ByGD
I confess that I grew up with a few stereotypes about the French. And as an adult, my few interactions with French people have not done very much to dispel them. So I’m as surprised as anyone to discover just how many French bands I love – especially because most of them play metal, and all of them are heavy. Here is some French music I like.
ByGD
Gojira is one of my favorite bands. I’ve seen the band twice now, and hope to see many more. I’ve only seen about half a dozen of the Gojira movies for which they are named, but I’ll get around to the rest eventually.
I love the band’s name because it is so apt. On the surface, a giant monster mindlessly stomping everything. On reflection, a statement on humanity’s self-destructive tendency to separate itself from the natural world. Here, Gojira is flattening a Seattle audience at Studio 7 in 2013 rather than atomic-era Tokyo. But the image quality is just as bad.
What’s your favorite Gojira movie? Favorite Gojira album?
ByGD
Good fortune can be more challenging than hardship.
Sometimes I wish I didn’t live in such a fabulous city. On any given day, there is not only some kind of art event going on, but usually a painful choice between events. When I was a child I never wanted to go to bed because I was afraid to miss something. I haven’t gotten any better as an adult. At Iceland Writers Retreat I overdid it so much that I completely lost my voice and had to communicate by handwritten notes. And yet I found myself at Showbox SoDo on Monday night, only two days after covering the sixth anniversary of Seattle Living Room Shows for Three Imaginary Girls, and still medicated for a cold that I’ve had for roughly six weeks. But… Mastodon! And Gojira!
ByGD
Caressing strings
After (not) seeing the first two bands at Studio Seven, I knew that I couldn’t just listen to Gojira when they played Studio Seven. I had to see the stage. I unloaded camera and coat on long-suffering spouse who camped against a pillar. It had been a long time since I worked my way through a crowd like that, so I was out of practice with the “This small girl pushing past you is so harmless you’ve already forgotten her,” mind trick. Plus, the Gojira fans were notably protective of their space. I made it as far as the next pillar before a group of very tall guys blocked my way. Currents of aggression swirled through the crowd. Read More
ByGD
Insomnium opening for Epica at El Corazon
It seems like I’m always most interested in the opening bands. I flew to L.A. to see Amorphis open for Nightwish, I saw Epica because Insomnium was opening, and I bought tickets to see Lamb of God last summer because Gojira was on the bill. I finally got to see Gojira at Studio Seven a couple days ago. The Atlas Moth and Devin Townsend opened. With a line-up of this quality, I thought the openers deserved their own post. Read More