Show Review: Iceage at the Madonna Inn
words and photos by Kelly Darroch
In the heart of San Luis Obispo at everyone’s favorite kitschy, pink hotel, Danish post-punk band Iceage graced the Madonna Inn’s Expo Hall.
Although the hall doesn’t share the same floral-lined carpets and cherub decor as the rest of the buildings, the charming grounds were a breath of fresh air after the drive up from Santa Barbara. I stepped into the dim lighting of the venue to be instantly surrounded by the crowd of SLO locals sporting jester makeup. Iceage was the opener for Orange County legends, The Garden, famously known for their iconic jester look, on their nine-date 2025 West Coast tour. This tour was also the first return of Iceage following their nearly two-year hiatus from playing in the US. Their last show here was a free New York concert in Central Park with a lineup of Matador Records artists that I must admit, I am quite jealous of — Iceage, Horsegirl, Lifeguard, and Water From Your Eyes.
I parked myself beside the stage, awaiting an experience I could only predict would be unparalleled. Throughout their five studio albums, they are both raw and refined, yet everything feels like their trademark. With punk roots, they expand to hardcore, goth-rock, Americana, country, with even a bit of gospel influence occasionally. Accompanied by some of the most clever, vivid, and emotionally ravaging lyrics with literary allusions you could delve into for days, their discography from the last 14 years is rather extensive, so I was eager to see what they would perform.
Having just seen Iceage’s vocalist, Elias Ronnenfelt’s solo show in a room of no more than 50 people in the summer, there was a heavy anticipation leading up to witnessing Iceage in all its glory. The solo set was extremely stripped down, just Ronnenfelt and his guitar (with the exception of a few backing track performances) playing his entire debut solo album, Heavy Glory, ahead of its release in October of 2024. He closed that set with respect to the many Iceage loyalists in the audience and played a few songs off their 2014 album Plowing Into the Field of Love.
That was the nearest I came to seeing Iceage live before this concert, but the wait was worth it to see the whole ensemble join together.
Johan Suurballe Wieth on guitar, Jakob Van Tsilling on bass, Dan Kjær Nielsen on drums, and Elias Ronnenfelt with vocals. These four men planted themselves on their respective corners of the stage, with Ronnenfelt being the least stationary of them all. Each of them had their respective looks that just made perfect sense to me. Nothing was too extravagant about their attire. Ronnenfelt wore a simple white button-up with a multicolored red, green, and black tie. Wieth had a trench coat and a cap, Tsilling in a white tee and a black vest, and Nielsen wrapped in a leather jacket. It simply matched my perception of them: cool, collected, and Danish.
They started strong with “Glassy Eyed, Dormant, and Veiled” and “Simony,” two of my favorites off Plowing Into the Field of Love. The opening song was raging and ominous, with a rhythm that set this almost uneasy tone in anticipation of what would follow. “Simony,” though more energetic, has these yearning lyrics that Ronnenfelt spewed with so much force that the song was completely reinvented for me.
He has a voice that sounds so disinterested, yet so earnest— you can’t help but die to hear what he has to say. It permeates through the noise on each record, but is elevated when he’s standing just a few feet away from you, swinging his arms and whipping around the mic cable like a leash with his tie mirroring the cord’s motions. With bangs in his eyes, he fastidiously mutters, “I do believe I am the Lord’s favorite one.” I don’t think I’ll argue with that!
Their setlist covered almost every base and played a couple of songs from every album, except their debut, New Brigade. I can forgive that with their inclusion of “High and Hurt,” which instantly ignited the room with a cathartic, unfiltered energy.
They gave a sneak peek of two unreleased songs, both having that same alluring Iceage charm and not entirely discernible lyrics, which is after all, part of the charm. Clips of these unreleased songs, “NY Banger” and “Lifetime,” have been circling for a while, but it was about time I heard them outside of a low-quality version on my phone.
After the set, I snagged a setlist, then the rush of adrenaline drove me directly to the merch booth to pick up their new tour merch. Their shirt featured a picture of Jakob Van Tsilling, their bassist, as a young boy holding a gun and a baseball bat. I was sold the shirt by no one other than Tsilling himself. After expressing my enthusiasm for their set, I took the opportunity to pick his brain.
Having just celebrated the 10th anniversary of Plowing Into the Field of Love, I was curious what his favorite song to play live off the album was. Any answer would’ve been the right one, but he responded with their title track, “Plowing Into the Field of Love.” My only critique of their set is that they did not include Tsilling’s favorite song, which is also a favorite for me. On the bright side, if you’ve been eagerly awaiting a new release from Iceage following their 2021 record, Seek Shelter, you’ll be relieved to know that he informed me that new music is in the works, and it shouldn’t be too long, and hopefully, a tour as well.
As someone jealous of Europe’s proximity to Iceage shows, I’m hoping the US gets thrown a bone or two.
The Garden closed with an invigorating set, even without their black and white makeup. Despite the number of times I saw them in high school, I was once again reminded how they always put on a memorable show. No matter how familiar you are with their music, you’re bound to remember their concerts fondly, even if you have what feels like a near-death experience in the pit. The twin brothers, Wyatt and Fletcher Shears, surge through every song with an unbridled energy, amusingly paired with their typically blank expressions. After I photographed them, I retired to the back of the hall to watch the tail end of the set with my friends. I spun in circles and was instantly transported back to the precise feeling of glee I can never shake when I hear them play.
Iceage opening for The Garden is not a lineup I could have conjured up myself, but I can say confidently that I was not let down. The entire night was this beautiful little moment of different musical eras of my life bridging together right before my eyes. Most of the audience was there to see The Garden, but judging by the looks of awe I witnessed of the people gripping onto the barricade during their set, it is safe to say that a few new Iceage fans walked away that night. -KD
