Sour Grape
Dear Bart, Thanks to you and your colleagues for the listings in Grapevine’s last issue. It sure was a helpful guide in finding our way around Reykjavik although our in
The Night Horny Electronica Lostto the Horny Countryside
“You know you’re at a Sveitaball when someone is vomiting outside and the show hasn’t even started yet,” a friend and veteran country boy informed me around 11:30 p.m., 30
The Ringleader Refuses to Fail
For me, You Are the Quarry, by Morrissey, is one of the best comeback albums ever. Up there with Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks. The chance to see him […]
ICE-land Takes Puns to New Low Fronts
There are 56 words in the Icelandic language for “snow & ice”. In English, we have “snow” and “ice”. If there can possibly be that many words for the different [&he
Perfectly Brutal Exports
Last issue, the Grapevine’s own featured cartoonist, Hugleikur Dagsson, gave us an enormous map with Icelandic horses abusing each other with anal dildos. This issue, he informs
Cobain’s Corpse Awakens, Shoots Self Again
At 8 o’clock Pacific Time, Kurt Cobain’s corpse sprang from its grave, sprinted to a local Wal Mart, purchased a shot gun, and blew the last piece of decaying grey […]
The Icelandic Outlaw Sneaks into Beowulf
In filming Beowulf and Grendel, the director had to deal with a series of hurricane force gales, a shrinking budget, currency fluctuations, and the most imposing text in the histor
We Have a Team, Now We Need Some Hooligans
“I just can’t believe we didn’t lose!” a satisfied football fan said to his friend when trying to walk through the crowd rushing from Laugardalsvöllur, only seconds after
Sjávarkjallarinn
Sjávarkjallarinn roughly translates to “the sea cellar”, but don’t let the name fool you – this isn’t a hangout for drunken sailors but surely one of the finest seafood
Tveir Fiskar
The Grapevine’s food critic was recently challenged, by a clown no less, to find dolphin on the menu of an Icelandic restaurant. His reasoning was that while the locals are [&hel
One Spring near the Close of the Century
It was spring when the baron arrived in Iceland. Spring in the air and spring on the way for the nation. And we welcomed him. Although we never knew, in […]
Við Tjörnina
As soon as you enter you know this is no ordinary establishment. For one thing, it looks like a fancy version of the stereotypical Icelandic grandma’s house. The furniture and [&
All Grown Up
Okay, well, for the last time, welcome to Iceland. If this is your first time picking up our paper, or your first time in Reykjavík, let me assure you that […]
Flexible, Greased Up Comedy
“Where are my dirty, horny women!?!” a tanned and muscular man wearing only a black G-string, shoes and a collar shouted into a microphone, resulting in treble screaming, shaki
The Death of Effort
I am a big fan of punk rock and punk rock values. I like the superficial sense of inclusion it promotes; the sense that you shouldn’t have to be the […]
The Heart of Rock in Reykjavík Waves Goodbye
This spring, about 60 middle-aged Nordic phenomenologists convened in Reykjavík to discuss their (very) particular branch of philosophy and its various conundrums. One of the fun-
Nýhil Poetry in the Grapevine:
A fragment from La Dolce fucking Vita So, right after a successful suicide attack on your office, in your safe absence, you will feel very free. It will be a […]
Things You Should Do in Iceland Before You Die… or Turn 31
I’ve been in Iceland three years, and have published about 250,000 words on the culture and tourism industry here. You name a personality, politician, fjord or puffin, and I figu
The Upstart University Steals the Hearts of Young Iceland
Icelanders have long taken pride in their high level of education. With eight universities and an ever-growing student body, there seems to be legitimate reason to brag. Now it see
Fair Play Needs a Good Referee
Referees and judges in football, baseball and tennis are like shadows, and don’t make us strongly aware of their existence. But we sports fans know how important they are in [&he
Matt Freakin’ Dillon! Doing Bukowski!
Matt Dillon’s and Marissa Tomei’s presence at the opening ceremony of the Iceland International Film Festival this year will be a highlight for film in Iceland, but it is only