Nanna jumped down to the front row and sang with them and walked across to connect with the fans. She and Ragnar really seem to have the purest souls, and I loved watching them have such a great time with the band and the crowd. The show concluded with “Love, Love Love” and “Fruit Bats” in the encore! I wished that the evening had gone on longer; they were so incredibly talented! If you have the chance to, you should most definitely catch them as they finish up ‘The Mouse Parade’ tour!
