Friday, August 28, 2009
"I'd like to take you to a place I know..."
So this entry has taken me a while to get to because, well to be honest with you all, I really don’t want to write it. Sounds horrible, I know, especially when it is an artist as much as I love, the fabulous PJ Harvey.
When I found out she was coming I was excited beyond belief, a bit annoyed that she would be playing the Riv, but I was going to suck it up in order to see her. Plus she tours so infrequently if she comes to your town you don’t question it…you go.
So on Friday, June 12th I arrived at the Riv fairly early to ensure that I would get a good seat in the balcony. I ended up sitting next to two brothers from Sweden who were making it back home for the summer (one of them was a grad student at Stanford) and both had never heard PJ’s music. They knew that she was similar to Nick Cave and they liked him. On their way back home they were hitting up some American cities they haven’t been to. Pretty cool.
I knew this tour she was promoting the album she did with John Parish, A Woman A Man Walked By, but I didn’t think that was going to be the only thing she played that night. I think the crowd would have been really happy if she had slipped in some of her earlier or more beloved stuff. The songs we would have much rather heard. But, no. It was the entire new album. Well and some other songs…I’m guessing songs from her previous album she did with Parish.
I don’t absolutely despise the album or anything, I just don’t feel it. With the exception of the track “Black Hearted Love” the others are just a little “eh.” However, I thought, “Well watching this live maybe it’ll convert me.” It didn’t. Well, I did end up liking “Leaving California” but that really wasn’t enough for me to get excited about the rest of the music.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I went to the show and I’m happy I got to see the wonderful Polly Jean in all her beauty performing. It just wasn’t what I was expecting or wanted. Oh well. Maybe next time.
xoxo,
Stefania
Setlist:
1. Black Hearted Love
2. Sixteen, Fifteen, Fourteen
3. Rope Bridge Crossing
4. Urn with Dead Flowers in a Drained Pool
5. The Soldier
6. Taut
7. Un Cercle Autour Du Soleil
8. The Chair
9. Leaving California
10. A Woman A Man Walked By
11. Passionless, Pointless
12. Cracks in the Canvas
13. Pig Will Not
Encore:
14. False Fire
15. April
Video for the amazing song, “Black Hearted Love”
When I found out she was coming I was excited beyond belief, a bit annoyed that she would be playing the Riv, but I was going to suck it up in order to see her. Plus she tours so infrequently if she comes to your town you don’t question it…you go.
So on Friday, June 12th I arrived at the Riv fairly early to ensure that I would get a good seat in the balcony. I ended up sitting next to two brothers from Sweden who were making it back home for the summer (one of them was a grad student at Stanford) and both had never heard PJ’s music. They knew that she was similar to Nick Cave and they liked him. On their way back home they were hitting up some American cities they haven’t been to. Pretty cool.
I knew this tour she was promoting the album she did with John Parish, A Woman A Man Walked By, but I didn’t think that was going to be the only thing she played that night. I think the crowd would have been really happy if she had slipped in some of her earlier or more beloved stuff. The songs we would have much rather heard. But, no. It was the entire new album. Well and some other songs…I’m guessing songs from her previous album she did with Parish.
I don’t absolutely despise the album or anything, I just don’t feel it. With the exception of the track “Black Hearted Love” the others are just a little “eh.” However, I thought, “Well watching this live maybe it’ll convert me.” It didn’t. Well, I did end up liking “Leaving California” but that really wasn’t enough for me to get excited about the rest of the music.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I went to the show and I’m happy I got to see the wonderful Polly Jean in all her beauty performing. It just wasn’t what I was expecting or wanted. Oh well. Maybe next time.
xoxo,
Stefania
Setlist:
1. Black Hearted Love
2. Sixteen, Fifteen, Fourteen
3. Rope Bridge Crossing
4. Urn with Dead Flowers in a Drained Pool
5. The Soldier
6. Taut
7. Un Cercle Autour Du Soleil
8. The Chair
9. Leaving California
10. A Woman A Man Walked By
11. Passionless, Pointless
12. Cracks in the Canvas
13. Pig Will Not
Encore:
14. False Fire
15. April
Video for the amazing song, “Black Hearted Love”
// posted by Stefania @ 1:11 AM 
