Icelandic Pop Princess stuns crowd at FleetBoston Pavillion
The Icelandic music sensation Bjork performed Sunday at the FleetBoston Pavilion in support of her latest releases, including last year's "Greatest Hits," the rarities compilation "Family Tree" and the more recently released five disc box set "LiveBox." Bjork took the stage with the Icelandic String Octet, electronica duo Matmos, and harpist Zeena Parkins, and drew support from the overhyped punk-rock group the YeahYeahYeahs. If there was ever a doubt as to whether or not Bjork was the most accessible artist around, the debate is easily settled onstage, if not by her release of over nine DVDs and four CDs in the past three months alone.After a musically monotonous performance made interesting by the alcohol-ridden antics of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer Karen O, the stage emptied in preparation for Bjork's performance. After an appropriately long pause, the lights dimmed and the entire pavilion filled with the screams of Bjork fans, anticipating the approach of the ice pixie herself. Taking stage after the Icelandic String Octet, Matmos, and Parkins, Bjork looked appropriately elfin in a black-and-pink tutu and leotard with a headdress of aqua feathers about each ear. Both the stage and crowd came alive as the first beats of the percussion-driven "Hunter" began. From the first word it became evident that Bjork owned her songs and her audience; every phrase uttered demanded applause. Bjork let loose during the mostly spoken first song as she finally released her famous pipes on the climactic lyric "I thought I could organize freedom/How Scandinavian of me." As the song came to a close, Bjork stepped away from the microphone stand and, in a taste of the antics to come, punched her arms up in the air and awkwardly danced to the cemetery beat. The audience went wild. In the eyes of her fans, this woman can do no wrong.
After the stunning opening song, Bjork performed the passionate and desperate "Pagan Poetry," which reached a stunning climax when, after repeating the lyric "I love him" a dozen times, Bjork wailed "He makes me want to hurt myself again/He makes me want to kill me away," and then jumped immediately into the volcanic "Joga," her most beautiful and culturally Icelandic creation. She then sang the quaint "Sidasta Eg" in Icelandic and broke into "Aurora," drawing on Matmos to create the appropriate timbre by moving to the beat in a box of white rocks.
In retrospect, it seems like the first half dozen songs were just there to build up anticipation for the real performance. This became strikingly evident as Bjork broke into the electronica-driven breakup anthem "5 Years," completely releasing her voice and body from the organized constraints of the previous songs.Dancing and singing in ways that only Bjork could, she ran across the stage seemingly reaching out to every individual in the audience at one point or another, inducing strangely automatic responses on the part of everyone in the arena to throw their arms toward her. No matter how far back, every individual felt touched.
Obsessed fans and casual listeners alike could enjoy the concert due to the succession of hit after hit, including the mysterious and natural "Isobel" and her most popular song, "Hyper-Ballad." One particularly special concert highlight was the new song, "Desired Constellation," which provided a delicious first taste of Bjork's upcoming "Lake Album."The song described the drive for perfection, comparing relationships to repeated rolls of the dice in a vain attempt to acquire the "desired constellation." It has a stunning chorus, where Bjork uses the strength of her voice to belt out "How can I make this right?" Other concert highlights include her magnum opus, "All is Full of Love" and the bombastic tale of lust and heartbreak, "Bachelorette."
As the concert approached its close, Bjork only put more and more energy into each note and movement, letting her fans see more and more of her quirky but beautiful side. The concert's climax approached as she ran through a dance remix of last year's hit, "It's in Our Hands." A masterpiece in light of the tragedies of the past few years, the song describes the devastation caused by humanity on an individual level and was sung gently despite the over-the-top beats. Finally, the concert reached its peak with the explosive "Pluto," a song in which Bjork slowly rambles "Excuse me/But I just have to explode/Explode this body off me," before wailing a range of notes. Projected on the screen behind her was an equally stunning image of an unclothed man rolling, twitching, and screaming until he finally burst apart in the song's last moment. With that, Bjork, Matmos, Parkins and the Icelandic String Octet left the stage.
After several minutes of screaming, clapping, and stomping on the part of the audience, Bjork and her posse returned to the stage for the encore. She whispered something into Parkins' ear before grabbing her microphone. Standing beside the amazing harpist, they performed their duet, the delicate and sexual "Generous Palmstroke," complete with a zany harp solo.
The moment the song faded, Matmos started the beat to Bjork's oldest and most recognizable solo hit, "Human Behavior." The crowd went absolutely crazy . The song ended with a burst of sound and light, and with that the night was over, leaving a stadium full of people in awe, staring straight forward, and still tapping their feet.
With a curt and adorable "thank you very, very much" the queen of electronica exited the stage. Another success of Bjorkian proportions.
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