In the Presence of her Bjorkness
I went to the Björk concert in Osaka last night! The show was WICKED!!! The concert, held at Osaka Castle Hall, was part of Björk’s recently extended Volta tour. The 16,000-seat hall, set on the edge of the sprawling grounds around the castle, was sold out for the event.
If you’re not familiar with her music, Icelandic Björk is almost a genre on her own, possibly best categorized as one of the reigning queens of electronica/rock/trip-hop. Incorporating a variety of lyrical styles into her music, the woman is a powerhouse of vocal passion, both by album and live. While Björk is known for expressive vocals and performances, she is just as famous for her eccentric clothing and costumes (you might remember the woman who showed up at the 2001 Oscars wearing a swan?). She is undeniably very talented, creative, expressive (some might say a little crazy?) and definitely not afraid to defy the mainstream. Did I mention her music rocks?
The concert was on a Monday. Not the best night for an outing in Osaka when you work in Takasago, but I met some friends in Umeda and we took the JR Loop Line to OsakaJoKoen Station to grab dinner before the show. If you ever go to a concert here, be warned that most big concert venues in Japan do not sell much food once you’re inside (and usually no beer or alcohol!), so it’s good to eat before. As usual, the offering at the food stands consisted of the typical matsuri selection (yakisoba and various octopus dishes) so we headed to a local mall food court for something more filling before getting back to the park around 7:00.
When we got to the door, the show security was not particularly strong. The first security officer completely overlooked the plastic, contraband bottle of tea in my purse (that he was checking for!), while the second guard just asked about cameras (again, not taking mine), checked our tickets and handed out programs. The lines weren't too long and moved quickly, though, so maybe I have to hand it to 'em for crowd control....Once inside the hall, I was happy to discover the venue seemed smaller than you would expect it to and we could see the stage well. Our tickets were definitely in the nosebleed-section (third row from the back, baby!), but my friend had binoculars, which helped, and we had a good view of the large screen.
At 7:30, the lights went out and Björk’s brass band, an all-female entourage named Wonderbrass, took the stage. The dozen or so women marched across the stage to the sound of an Icelandic ballad called “Brennid Tid Vitar,” resembling a row of gold-clad pide pipers with colorful face paint making their way through a parade more than a rock band. Then again, you should expect artist creativity from Björk! The band took their place and a minute later, the keyboardist, drummer and two electronic musicians followed them on stage, creating an awesome array of soundscapes before Björk appeared at the center microphone a few moments later. I still haven’t gotten completely used to the fact that most big concerts in Japan don’t start with a warm-up or opening band, but there is always that thrill or rush when the music first starts and you know it’s going to be exactly what you came to see and have been waiting for.
The crowd went wild as Björk opened with Earth Intruders, an electric hit off of last year’s album, Volta. Blue lights illuminated the stage as Björk jumped around, running barefoot in a shimmery gold jumper under giant flags. Björk’s long, dark hair resembled a lion’s mane as she caressed the microphone, twisting and moving her body to the shaky, strong beats of the music. It was clear from the first song that the concert was not going to disappoint.
The first half of the 90-minute (or so) set was somewhat of a laid-back atmosphere. It drew evenly from all six of Björk’s albums, and included two of my personal favorites, “Hunter” and the soft, lullaby-like song “Joga”. Towards the middle of the show, bright blue lasers shot from the middle of the stage as Björk’s soothing voice echoed and filled every inch of the medium-sized arena. The large screen in the center of the arena panned in on the electronic musicians and their lit-up toys and synthesizers. It was like something out of a sci-fi dream. The crowd on the main floor swayed back and forth, exploding in movement anytime Björk made slight gestures in their direction. Even on the top throngs of the hall, each row had at least two or three solitary dancers. This is was impressive to me, considering “big name” concerts in Japan sometimes carry with them a reputation for more civil crowds (my friend at I were shocked to find ourselves two of the loudest people at the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert in Osaka last year!). Even the timid-looking girl dressed all in pink in the seat in front of me was up on her feet and stepped side-to-side while her boyfriend sat beside her, bobbing his head.
The second-half of the show charged onwards with more powerful beats like “Army of Me, an obvious crowd favorite, and “Hyperballad.” Meanwhile, Björk teased the audience with her toys, at one point running back and forth across the stage with streamers and always oozing energy and excitement. For the last song of the set (“Pluto”), the band came down from their platform and onto stage to form a circle around Björk, who joined the all-female brass troupe in jerky, fanatic dancing. The strobe lights and blue lazors flickered through the crowds as Björk’s ethereal vocals and the fast-paced techno beats whipped the house into a furious finale. Björk uttered a small “arigatou,” ending her last song with a roll of the tongue (arrrrrigatooooouuuu!) and leaving the stage.
After several minutes of pleading and cheers, the band reappeared for a three-song encore. Wonderbrass again lead the charge as Björk satisfied the crowd, closing the show with her single “Declare Independence.” And just like that, the lights came on and it was over. In one word, the show was AWESOME! If you weren’t able to catch a show on Björk’s monstrous 18-month global Volta tour (which will conclude in England this May) or don’t know much about the enigma that is Björk, I highly recommend quenching a thirst for live Björk with the upcoming Live Sessions Album or checking out one of her quirky music videos on YouTube...
If you’re not familiar with her music, Icelandic Björk is almost a genre on her own, possibly best categorized as one of the reigning queens of electronica/rock/trip-hop. Incorporating a variety of lyrical styles into her music, the woman is a powerhouse of vocal passion, both by album and live. While Björk is known for expressive vocals and performances, she is just as famous for her eccentric clothing and costumes (you might remember the woman who showed up at the 2001 Oscars wearing a swan?). She is undeniably very talented, creative, expressive (some might say a little crazy?) and definitely not afraid to defy the mainstream. Did I mention her music rocks?
The concert was on a Monday. Not the best night for an outing in Osaka when you work in Takasago, but I met some friends in Umeda and we took the JR Loop Line to OsakaJoKoen Station to grab dinner before the show. If you ever go to a concert here, be warned that most big concert venues in Japan do not sell much food once you’re inside (and usually no beer or alcohol!), so it’s good to eat before. As usual, the offering at the food stands consisted of the typical matsuri selection (yakisoba and various octopus dishes) so we headed to a local mall food court for something more filling before getting back to the park around 7:00.
When we got to the door, the show security was not particularly strong. The first security officer completely overlooked the plastic, contraband bottle of tea in my purse (that he was checking for!), while the second guard just asked about cameras (again, not taking mine), checked our tickets and handed out programs. The lines weren't too long and moved quickly, though, so maybe I have to hand it to 'em for crowd control....Once inside the hall, I was happy to discover the venue seemed smaller than you would expect it to and we could see the stage well. Our tickets were definitely in the nosebleed-section (third row from the back, baby!), but my friend had binoculars, which helped, and we had a good view of the large screen.
At 7:30, the lights went out and Björk’s brass band, an all-female entourage named Wonderbrass, took the stage. The dozen or so women marched across the stage to the sound of an Icelandic ballad called “Brennid Tid Vitar,” resembling a row of gold-clad pide pipers with colorful face paint making their way through a parade more than a rock band. Then again, you should expect artist creativity from Björk! The band took their place and a minute later, the keyboardist, drummer and two electronic musicians followed them on stage, creating an awesome array of soundscapes before Björk appeared at the center microphone a few moments later. I still haven’t gotten completely used to the fact that most big concerts in Japan don’t start with a warm-up or opening band, but there is always that thrill or rush when the music first starts and you know it’s going to be exactly what you came to see and have been waiting for.
The crowd went wild as Björk opened with Earth Intruders, an electric hit off of last year’s album, Volta. Blue lights illuminated the stage as Björk jumped around, running barefoot in a shimmery gold jumper under giant flags. Björk’s long, dark hair resembled a lion’s mane as she caressed the microphone, twisting and moving her body to the shaky, strong beats of the music. It was clear from the first song that the concert was not going to disappoint.
The first half of the 90-minute (or so) set was somewhat of a laid-back atmosphere. It drew evenly from all six of Björk’s albums, and included two of my personal favorites, “Hunter” and the soft, lullaby-like song “Joga”. Towards the middle of the show, bright blue lasers shot from the middle of the stage as Björk’s soothing voice echoed and filled every inch of the medium-sized arena. The large screen in the center of the arena panned in on the electronic musicians and their lit-up toys and synthesizers. It was like something out of a sci-fi dream. The crowd on the main floor swayed back and forth, exploding in movement anytime Björk made slight gestures in their direction. Even on the top throngs of the hall, each row had at least two or three solitary dancers. This is was impressive to me, considering “big name” concerts in Japan sometimes carry with them a reputation for more civil crowds (my friend at I were shocked to find ourselves two of the loudest people at the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert in Osaka last year!). Even the timid-looking girl dressed all in pink in the seat in front of me was up on her feet and stepped side-to-side while her boyfriend sat beside her, bobbing his head.
The second-half of the show charged onwards with more powerful beats like “Army of Me, an obvious crowd favorite, and “Hyperballad.” Meanwhile, Björk teased the audience with her toys, at one point running back and forth across the stage with streamers and always oozing energy and excitement. For the last song of the set (“Pluto”), the band came down from their platform and onto stage to form a circle around Björk, who joined the all-female brass troupe in jerky, fanatic dancing. The strobe lights and blue lazors flickered through the crowds as Björk’s ethereal vocals and the fast-paced techno beats whipped the house into a furious finale. Björk uttered a small “arigatou,” ending her last song with a roll of the tongue (arrrrrigatooooouuuu!) and leaving the stage.
After several minutes of pleading and cheers, the band reappeared for a three-song encore. Wonderbrass again lead the charge as Björk satisfied the crowd, closing the show with her single “Declare Independence.” And just like that, the lights came on and it was over. In one word, the show was AWESOME! If you weren’t able to catch a show on Björk’s monstrous 18-month global Volta tour (which will conclude in England this May) or don’t know much about the enigma that is Björk, I highly recommend quenching a thirst for live Björk with the upcoming Live Sessions Album or checking out one of her quirky music videos on YouTube...
posted by Brenda Ann Elizabeth McKinney @ 8:54 PM
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