PJ Harvey, October 27 at the Orpheum

Seeing PJ Harvey should be an event when she comes to any town, especially since this U.S. tour only had two dates (in L.A. and in New York). At the Orpheum Theater downtown, which is nice enough, but it's certainly a theater, maybe not the best place for a rock show but small enough that any seat is a great seat (if you can get a ticket and somehow I got lucky enough). Seeing the stage for PJ's show sparsely set up with only a piano, a keyboard, and a few other instrument accouterments, knowing she was going to be playing alone (though "alone" can sometimes mean with only one or two musicians accompanying her), it also meant that the night's show might not completely rock out (not that you would always go to a PJ show to "rock out" but some of her stuff certainly does rock out and it's nice to know that she's not going to have to limit herself). White Chalk, the album she was touring then, is completely piano-based and while it's another great album by her, there was an apprehension that she might not be reaching into her back-catalog. Those fears were completely dismissed when she walked on stage with a guitar (balanced by her wearing a long, antique dress) and, without looking up, slowly burned into "To Bring You My Love" and blew everyone's heads off. Still on the guitar she did a few older songs, which certainly did rock out, even all by herself. She went to the piano and played some lovely (well, for her. Also, quite creepy) songs then back to the guitar then to the keyboard, etc., with the only accompaniment being the roadie that brought out or took away her guitar and helped her set up the instruments. 100% Polly Jean Harvey, all night. And her songs are so short, especially the new ones, that it seems like she played dozens (easily reaching way into her old stuff), even though she didn't play for more than an hour and a half. Polly swore off touring on her last tour and she didn't go back again for that tour but I'm glad she did that show. There was something magical about that evening, with the entrancing songs and the perfect setting and the love from the crowd, that maybe a show like that wouldn't happen again. I can't always say that about every show I'm at but I'm glad it was that night. (Also, a friend told me later that Trent Reznor was there. Oh well. It's L.A.)

Heath went with me to that show, I think the last one we went to together while he still lived here.