Silver Mt. Zion @ Southpaw

So I don’t know too much about this band other than it’s an offshoot of Godspeed You Black Emperor!, which I am a big fan of. They are a much smaller ensemble than Godspeed, although over the years that number has grown and fluctuated. Their songs are clearly politically fueled and tend to have a shorter dynamic lifespan than of Godspeed. I was very excited to see them live because it was the first ever show in America, and Brooklyn no less. It was an intimate show and I was lucky enough to be in the front row. Efrim started the show explaining why there hasn’t bean any recent news of Godspeed because they turned into The Arcade Fire. That got a good chuckle from the audience. The songs were heavy and dark but the show grabbed momentum as the night progressed. With many jabs about our failing government and the war in Iraq mixed with the foreboding music, I started to feel quite charged, angry, pissed off, and yelling inside. It reminded me of my NY hardcore days but with completely different music. Leaving the show I was sure that the band was successful in what they came here to do. All music and art should be more like that.