I was introduced to Labradford by way of this great magazine (shameless plug) when I got my hands on "E Luxo So", the so-far latest effort by these Virginia based minimalists.
The review of that gorgeous disc is archived here, so please feel free to look at it (and buy it, it's wonderful). Needless to say, I was looking forward to a great performance. It was all that I thought it would be and more.
    I had never heard Godspeed! You Black Emperor prior to this show, so I didn't know what to expect. Thankfully, the boys of Labradford were kind enough to allow me some photos, both in front of the stage and behind it, as both bands treated my senses to a pleasing 2 hours.
    Labradford opened at about 11 p.m. with the three members taking their positions behind a guitar, a Memory Moog(!!), Kurzweil Piano/Waldorf Microwave setup, and another
guitar (with samplers behind). The next 30 or so minutes were spent being mesmerized by improvisation and very nice, crisp, drones coming from the guitars and the sampler (which was  used in place of the tape loops). The piano accompaniment was soothing and beautifully accentuated the guitars. The live set sounded much like what one may hear on any of their CDs.

The best, though, was yet to come...

    About 30 minutes into the set, three more people came on stage - one manning a cello, one with a violin, and one on a percussion setup. I later learned that they were members of  Godspeed! Anyhow, they proceeded to improvise live with Labradford as the slow, soft drone morphed into a thick textural treat for approximately 15 minutes. The emotion and charisma shared by all members onstage matched the pure talent they each possessed. This was definitely the highlight of the show.
    When my senses returned to me and I came back from euphoria, I met the members of Labradford backstage for a quick picture session, as they answered a couple questions that bounced off my head. Interestingly, the musical tastes don't really reflect in the music - techno came up as listening material. Personally, I find that interesting and somewhat amusing.
    I came back to the audience to enjoy Godspeed! You Black Emperor, who had a more traditional setup in terms of instrumentation. There were the aforementioned cellist, violinist, and percussionist; they were joined by guitar players and the like. Also, there was a video projected behind them that added a visual flair.
    Godspeed! played for about an hour, I'd say. More classic song structures were used than in the previous set, which is definitely not a complaint, simply an observation. The show did seem to drag a bit towards the middle of the set; this may be attributed to the dense packing of the audience as I had seemed to migrate toward the back. However, their set was also outstanding and I shall definitely follow up on my listening of them.
    This show did not disappoint. The soft and beautiful tones of Labradford translated wonderfully into a live set, and being introduced to Godspeed! was also a treat. Quite a change from my usual "concert" fare - a welcome one at that.

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