Björk in Chicago, May 12, 2007

The Icelandic composer breathes new life into old favorites, presenting an aurally — and visually — stimulating show

By Amber Drea
Published: May 16th, 2007 | 10:54am

Who knew Björk would ever take on political subject matter like the Middle East? The Icelandic composer’s lyrics tend toward the deeply introspective, often examining the infinite emotional landscapes of relationships and identity. On her sixth album, Volta, these topics do come up, but so do religion, colonization, and pregnant suicide bombers. A protest against ethnocentrism, Björk attempts to convey that we are all one race, one tribe, united under a pagan, earth-based spirituality. Though this may come across as a bunch of hippie drivel (a judgment Björk herself has admitted), the end result is a collection of fun, uplifting anthems about personal freedom, solemn mediations on one’s place in the world, and of course, heart-felt expressions of love.

Musically, though, Volta is nothing new, basically combining familiar elements from each of her past musical phases — the world-music flavor of Debut, the explosive energy of Post, the orchestral arrangements of Homogenic, the delicate intimacy of Vespertine, and the atonal harmonics of Medúlla. Unifying its sound are heavy, pulsing, tribal rhythms provided in part by Timbaland and by live drummers and percussionists, which have been edited and manipulated. While electronic programming plays prominently in every song, acoustic instrumentation such as kora (West African harp), pipa (Chinese lute), clavichord, and horns weaves throughout, sonically mirroring the record’s humans-returning-to-the-earth concept.

It is the live show where Björk adds something to her impressive 30-year music career, which she exemplified on Saturday, May 12, 2007, at the sold-out 3,929-seat Auditorium Theatre. Björk hasn’t performed in Chicago since 2001, and the surprisingly well-behaved audience hummed with anticipation. They patiently sat through opener Ghostigital, the project of former Sugarcubes band mate Einar Örn Benediktsson, whose earthquake-inducing set comprised spoken-word rants over ’90s-style electronic heavy metal/trance à la Atari Teenage Riot and featured Benediktsson dancing like a middle-aged accountant, making imaginary snow angels on the stage floor, and telling incoherent anecdotes, including one about a talking couch. The duo received one boo, though a few people tried to start a standing ovation, to no avail.

Björk’s performance began before the curtains even opened, with an avant-garde organ-accompanied rendition of “Cover Me.” Then the curtains lifted and the band — consisting of longtime Björk collaborator Mark Bell, jazz drummer Chris Corsano, electronic musician Damian Taylor, keyboardist/harpsichordist Jonas Sen, and an all-female Icelandic brass ten-piece — launched into “Earth Intruders,” complete with blinding pyrotechnics. It was probably one of the most exciting opening moments this reviewer has ever seen — and no one suffered the fate of a fiery rocknroll inferno. Flags depicting fish, frogs, lizards, and birds hung from above and changed color depending on the lighting, and each of the blue, red, and green-outfitted horn players’ flags undulated in the fan-produced wind. In classic Björk fashion, she stood center stage wearing a gold, billowing bag-like garment over rainbow-spotted black leggings with her hair blowing dramatically.

The sound was amazing, a perfect balance of computer-produced bass lines, beats and melodies, live percussion, horns and vocals. Likewise, Björk’s voice was immaculate, shifting easily among her various timbres and between low, high and mid ranges. The 16-song set touched upon every album, relying heavily on Vespertine-era material, and the tracks were arranged in new and interesting ways. Horns, harpsichord, piano, or organ often replaced background vocals on songs such as “Aurora,” “Pleasure Is All Mine,” and “It’s Not Up to You,” though the brass section sometimes sang, echoing “She loves him” on “Pagan Poetry” or chanting the chorus of “Earth Intruders.” The percussion-free version of “Immature” removed its original aggression, leaving behind a pleading and regretful sadness that drove the audience into a frenzy. The rejuvenated and refreshed “Army of Me” featured big-band-esque brass punctuations, layers of synths and shooting green lasers. “Bachelorette,” with its majestic horns and building percussion, reduced the audience to tears, then cheered them up with a light-hearted gypsy rhythm.

From Volta, Björk stuck to the catchy tracks, such as “Innocence” and “Wanderlust,” which is a shame because some of the best songs are more low-key, like her gorgeous duet with Antony Hegarty, “The Dull Flame of Desire.” She also played fan favorites including the harpsichord version of “Venus as a Boy” and “Hyperballad,” which ended in a techno explosion that segued smoothly into the dissonant “Pluto.” Chicago was one of the few audiences who’ve received two encore songs, an up-tempo, tango rendition of “Oceania” and the eerie, anarchic Volta track, “Declare Independence,” on which Björk commands, “Raise your flag! / Higher, higher!” The show concluded in a storm of stage fog, blue and yellow lasers, and waving flags. Ever the professional, she introduced her band before the encore, and the only words uttered between songs were “Thank you.”

At 41 years old, Björk is definitely one of the most dynamic performers alive and continues to remain relevant and entertaining, if not as innovative and forward-thinking as she used to be. Now that the rest of the music world has caught up with her, she proves she still has the stamina to keep up.

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