review by: Roberto Martinelli

I was sure I'd be sick the next day, but damn it, I couldn't miss Godspeed You Black Emperor! I got there into the first act, and discovered that the original opener, Mick Turner (of the Dirty Three) cancelled, and was replaced by Telefon Tel Aviv, which played a form of ambient music with techno beats. As I'm not a fan (yet) of ambient music with canned beats, I can't say I was particularly taken with this three-man group as a whole, but I do think the ambient music was quite good and that this project definitely has something to offer those who are more fans of this genre.

Next up was Califone, a band made up primarily of acoustic instruments. You can get a good idea of the vibe of this band by knowing that they all played sitting down. The music was ok, I guess, but not solid enough in any genre to make them stand out by merely seeing them live for the first time.

The venue offered some decent eats in the back of the room where the bands played. The large area had a distinct rundown amateur theater feel to it. A little balcony overlooked the space. From the ceiling hung large, elaborate, faux expensive looking chandeliers. It felt like a set had just been struck and that normally the props and costumes that were stored in front of the stage had been moved in a hurry to make room for Godspeed You Black Emperor! and co.

Godspeed You Black Emperor! came on with an undetermined amount of band members. There must have been at least six of them. This was mostly due to the fact that my vision was obstructed by other concert goers and by the now beyond vile hanky that was constantly present in front of my face, but as I discovered 15 minutes into the set, my view of one guy was obstructed by the stage, and at least two of the members were playing kneeling down. One guy played what I think was xylophone.

The room was now quite dark. This was essential to the slide show that Godspeed You Black Emperor! had going while the music played. The images were mostly of an ugly/industrial cityscape. Not entirely depressing, as smiling people and footage of a ride on a streetcar made appearances. The amount of footage of bleak high rises and skyscrapers seemed ominous and a little scary, especially in light of the terrorist attacks.

The band opened with their best material, "Moya," from their Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada album. The gripping melodic theme really set the mood for the show. Godspeed wisely opted not to use the spoken word/ interview clips that are present on all their albums. The band could stand to lose the spoken clips altogether.

By the end of "Moya," many of the spectators found that they could enjoy the show more by sitting on the floor with their arms around their knees, sort of rocking melancholically to the powerful orchestrations coming from the stage. At one point someone in the audience either spoke or kicked a bottle that was on the ground, eliciting annoyed shooshes from the audience around them. What a contrast from the noise overkill shows that I'm used to attending!

About half an hour into the set Godspeed started playing more rhythmic material that I assume was off of their newest album, Raise Your Skinny Fists like Antennae to Heaven, as I didn't recognize it.

Although my now-screaming common sense forced me to leave 50 minutes into the set in order to get whatever sleep possible before having to wake up seven hours later to class and pretend to be a business journalist, I left the club feeling very satisfied with what Godspeed You Black Emperor! had to offer. It was a beautifully powerful show. If the band comes through your town, be sure to check it out.

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