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How does one fully express the glorious reverie upon witnessing such power and simultaneous grace as the incredible PJ Harvey? Even her mere whispers carry a memorable weight for songs that are often transcendent. To behold her, you have to reassure yourself that this stunning creature is not a mirage. She owns the stage with a striking white dress and moves with an elegance suggesting she’s an enchanted being in a sort of wondrous and wild dance. Surely, an evening with her is the best gift one could ever hope to receive!
PJ Harvey began her nearly two hour long set with recent songs from her tenth full length in her super accomplished career spanning over 30 years, I Inside the Old Year Dying. This is an album that has tinges of White Chalk in its disarming poetry and live songs like “Lwonesome Tonight,” “A Noiseless Noise” and the returning theme of August within the album and live came off just as compelling! Though Let England Shake was not represented as fully, “The Colour of the Earth,” The Glorious Land,” and “The Words that Maketh Murder” helped complete a stellar set that never waned in its intensity. Considering Polly Jean doesn’t tour very often in Chicago, most fans residing here had not been able to hear so many of these songs live until now.
Fans of songs from her much earlier work were also not dismayed, however, as she played her brilliant “Man-Size,” “To Bring You My Love,” “Down by the Water” and channeled a magnitude that brought the past incarnations to our present day with an astounding eloquence and powerful grace in front of a background that recalled watchful tree textures and elements of a creative existence. She truly gave the impression that every moment was vital. Even more special to Chicago, she dedicated an acoustic version of “The Desperate Kingdom of Love” to Steve Albini who died earlier this year.
It should also be noted that, although PJ Harvey is a talented multi instrumentalist herself, her four piece band completed the songs with drums, keyboards, backup vocals, guitar and at times violin. Most notably, long time collaborator John Parish’s presence was felt on stage in a way that elevated the songs. PJ Harvey herself often let her own singing and awe inspiring presence be center stage with, at times, some striking shadows of her and the band behind her. However, she also played guitar, autoharp, and piano at some points. Whether she was playing an instrument or even just singing without a band behind her at all such as during “The Colour of the Earth,” it was captivating to be in her presence. Ending the set with “White Chalk” was also an exceptional way to send us off with one of her most intellectually dramatic and simultaneously poetic songs and leave us feeling like there truly is no one else on Earth like PJ Harvey!
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