Ásgeir‘s climb on the international music circuit has been methodical and deliberate; slowly gaining the momentum of a shooting star and leaving in his wake Afterglow (One Little Indian Records, 2017), the chart topping third album from the Icelandic signer/songwriter. Ásgeir’s melodies and aura embody an ethereal otherworldly feeling that further enhance the notion there is a weightlessness to his sound that can transport anybody to another universe. On Wednesday night he landed at New York City’s Irving Plaza to showcase his folk-inspired electronic stylings.

Ásgeir appeared onstage caught among his band and a charming instrumental synergy, signing in waves of English and his native Icelandic (with little banter between or warning of transition). There’s something calm and relaxed about his stage presence, it’s infectious and not overly pretentious (you can read it in his face and hear it in his lyrics, Ásgeir is humbled by his stardom). Fans are easily lost in lulls of ecstasy and seemingly intoxicated in stretches of movement and rhythm. Songs like “Unbound” and “Dreaming” resonate and linger in the room, in its darkest regions, haunting and captivating with their chilling ebb and flow. Ásgeir’s live performance on the whole is a work of art, it’s something to be observed, interacted with, and talked about. It’s memorable and in ways magical–to witness a cosmic force so emotionally lifting and to be a part of a show so terrestrially grounding at the same time.

Be sure to check out Ásgeir at asgeirmusic.com and on iTunes.