PJ Harvey
Review by Karen Hester

When NME first wrote about a grumpy young pony-tailed woman from Yeovil who insisted PJ Harvey was a band, not just herself (file under P), I knew I'd love her music. I tuned into John Peel's hour on BBC World (of course he'd play her, I HAD TO HEAR her right now!) and when "Oh my lover" came through, muffled in a.m., I knew it was her. PJ's been in my top three ever since, and last night was my first Peej concert.

Beacon Theater is a three-tiered hilarious yet grand art nouveau mess - murky paintings (a foundering war-ship?), ornate carvings, giant golden weaponry, towering Greek(ish) female guardians by the stage (with broad manly chests and breasts to each side where their armpits should be). PJ's piano and keyboard were decorated with toy cows, picture frames, a cacti, buddha and twinkling fairy lights.

The audience were mad with applause throughout. PJ said she was having a wonderful time and pointed to her smile, that charming lopsided smile. She wore a white puffy-sleeved dress like on White Chalk's cover. "I don't know if you can see it, but it's covered in song lyrics in my writing" she explained. A large "Like" was visible across the theater. Her voice was so English it almost seemed an exaggeration.

She played 'To bring me your love', 'Send his love to me', 'Down by the water', 'Angeline', 'Snake', 'Rid of me', 'Water', 'Electric light', 'My beautiful Leah', 'Nina in ecstasy', 'Shame', 'The Desperate kingdom of love', 'Big exit', 'Into the ether', 'Silence', The devil', 'White chalk', 'The piano', 'Grow grow grow', 'The mountain', perhaps 'Dear darkness' and 'To talk to you'.

The new songs were so gorgeous - I like the album, but they were BRILLIANT live - more ghostly, dreamy, dark, and ravishing, and each of them distinct.

Somehow she included some of my least favorites from her rich back catalog - 'My beautiful Leah' annoys me like loud music played by downstairs neighbors (muffled, tuneless), 'Electric light' seems just part of a (boring) song, 'Nina' is a silly simple b-side from someone who has brilliant b-sides. But some of my less favs were great live - 'Snake' such fun abrasive noise, 'Down by the water' a sad folk-song on autoharp, and 'Desperate kingdom' with a gentle beauty.

And oh how wonderful everything else was - her voice was strong and gorgeous in its low growls through to the high voice of the new songs (she was less whispery than on the album).

God I want to see her again! I want years of concerts! Perhaps seeing Tori tonight (for the first time since Little Earthquakes) will cheer me up.

Here's another review with photos and track list.