FRICTION NYC

Photo courtesy of David M Owen

I was lucky enough to be in the LA area on Monday and make it out to the sold out PJ Harvey show at the Orpheum Theater. The circa 1920s landmark theater was the perfect setting for the one-woman-show. The stage looked like a room from an old Victorian house: ornate chairs, a rug, and an upright piano decorated with Polly’s own touches.

Harvey appeared in white gown and looked to be ready for a 19th Century ballroom dance. But at closer look, she had hand-painted her lyrics allover her gown. This dichotomy was the perfect match for the seemingly sweet Harvey, who strapped on her six-string and began the low, ominous notes to the lyrics, “I’ve laid with the Devil, cursed god above, forsaken heaven, to bring you my love”

After a few songs from her earlier albums, Harvey moved on to the piano to highlight her new album, White Chalk, one of her most refined works in my humble opinion. A personal favorite was The Devil set to the tempo of a mic’d up metronome on top of the piano. Over the next hour, Harvey moved from the piano, back to the guitar, and on to an autoharp, where she soothed us with a beautiful version of “Grow, Grow, Grow,” strumming and working a series of pedals with her 6-inch stilettos.

As PJ returned to the piano with a harmonica, someone yelled, “What can’t you do, PJ?!” As she jumped around the room from one instrument to another, this question became more evident, and her 16-year career came full circle.

Harvey closed with The Desperate Kingdom of Love on her acoustic where her every breath could be heard through the massive speakers over a captivated audience. Since my early days of listening to Rid of Me, I was never able to see her perform live. Well, I must agree with what a friend said after the show, “My life is now complete.”