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cpostrophe Thursday, 14 Mar 2002 - 1:15 am
more photos
I'm starting to appreciate the location of our hotel. We're a block away from Hljomalind, the local indie music store, where we've been stocking up on local Icelandic releases to flaunt to friends back home. One of the city's vegetarian restaurants is across the street from us, and we're four blocks away from the Icelandic Opera House, where Godspeed You Black Emperor is playing tonight.
The Icelandic Opera House sounds more impressive than it actually is. Opera inspires images of evening cloaks, long gloves and cigarette holders. In truth, it's the size of your average art-house movie theatre, and the crowd is anything but elegant. They're all indie kids, after all, and they come dressed in requisite shades of scruffiness. They are, however, Icelandic indie kids, and are thus possessed of all the advantages of Nordic genetics -- sky blue eyes, platinum hair, sleek cheekbones -- they don't fulfill my personal archetype for "Most Beautiful People Ever" but they aren't unpleasant to look at.
The opening band, Stafrænn Hákon, gave us about forty minutes of mellow rock instrumentals. Chillout rock music seems to have become an Icelandic specialty, with no less than a half-dozen bands like Mum and Sigur Ros giving us languid soundscapes with alternating periods of welcome intensity. In between acts, I went out to the lobby to get a drink, and run into Jen and Gudny, who introduce me to Hallur, the bassist in Leaves.
"Cris, this is Hallur. Hallur, Cris is a DJ from America."
gah! My reputation precedes me! I panic briefly, but play it off as just being a little sick and dizzy. We make small talk before I beat a swift retreat and head back to my chair to see Godspeed.
Godspeed You Black Emperor!, for the uninitiated, is a musical collective with nine performers, including two percussionists, three guitarists, two bassists, a cellist, and a violinist. There's film, there's light, there's crazy drummers getting carried away with the rhythm, there's gorgeous violin solos and languid guitar intros. It's easily one of the finest performances I've ever seen, and while I didn't make this trip just to go see them, I'd have to admit that getting a chance to see them play live did make this whole voyage worthwhile.
more photos
I'm starting to appreciate the location of our hotel. We're a block away from Hljomalind, the local indie music store, where we've been stocking up on local Icelandic releases to flaunt to friends back home. One of the city's vegetarian restaurants is across the street from us, and we're four blocks away from the Icelandic Opera House, where Godspeed You Black Emperor is playing tonight.
The Icelandic Opera House sounds more impressive than it actually is. Opera inspires images of evening cloaks, long gloves and cigarette holders. In truth, it's the size of your average art-house movie theatre, and the crowd is anything but elegant. They're all indie kids, after all, and they come dressed in requisite shades of scruffiness. They are, however, Icelandic indie kids, and are thus possessed of all the advantages of Nordic genetics -- sky blue eyes, platinum hair, sleek cheekbones -- they don't fulfill my personal archetype for "Most Beautiful People Ever" but they aren't unpleasant to look at.
The opening band, Stafrænn Hákon, gave us about forty minutes of mellow rock instrumentals. Chillout rock music seems to have become an Icelandic specialty, with no less than a half-dozen bands like Mum and Sigur Ros giving us languid soundscapes with alternating periods of welcome intensity. In between acts, I went out to the lobby to get a drink, and run into Jen and Gudny, who introduce me to Hallur, the bassist in Leaves.
"Cris, this is Hallur. Hallur, Cris is a DJ from America."
gah! My reputation precedes me! I panic briefly, but play it off as just being a little sick and dizzy. We make small talk before I beat a swift retreat and head back to my chair to see Godspeed.
Godspeed You Black Emperor!, for the uninitiated, is a musical collective with nine performers, including two percussionists, three guitarists, two bassists, a cellist, and a violinist. There's film, there's light, there's crazy drummers getting carried away with the rhythm, there's gorgeous violin solos and languid guitar intros. It's easily one of the finest performances I've ever seen, and while I didn't make this trip just to go see them, I'd have to admit that getting a chance to see them play live did make this whole voyage worthwhile.
