A Silver Mt. Zion @ Neumo’s
I neglected to buy a ticket in advance for this show, and was a little worried it was going to be sold out. We didn’t even make it down to Neumo’s until around 10, after a stop at Vain to view the opening of the Grafitti Mosiacs art show, and a drink at Virginia Inn in Belltown. So when we arrived, I was delighted to not only see that tickets were available, but to have V-Ray pay for me and Serene. Mad appreciation.
The crowd inside was odd. It was a mix of all sorts, from the kids in the all-ages balcony to the fratty looking guys in the audience text messaging and pushing their way to the front, to guy who was dancing like it was Pentecost. Not to mention the older folks who clung to the back.
Carla Bozulich opened, and while I was interested in what she was doing (and int he feedback her electric bassist was getting during the second number, while the string sectionw as bowing up a frenzy), it wasn’t quite the right atmosphere to fully appreciate the textures of her music. So we retired to the adjoining Bad JuJu Lounge briefly.
We managed to get pretty decents spots for ASMZ (or, more appropriately, The Silver Mount Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-La-La Band, as they’re now known, the seven piece Godspeed You Black Emperor spinoff group). Decent visuals of most of the band, not too close to the speakers, not super far back. They played a mix of older material and nwere material I wasn’t familiar with, but all of which I enjoyed greatly. Opening with “God Bless Our Dead Marines” and grinding their way through a set of long, multi-sectioned pieces, they had the audience absolutely enthralled. With two guitars, two violins, cello and double bass, and drums, there was never a lack of something to focus on. And several of their songs ended or peaked in full-band vocal rounds and hymn-like choruses, something rarely seen, that they pulled off excceptionally.
I wasn’t expecting them to be as LOUD as they were. I can’t imagine even seeing that band without ear plugs, and that was before they pulled out all the stops for the screeching, droning, feedback drenched finale, with most of the band leaning against amps or coazing squalls out of delay pedals. IT was pretty amazing to behold.
I don’t think Godspeed will ever be back with a new album or tour, but ASMZ picks up where they left off, breaks their formulas, and brings back the epic grandeur they’re known for. So it’s not a total loss. If this is the new flagship of that loose collective, so be it. It suits them well.
