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| Info | Setlist | ||||||||||
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01. Musicbox Intro 02. Overture 03. All Is Full Of Love 04. Generous Palmstroke 05. Unravel 06. Pagan Poetry 07. Cocoon 08. Undo 09. Play Dead 10. You've Been Flirting Again 11. Isobel 12. I've Seen it All 13. Anchor Song 14. Army Of Me 15. Hyperballad 16. Bachelorette first encore 17. Jóga 18. Human Behaviour second encore 19. It's In Our Hands |
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| Pictures (email) Observe that there usually is a NO camera policy at these concerts. | |||||||||||
| Reviews |
| Send in your own review here! |
 ticket scanned by Alta     photos by sensegirl  Björk leaving after the show, by Michael Neville /pictures - 3137 |
| I traveled from Chicago to Toronto in order to see this show. It was my 18th birthday and my parents gave me the best present in the world! They found amazing tickets at the last moment and surprised me with them about two weeks before the concert. I almost died from the shock of joy that went through me. When we arrived at the concert I was soooo nervous. I know that the normal reaction would have been excitement, but I was just a nervous wreck. I couldn't believe that within moments Bjork would be right in front of me! I was afraid that I had built up so many expectations in my imagination that I would be disappointed by the show, or what if I was sooo amazed by the experience that I died of overwhelming joy. I was feeling all those crazy emotions that one typically feels while waiting for the rollar coaster to hit the first drop and the person begins to question what he got himself into. Thank God I didn't die nor was I disappointed. I have to say that although my expectations were pretty high the Bjork was able to surpass them all. The magic she shared with the audience and her childlike straight forwardness with everyone made the large concert hall feel like a dark cozy closet in which we were all safe from the harshness of reality and all we saw was magic all around us. I especially enjoyed seeing all the other Bjork fans, we made up the most eclectic group of people. I no only a couple other people who even know who Bjork is and I felt so comfortable sharing this experience with so many people that could enjoy everything and understand the magic she expresses in everyone of her songs. Thanks Bjork you really made my 18th birthday a great day! /NICA! - 3099 |
| overall the show was amazing, including MATMOS...which i thought were great. some things that could of been better.... 1. bjork could of talked with the audience a bit more 2. the audience was too reserved (no one danced or anything: TO inihibitions i guess) 3. no JOGA! 4. only one canadian stop(Montreal would of been great!) anyways i just wanted to tell bjork that her work so far, surpasses, all the other 'sold out' artists of today! 'yep /jakob - 3098 |
| this was an odd adventure for me, i came to toronto from b.c. to see bjork. i wanted to see how she would combine all the wonderfull elements of this tour (ie: matmos, the symphony, the quire, the harpist etc.) with her catalouge of amazing music. i expected to be dazzled by something magical and definately unique. i expected bjork to come down from iceland and kick my ass into artistic awe. i left the show with two unexpected things: 1) i needed to find out more about matmos, they were great! espscially the opening set. i specifically want to know if the songs they played live exist on record. 2) i need to thank tanya tageg for stealing my heart for two hours and making the rediculous amount of time and money i spent traveling and buying tix worth it. first on tanya, which i'm assuming this is the name of the throat singer. in my opinopn she stole the show. not only did she have more presence than any other person on stage she, and this is the important part, seemed to be having the most fun. bjork was amazing but seemed tired and, well... really trying, but tired. matmos seemed more intent on being unique than on sounding good. this is fine and i agree that the limits need pushing. however i believe this can be achieved without coming at the expense of consistantly palatable sounds. the harpist reminded me too much of my mom for me to judje her objectively but she sounded pretty cool and her influence on some of the older material was great. i loved the squeeze box! the orchestra...well metalica and led zeppelin did it so why not bjork. it certianly fit her style of late but didn't seem to expand much on it. the choir struck me exaclty as bjork herself explained them "a choir from greenland." what more was there to say about them. which brings me back to tanya. she stole the show. she smiled, she danced, she sang, she imbelished the songs which she soloed on and she blended well with the ones she didn't. she was beautiful and she was boundig about with all the joyous energy i'd hoped to see bjork have. i guess i'd be excited too if i was touring with bjork and playing the only home gig. i want to thank her and ask bjork to seriously consider recording with her. as this show proved time takes it's tole and someone's gonna have to take the torch one day. i think bjork may just have found the person to fill her amazing boots. (tanya showed the signs of a true artist and was a tad more appreciative of her fans, an example bjork could benifit from when it's cold/wet outside and they've been waiting for hours outside after the gig for the chance to exchange a few precious words of thanks. after all monolouge will only cary a message so far, dialogue however...) and as for matmos. it's obvious these two are more than skilled enough to both challange convention and sound great while doing so. in my opinion they should focus a bit more on the ballance of these two things. because it's late and i'm tired right now i won't elaborate much on this part of the show but they will definately be going places if they so chose. the funny thing is i got the impression they really couldn't give a shit if they do(go places) so it should be interesting to see what becomes of them. i have a great deal of respect for these two. -trent reznor beware!- these two, in one felled swoop, could definately put your whiney, dark, brooding ass into the trash can if they so chose so i suggest you start paying attention before they dig a considerable hole into your future earnings. bjork put together a fantasy. i give here all the credit in the world for it. it worked very well and sounded fine. it's nice to see people having fun on stage. matmos seemed to be doing so. so did tanya. bjork contributed her experience, her time, her intent and her art, next time she's in town i just hope she can enjoy the fantasy she created a bit more. _ p.s. don't mind the spelling it's late and i'm tired too. /Cas - 3097 |
| I traveled from Phoenix Arizona to Toronto Canada with one and only mission: to see Bjork..live! My mission was accomplished and I am forever changed. I felt like a car crash victim leaving the theatre, wondering if what just happened was real. Hearing Bjork's voice live is utterly astounding, it echo's and reverberates against the walls of the theatre, pounding euphoria into the crowd. Of course, everyone already knows the details of the show (Matmos, the Inuit Choir, the Orchestra, Zeena, Tagaq, the awesome set, and the songs) but to me, Bjork's voice was still the most unbelievable element of this concert! Bjork sang with such care and determination that she literally transported the whole audience directly to her emotional landscapes. I couldn't breathe. Bjork spread her gorgeous lips far apart over her wide open throat and spewed twinkling lights and warm glowing oil into our eyes and ears. The euphoric audience clapped and shouted. Bjork ! was so beautiful it was almost painful to look at her. The way she dances and moves suggests pure genius. For a moment in time, in Toronto Canada, I felt more hopeful than I ever thought possible. It was as if Bjork really Had freed the human race from suffering..if only for a moment. /Dori O'Malley - 3096 |
| 56 hours. On a bus. 2...maybe 3 hours of sleep for two straight nights. The sights and sounds of 4 Canadian provinces. A journey that began in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and ending in Toronto. What could compel a person to do such a thing you ask? Only one......Bjork!!! By now you probably all know the details of the concert so I won't repeat them. These are the things I will take with me from my experience at my first ever Bjork show. 1. Her voice, perfect..enchanting, unique....the female pop vocalist of the century. It's just as good live. 2. Overture from Dancer in the Dark. The first time I experienced tears at a concert. 3. Bachellorette. 4. All the cute girls in the audience....with the ring leader up on stage!!! 5. Tanya Taqaq....she was incredible...and CANADIAN 6. The whole freakin' show!!!! It was worth every excruciating hour on that bus.....but next time Bjork...please come to Western Canada!!!!!! (and play Joga at that show!) /Terry - 3095 |
| Hi, my name is Damien, and I experienced the Hummingbird Centre show. Here are my collected thoughts... Hopefully they won't get you mad! The good: 1: How I was able to get floor seats at my ticketmaster 2000+ kms away in Winnipeg. Yay! Tidbit of Interesting Info: A town outside of the City of Winnipeg is Gimli, ("Paradise" in Icelandic) the largest Icelandic population outside of Iceland. (Björk, play at their yearly festival, tee hee!) 2: The concert was the best one I've seen, just inching above the U2 Popmart show. Such an elegant and intimate surrounding, you felt special that you made it there. The sound quality was beautiful! 3: It made me believe even further that Björk is obsessed with cross-breeding of style. Experimental Electronics Duo Matmos + Harpist Zeena Parkins + Throat Singer Tagaq + 12 Greenlandic Choirgirls + 56-Piece Il Novecento Orchestra. These things would never be found together as one anywhere else, but of course Björk brings it all together. It shows that although she is very proud of herself and her music, she doesn't really want to steal the show by having 70 other people on stage and in the pit. There was so much to see and experience! 4: Having Matmos open the show. A lot of fun the whole 40 min. I think that a lot of people were unfamiliar with Matmos, as it was a definite eye-opener for everyone. I loved the grossed-out moans from the audience b/c of the close-up of the acupuncture detector. My friend couldn't watch. I was laughing my ass off however b/c everyone was freaking however.... 5: Appropriate choice of music as introduction... Overture was so chilling! 6: Tagaq's solo. That was totally sweet (AAAAPEPEPEAAAAAAHHHPEPEPEAAAAHEPEPE) And how it melted into Hidden Place was utter beauty. *************** The Bad (Sorry)! 1: No photography! (Even without a flash!) Makes me sad.... 2: No tour books and only t-shirts! I guess the new coffee-table book takes the role. 3: This is simply a personal thing, but I really wished I got better seats. I would've payed a godless sum of money to be closer. My seats were YY, second from last on the floor. I noticed there were a number of people who weren't as serious a fan as I was in front of me! Who the hell barges in to the concert 20 minutes after it begins when they have seats 10 rows from the stage, walking in front of my view of the show???? Philistines!!!!!! *************** What I noticed: Björk really adopts an attitude, body language to each song. She has a more serious disposition with tracks from Vespertine and Homogenic, where as she's much more playful, jumping around on stage with Debut tracks (Human Behaviour and Venus as a Boy) She was funny, playful, gorgeous, theatrical, serious and deeply emotional. It proves that she is so emotionally involved with what she creates musically that her physical self emits it too. She rocks! *************** I'm so glad I flew mainly to Toronto for the show. It was many a first time for me last weekend, first time on a plane, in Niagara Falls and Toronto and seeing Björk for the first time. I'll never ever forget my first time seeing a concert of hers, and hopefully I'll be seeing many more to come. Seek Solace, Sanctuary! /Damien Ferland - 3094 |
| http://www.nationalpost.com/ Cheeky Björk's enchanted evening Barrett Hooper National Post BJORK Hummingbird Centre, Toronto Who knows what eccentric Icelandic muse inspires Björk Gudmundsdóttir? The mischievous pop pixie with the questionable fashion sense fails easy categorization. Her music, both artful and experimental, does not so much defy convention as subvert it to the needs of her imagination. Her albums have sold millions and she has collaborated with the likes of American rapper RZA and Radiohead front man Thom Yorke. But she is rarely heard on the radio, and her latest CD, Vespertine, is hardly FM-friendly. A mesmerizing mix of digital technology and traditional instrumentation, the album relies on lush orchestration, angelic choral arrangements, electronica and "found sounds" (the shuffling of cards serves as a beat on one song, as does clattering cutlery, clicking cameras and sandpaper on wood) to create what she calls "chamber music for this century." Björk is unveiling Vespertine to audiences during her first world tour in three years and is playing only smaller venues because she felt the classically tinged music was too intimate for larger settings. So it was that on Monday evening she turned the Hummingbird Centre into a sonic snow globe where Icelandic opera meets performance art, full of fluttery rhythms, digital chatter and snippets of sampled sounds. Known for her innovative live performances, the sold-out concert -- Björk's only Canadian stop -- included Nunavut throat singer Tanya Tagaq, an 11-member choir from Greenland, the 54-piece Il Novecento Orchestra and harpist Zeena Parkins. Rounding out the mix were electronica duo Matmos (Martin Schmidt and Andrew Daniel), who, in addition to backing up Björk, opened the evening with a cheeky performance of sampled surgical sounds. But initially, Björk sat alone on-stage, her glittery bluish-white swan dress illuminated only by the light from the orchestra pit. In her lap, the chimes of a music box created the childlike instrumental Frosti as bits of white paper fluttered down like angel feathers. With that the mood was set, soft and warm and full of sentiment, and worlds apart from the harsher pop conventions of her previous work. Gone were the club-friendly dance vibes of 1993's Debut, her first solo album after leaving the Icelandic post-punk band the Sugarcubes. Gone, too, were the sweeping, dramatic arrangements of 1997's Homogenic. Only last year's Oscar-nominated Selmasongs EP, a heartbreaking soundscape created to accompany Lars von Trier's film Dancer in the Dark, for which Björk also won the best actress award at Cannes, comes close. Björk approached the rest of the performance like an impetuous child, prancing barefoot about the stage in an arrhythmic Icelandic two-step, her swinging arms adding weight to her gorgeous voice. That voice, at times fragile and trembling, demanded attention. A mere whisper on Unravel, from Homogenic and one of a half-dozen songs not from Vespertine, it soared over Cocoon's skippy beats. Like most of her music, the normal conventions of rhyme and metre were abandoned on the dreamy It's Not Up to You, her closest attempt at being commercial, as she alternated between soaring vocals and croaky mumbling. It was during An Echo, A Stain that Tagaq first captivated as her melodic ticks, clicks and deep breathing filled the auditorium. And her subsequent solo stole the show as animal growls became the adrenalized panting of love-making, which turned into the gasps of a desperate marathoner, panicked and anxious. Hidden Place, a subterranean love song and companion to Cocoon, gave way to the lush strings of Il Novecento on Play Dead, which set up the more up-tempo second set that saw Björk decked out in a red ostrich-feather dress. Starting with You've Been Flirting Again followed by Isobel, Björk enchanted with her poetic lyrics. Further in, the choir was dismissed and the orchestra silenced for a groovy punk version of Army of Me, and on Generous Palmstroke she was accompanied only by the icicle-snapping crispness of Parkins' harp. Björk returned for just one encore, consisting of Human Behaviour and the as yet unreleased In Our Hands, which had the entire house clapping as she bounded about the stage and shouted into the mic like a petulant girl daring you to scold her. The only punishment was that it ended so quickly. /nationalpost.com - 3093 |
| http://www.theglobeandmail.com/ Snuggling up with Bjork By ROBERT EVERETT-GREEN Wednesday, October 10, 2001 – Page R4 Bjork At the Hummingbird Centre in Toronto on Monday Imagine a couch with an old blanket hanging off the back, and two children hiding behind it, cocooned with their toys and their secrets. We've all been in that hidden place, before we became sophisticated and forgetful enough to need Bjork to recall us to a state of childhood intimacy. It's warm in there, and cool as well, because the recovered childhood of Bjork's imagination retains an adult knowledge of how bleak things can get when the blanket is removed, the parents become mortal, and the world fills up with harsh daylight. And so it was cool and warm also in the little den she made of Toronto's Hummingbird Centre, where some 3,000 people huddled behind the blanket with her for the only Canadian concert of her current world tour. It takes some big magic to shrink the Hummingbird, and like every magician, Bjork made sure of her equipment. There were towering projections of fjord-like shapes on the wall, an orchestra of some 50 players in the pit, a chorus of 12 Inuit singers on the stage and a placeless barrage of grainy viscous sounds produced live by the electronic music duo Matmos (Drew Daniel and Martin Schmidt). The very large sounds made by these forces filled the hall so completely it began to feel snug, though only Bjork could make it cozy. She has a knack for direct personal address, even when singing to thousands. She challenges you to feel and live as deeply as she does. It's the bride stripping herself bare, waiting for all her bachelors to throw off their camouflage. The core of her show were the songs from her new album Vespertine. Expanded into a live production, this series of like-sounding tunes on nocturnal subjects became a powerful environment that for a couple of hours completely overwhelmed the world beyond the blanket. Bjork began the show in her now-famous swan dress, then switched to a red sequined outfit with a vast skirt of ostrich feathers. Her feet were bare, which was probably the most telling detail of her costume. Even at her most ethereal, when singing in a shy voice about "the warmthest cord of care," Bjork retained her contact with the earth. Her most ideal constructions were full of blunt vitality. Matmos was a good fit, with its preference for gritty, fluid sounds that can sound imposing and playful at once. And Bjork has made a real find in Tanya Taqaq, a throat singer from Nunavut, whose fevered solo of grunts and cries propelled the single Hidden Place to a level far beyond what the album version could achieve. The orchestra held a more tenuous place in the mix, at times sounding less natural and live than the stuff pouring out of Matmos's banks of computers and samplers. An on-stage harp (played by Zeena Parkins) was the most successful acoustic instrument, whose definite attack contrasted well with Matmos's often spongy beats. There were several older songs, including the Oscar-nominated theme from Dancer in the Dark, and the playful single Human Behaviour. In all cases, the original versions were reworked to suit the moment, so successfully that they sometimes sounded like the pre-history of Vespertine. At a time when so many shows sound like the work of human jukeboxes, Bjork refuses to become the servant of her own artifacts. Rather than just confirm what's on Vespertine, she gave it new life and scope. /theglobeandmail.com - 3092 |
| Bjork's Musical Aviary How many of us have looked at a bird and contemplated its mysteries, envied its ability to fly, to sing a perfect melody? How many of us have admired a bird's beauty, treading deep into woodlands, jungles and mountain ranges to catch a glimpse of a rare breed with its colourful feathers and entrancing song? Well, Bjork is one such rare bird and I traveled from Ottawa just to see her take flight for the first time. And what a specimen she is! The concert was brilliant and so perfectly crafted to showcase her development as a musician and performer. Seated in the 8th row, I had a fortunate vantage point. The show was full of subtle undercurrents and outrageous pulsations that moved the entire evening with a kind of magic one can scarcely imagine or describe. The first half of the show can only be described as "pure." It was full of white feathers, tinkling music boxes and introspective songs that had some couples in the audience holding hands and snuggling. Bjork, herself, embodied a graceful swan in that now infamous dress, which sparkled beautifully in the warm glow of the ligths. Her movements were surprisingly robotic and stiff - she is not a fluid performer - and yet she took possession of the stage with surpeme elegance, despite her tiny self. The choir and orchestra added an essential element of innocence and natural sound, which balanced the electronics, courtesy of Matmos, exquisitely. Favourites from Part 1 included "It's Not Up To You," "An Echo, A Stain" and "Hidden Place" - all of which found the original energy of the recorded songs on Vespertine and brought the imagery to life with vitality. Tagaq's supreme solo had the audience in a trance and brought the crowd to climax with incredible cheers. The second half of the show was much more aggressive and a different species of Bjork Bird emerged from the wings, her fiery red ostrich dress boldly rattling as she stomped up to the microphone. Where the audience was previously awe-struck and quiet, now it was alive with shouts of encouragement and immutable cheers that added to the aural intensity of this segment. "Isobel" was delicious with its percussion and orchestration and "Hyperballad" sent the audience into hysteria. "Army of Me" was almost deafening with its rage and "Bachelorette" was exotic and sensual. This part of the show seemed almost like a blur of red streaks and enveloping sound, full of sexiness, anger and darkness. But, oh, it was divine and it was over too soon. Prior to the encore, the audience was compelled to offer a standing ovation, cheering endlessly for nearly five full minutes, until she came out again and stirred everyone up for a rousing rendition of "Human Behaviour." The crowd then found itself clapping along with Bjork's unreleased gem "In Our Hands." Before she vanished for good, a single feather fell from the rafters above the stage - one left over from her "Frosti" on-stage meditation - and it settled softly on the stage, alone. What a glorious evening. What a treat. What a sweet and exotic bird she is! And off she flies to dazzle the next body of unsuspecting humans. /Andrew Ritchie - 3091 |
| Fantastic show. i HAD NOT FOUND out about this show until a week before. I tried to get tix , and of course , they were sold out. My girlfriend and I were going to Toronto that night to "chill'" As we got into the city we drove by the hummingbird center. I ran in to check it and the dude dave me standing room only tickets for thirty dollars CAD. WoW. Thanks Hummingbird dude. I would rather be standing shakin my toossh than cramped in a seat anyhoo. So we are in. My sister got to go too. A thrill in the life of Jennnie. A night of majic. Is Bjork human? beautiful thank you. /dan - 3090 |
| I was absolutely amazed by Bjork's performance at the Hummingbird Centre. I had been waiting about six years to see her perform and I flew from Edmonton to Toronto to see her this time. Flying across the country for the weekend is something that I would never consider for any musician but Bjork. I sat in the sixth row in the Hummingbird and tears streamed from my eyes throughout the first two songs, Frosti and Overture. I couldn't believe that Bjork, the musician I admire most in the world, was so near to me. She was stunning in her dress and surrounded by a most beautiful collection of instruments. The first set of the evening was mostly a showcase of Vespertine material. Bjork seemed a bit bored of repeating these songs each night, and I felt sad to see her without a smile. Her passionate voice flowed from one song to the next as she moved softly about the stage. Tanya Taqaq, an incredibly talented throat-singer, attempted to steal the show with her intense solo performance. Tanya's voice and dancing was so captivating that I had to remind myself several times that I was there to see Bjork. Even with the presence of Matmos, an orchestra, a choir, and a harpist, Bjork was the centre of the show throughout the entire evening. She was so respectful of her fellow musicians as she moved to the background when they played solos. Although she didn't perform Joga, I was so happy that she sang my favourite song, Play Dead, at the end of the first set. Bjork returned for the second half of the evening in a fragile peacock dress. She delighted in jumping around to use her dress as an instrument - she never lacks creativity. The energy in the theatre reached a maximum as she belted out old tunes with a huge grin. The pulsating beats combined with Bjork's hightened energy transformed the theatre into a near-stadium atmosphere during Army of Me. I could not help but feel as if I was seeing an early performance after the release of Debut. I was so pleased to have the chance to see her perform calmly and wildly all in one night. She had so much drive during the encore that I found myself ecstatically happy and completely satisfied at the end of the show. If I ever have the chance, I will see Bjork perform again. It was an experience I will never forget. I am truly grateful to have had this opportunity and I thank Bjork for performing so passionately for the people who love her music. /Kate - 3089 |
| I'm not an expert on anything, the following is nothing more than my humble opinion of the toronto show and of Bjork's music in general. To me, Bjork's music is about love. Love as it occurs and manifests itself in nature, the absence of it or the expression of it in sex, the difficulty and desire to communicate it or to hide it, the sometimes fleeting nature of it, the patience and impatience for it... I suppose I could go on. She communicates this through lyrics that are at times humourous, joyous, absurd, angry, sensual, cryptic or even explicitly simple but always passionate and poetic... Not to forget of course the eclectic, creative and inspiring sound she creates to express herself. To accomplish these things, she collaborates with a wide variety of artists that contribute their own vision to her art... The Toronto show was all of this to me. The highlights include the intense renditions of Hidden Place and Isobel. The quiet beauty of Cocoon and You've Been Flirting again. The sheer joy of Human Behaviour and the uplifting optimism in Our Hands. Thanks to Bjork, Zeena Parkins (beautiful harp playing and loved the jumping on Hyperballad!), Matmos (great fun), the choir, the orchestra , and Tagaq (loved your smile and style)... One last thing, Matmos and Zeena wore the most hilariously ugly track suits I have ever seen... /unknown - 3088 |
| I just wanted to share my experience seeing bjork last night. this was my first time seeing her, but i'd waited for this moment for years.... i'd been unsuccessful in getting tickets to her last show here in '98. so it was quite a wait. when i heard about the musical setup for the shows, i thought it interesting but i was confident in the fact that bjork would pull it off. the mad variety of instruments and musicians onstage with her all worked to her advantage, and utterly wowed the crowd. there was a definite mood to each half of the show. the first half, filled with songs from vespertine, was mostly on the quiet side. after bjork made her entrance in the dark, the crowd went absolutely mad, cheering and clapping. she played frosti with a faint light shining from behind her, so all we could see was her silhouette and the petals/snowflakes/feathers that fell from the sky. then it became dark and the orchestra played Overture from Selmasongs. this was a surprise to me, and it was absolutely chilling. i could feel the goosebumps of excitement, the tension kept building. it was amazing to hear this live. the spotlight finally came on and we got to see bjork in her beautiful swan dress, slightly different than the Oscar one, with sequins and shiny blue things. she was wearing white lace pantyhose with the feet cut off. she ended the first set with Play Dead which was thrilling live, and a good taste of the more energetic songs which we would hear in the second half. after the intermission, zeena parkins and matmos all came out wearing shell suits, the cheap plastic warmup suits people wear when training. matmos kept jogging on and off stage in a very cute sort of way. bjork was wearing her gorgeous red dress with the glass and the feathers, shaking her hips to the music and providing some very nice percussion. she started playing with the crowd during hyperballad, army of me and the rest of the songs in the 2nd half, dancing around even more than before, making faces and handgestures and using the entire stage as her playground. the 2nd set endedwith a rousing Bachelorette, and the live orchestra made the song even more powerful and amazing. afterwards, there was a standing ovation, of course... the house was filled with thundering applause. finally Bjork came out again, and sang Human Behaviour. everyone went wild, i myself was dancing in my seat. She kept running up and shaking her hands, screaming "aAH!" into the mic during the outro. though i was seated far back (orchestra row P), i had brought my binoculars, and i loved watching her face. she was so very expressive, making all sorts of grimaces at the crowd, licking her lips, and smiling ALL the time. She then introduced the other musicians, the Tanya Tagaq and the orchestra got extra applause for being canadian, and bjork was unbelievably cute in a clueless way in introducing them ("and.... from canada... an orchestra!"). Then she introduced In Our Hands as an unreleased song. this was such a great performance, she was doubly animated during this song, waving her arms, clapping and then getting the crowd to clap along. The Inuit girls were fantastic. sometimes I was so intent on watching them that I'd forget what bjork was doing! the Tagaq was amazing, I loved what she contributed to the songs with her throatsinging and her swivelly dancing. overall, I think that bjork honestly couldn't have given a better concert. Though the setup was especially conducive to the vespertine songs, I really enjoyed hearing older songs such as Isobel with the orchestra and the throat singer in the background. the crowd was thrilled to be there, and the place was absolutely full, i didn't see a single empty seat! everyone was super polite and respectful. people would cheer between songs, and only a few times during the songs, when things got good (such as during the chorus of It's Not Up To You). sigh. an amazing night. now that i've seen bjork live, what else is there left to do? love, /Vanessa - 3087 |
| 3rd Björk show I've been to and each one is always so special and never comparable! I’ll do my best, but I don’t think words can describe it. They started the show with Matmos doing a 40 minute set. I’ve never noticed how strange they were. One guy would rub this mic thingy all over another ones body and we’d hear the sounds from inside (very cool sounds) while another spins some beats to go with it. They did really good music with a birdcage, made some intense music with a violin stick rubbing in the cage. Balloons and losta things. I thought it was great, but there was a lot mixed opinions on it all. Intermission…. Björk. She was wearing her beautiful white swan dress and the ochestra started while we watched her standing on stage with snow falling around her. The first half was very classy, very Vespertine style. The Throat singer was incredible. I never knew what a throat singer was until yesterday, wow! The inuit choir was very fun, dancy. Zeena Parkins was the subtle one, but when you heard that harp, you’d stop breathing, and Matmos did their thing. She ended the first half with Play Dead, which I think was to prepare us for what was coming up. The second half was almost all songs from her old style. Super pumpy, she wore the red dress the top was these long beads that made music while she bounced and danced around the stage. She played my favorite song “Hypper Ballad”, Bachelorette (I really felt we’d all turn to trees). Human Behavior was sung with losta energy and exaggeration, almost like a play. Venus as a Boy was testing how long can we be all classy and stay put in our chairs, with all the fuuny faces she sent to us. She played this really rock version of Army of Me. So much more, and ended with the new unreleased track called It’s in Our Hands, which is everything she’s ever done, put into one track! INCREDIBLE!!!! It was amazing to hear the orchestra, but what I loved was listening to what they managed to do with the old songs, the orchestra pulled some impressive stuff! I would love to detail more Björks amazingness, but I don’t have the vocabulary for what she made us experience last night. She was just so great, cute, funny, beautiful… I could write pages on this, but time won’t let me. Have a great day everybody, I’m going to go breathe now /TEAR - 3086 |
| oh...my...god. this show was absolutely phenomenal. even better than i had hoped. i thought i knew what i was going to expect, having already read so much about her previous shows and the way they took place. but, boy, was i wrong! so for all of you that think you know what to expect, you are in for a spectacular event. being able too see that little shy smile Bjork always exumes, in person, was probably what stood out for me the most. she danced and smiled and looked so happy. i think that will probably be indented in my mind forever. and Matmos opening set with the balloons and the birdcage was amazing to watch. only thing though, i was expecting to see a more diverse crowd. pretty much every person i saw was dressed exactly alike as the other. except for one girl wearing a black swan dress =) but regardless, the audience showed much respect for the rest, not standing up or making too much noise (except when needed of course) i was hoping for Joga but alas, it didnt happen. NO COMPLAINTS THOUGH! best night of my life!!!!!!! /breakerboogie - 3085 |
| Wow, What a show. I have seen over 250 shows in Toronto over the last 20 years and Bjork at the Hummingbird Center last night was easily in my top ten. Maybe my top 5. Her voice was amazing. The band and choir was amazing. Her red Dress was amazing (it had crystals on it so as her body moved it would chime to the sond). Before I go on I am not some Bjork fanatic that thinks she moves the earth, but she is one of the best artists out there. I would place her show last night along side the time i saw Bowie in a club, U2 on their indoor Zoo TV tour, Talking Heads Stop Making Sense tour and Peter Gabreils So tour. I saw Bjork on the last tour nad she was good but last night was a whole differnt level. If you read this stuff Bjork thankyou for a unforgetable evening. Oh yea, your book rocks. / Stephen Bieth - 3084 |
| Well the show was pretty much what I expected as the website here had prepared me both for the look and the sound that would be. The warm-up act Matmos were an experimental trio who were bizarre to say the least. Some of their "pieces" had a beat but for the most part it was just buzzes, bleeps, and burps. Some of the images and noises were so disturbing that I actually considered leaving the auditorium. The girl beside me had to plug her ears for some of the show. Their final piece had some sort of meaning that literally escaped me - 3 balloons are filled with helium and then floated to the top of the ceiling; huh? Well, now it was intermission and I had a better chance to see the people around me. There were lots of same-sex friends and couples and the usual thick-rimmed glass folks but I also noticed a few celebrities around me. There was Steve, the local vj turned dj and there was also Geddy Lee of Rush - I would have loved to heard his opinion of the show. During intermission the orchestra made it's way in and during the whole time before Bjork came out, the pre-recorded intermission sound was like Frozen - a kind of musical box sound that was really dreamy. Then the lights went down and the conductor prepared the orchestra for the overture, which as another reviewer stated, was very emotional and dreamy - specially if you have seen the movie which I did just hours before the show. The other reviewers do a great job of describing the highlights but here is my take on the good and the bad parts: The Bad: 1) Bjork does not say a word the entire time except to say thank you twice and to introduce the players. Her introduction of the players is hilarious, if not insufficient though, as she merely introduces the choir as "a choir from Greenland" and the orchestra as "an orchestra from Canada". By the way, the orchestra is fairly famous on there own having played with Pavarotti and others. I know a lot of artists are not comfortable with saying much but she needs to consider the fact that the concert is supposed to be more than a video or cd - we came to get to know her, not just listen. 2) Bjork and Tanya do not know how to dance. Watching the two of them reminded me of Elaine doing the jerky dance on Seinfeld. Tanya looked plain ridiculous though she was very sexy nevertheless and Bjork looked like she was exercising her leg most of the time. Back and forth, side to side, it would be better if she were more elegant with her movements. 3) Lighting and backdrops - there is no lighting at all, just white light. Well, there is some green light at one point but the use of white light looked very amateurish. Maybe that was on purpose as the orchestra needed the light so it is definitely forgivable. 4) No second encore! I don't know who gave the set list above but there is only one encore of two songs and not vice versa. I personally think it was not right to not play unison but that was her choice I guess. The Good: 1) Bjork - she is very beautiful and took a lot of care to make herself attractive and visible to those who were not so close to the stage. (I was in row 10 and was very glad to be up close but I felt sorry for those who were too close as they may have experienced too much sound from the orchestra). 2) The sound is awesome. The mixers and engineers really did a good job of getting the sound rights, although at the start of a few numbers, Bjork can barely be heard for the first few seconds. The first half of the show is a soundscape mixture of symphonic, choral and electronic bliss. The second half starts with a re-interpretation (somewhat) of older pieces with the orchestra and then when the choir leaves, it seems the volume is turned up and the beats make it hard to sit still. In this part of the show Bjork seems more comfortable and natural. 3) The new song at the end was unbelievable! I was cringing at the thought of it ending and my not being able to hear it again until she releases it. I only hope it becomes available soon. 4) Selma songs - I am very glad that she played so many pieces from the movie soundtrack. They were played very well both by the orchestra and Matmos (who are the main musicians for the show) - even down to the sound of the train track. 5) Matmos with Bjork. They pretty much stunk doing their own material (in my opinion) but they really did a great job with Bjork. Another reviewer here comments about the caressing of the one player with the other but that was not caressing so much as he was "playing his back" with some sort of electronic instrument much the same as the "buzzer" played all over his face during their set - even drawing blood at one point. 6) The choir. They were great to listen to and to watch. Some of the mood of Vespertine was lost by using the choir in place of the synth used on the album but it was a great re-working of the material especially on Hiding Place. This is one of the reasons it is so important to go to a Bjork concert since she will play the material differently than it was recorded. There are many more good things about the show so just go if you get the chance. It will be interesting to see what Bjork has up here sleeve for the next album and tour. /Michael - 3083 |
| I mean, how many performers do you know who just appear in the midst of a storm of applause and leave in the midst of a storm of applause and in between these the only thing they do is share the joy of art very simply and touchingly, no fanfares, no kitsch, no stupid crowd talk? Gosh, my CAD140 was worth every penny, even for row XX on the balcony! (DAMN THE SCALPERS!) This year I have seen quite a few gigs including Erykah Badu, Moby, U2 and Janes Addiction among others but by far this was the most totally pleasing show of all. She is a virtuoso in the body and with the spirit of a child. But then again isn't she all about extremes coming together? Such a spell-bidning mixture of sounds...Not only could I hear her but I had a very distinct "picture" of her sound in my head, it looked like a flower just before opening up and blooming:) Happy to have known your music for ten years!!! thanx bjork! /elitza - 3082 |
http://www.canoe.ca/JamConcertsA2D/bjork_011008-sun.html Bjork simply soars Icelandic singer goes full out with an orchestra, two sets of feathers and a new song By JANE STEVENSON -- Toronto Sun BJORK Hummingbird Centre, Toronto Monday, October 8, 2001 TORONTO -- Bjork, it seems, is always up for a musical challenge. So the soaring-voiced Icelandic singer brought her dramatic, quirky and totally engaging road show to the Hummingbird Centre last night with a menagerie of unusual guests in tow. First of all, in the pit below her, a 54-piece orchestra conducted by Simon Lee and comprised of about 70% made up of members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra . Then there was cute San Francisco electronic duo Matmos Martin Schmidt and Andrew Daniel, who also served as opening act, and dynamic electric harpist Zeena Parkins on the stage beside Bjork. Behind her was a sweet sounding Inuit girl choir from Greenland and hip-shaking Canadian throat singer, Tanya Gillis of Cambridge Bay, Victoria Island, who threatened to steal the show with her wildly physical performance, winning smile and general enthusiasm. Not to mention Bjork's two mind-blowing, feathery outfits and a slideshow backdrop which featured everything from blue ice caps to multi-coloured sea creatures. The sold-out crowd of 3,200, who snapped up tickets in just one day, can count themselves lucky to have been at a concert unlike anything else this year. Touring concert halls of Europe and North America in order to achieve the "best acoustics possible," Bjork's only Canadian date was at the Hummingbird Centre. On the road in support of her latest album, Vespertine, a record heavy on electronica, lush orchestration and choral voices, Bjork first appeared seated on the dark stage in the now infamous "swan" dress, which she wore to the Oscars earlier this year. (Photographers weren't allowed in until the second set.) White feathers fell from above while she played the new song Frosti on a music box, then the orchestra kicked in with Overture from last year's Selmasongs, the soundtrack to her astonishing film debut in Dancer In The Dark. Of the Vespertine material, the highlights were the quietly intense Cocoon and Pagan Poetry, and the more expansive It's Not Up To You and Hidden Place. Truthfully, though, I like Bjork's 1997 album Homogenic better than almost anything she's released over the years. So I was partial to the quiet beauty of Unravel and All Is Full Of Love in that first section, and the classical strength of Bachelorette and Joga later on. Although the sad lament You've Been Flirting Again and the positively liberating Isobel and Hyper-ballad, all from 1995's Post, also ranked right up there, along with the more fun Venus As A Boy and Human Behavior from 1993's Debut. Following a brief intermission, the second set saw a more rambunctious Bjork decked out in a red glass-and-feather dress that made a tinkling sound whenever she moved -- which was a lot. She bounced, skipped and danced her way through a great deal of the second half, much to the delight of the audience, some of who joined her -- and the choir -- with handclaps during the show- ending new song, It's In Our Hands. Much like everything Bjork does, it was pretty infectious. /canoe.ca - 3081 |
http://www.thestar.com/ A Hummingbird moment Iceland's red-feathered flapper Björk finally flies at sold-out concert Vit Wagner MUSIC CRITIC Björk is not about to get swallowed up in a crowd. Few, if any, of today's pop icons can match the sheer force of the Icelandic diva's idiosyncratic personality. You can surround her with a full orchestra, a dozen backing vocalists, including a throat singer, a harpist and a pair of noodling electronic gurus, as was the arrangement for last night's sold-out concert at the Hummingbird Centre, and her pixie-like personality will still be the most compelling presence in the room. In what was the only Canadian date of her current concert hall tour, Björk had the audience hanging on her every hyper-enunciated word, as she worked through two 45-minute sets that relied heavily on her symphonic new album, Verspertine. It was immediately apparent why she didn't want to subject the delicate tunes from that album to the acoustic hell of club shows in front of half-attentive listeners. For act one, the singer joined her army of accompanists attired in a slightly more modest version of her Oscar-scandalizing swan get up. Typically, whatever flak she took on that occasion did not faze her enough to resist inviting another round of raised eyebrows. Introduced by the instrumental music box number, "Frosti," Björk proceeded to work her way through "All Is Love" and "Unravel," two songs from her previous and still best album, Homogenic, before delving into current offerings, "It's Not Up To You" and "Hidden Place," the latter preceded by an extended bit of vocal exotica, courtesy of Tanya Tagaq, an artist and throat singer from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. The opening set, while more often than not captivating on the basis of novelty alone, gave the appearance of magic, without actually being much fun. By 20 minutes in, it was beginning to seem that the weight of the enterprise might be its undoing, as the evening threatened to become mired in a kind of avant-Broadway formality. After the intermission, Björk returned in another bird costume, this one a ruby, feathered outfit that gave her the appearance of a red ostrich. Whatever its fashion points, the change had a liberating effect on Björk, who pranced back and forth across the apron of the stage, allowing her feathered skirt to flap provocatively in her wake. The music was more robust as well. Early into the second segment, Björk shed any vestiges of reserve and forcefully leaned into "Isobel" from Post, followed by a vamping version of "Venus As A Boy" from Debut, before settling down to "Pagan Poetry" from Vespertine. Electronic duo Matmos, which seemed to have its own subplot going for much of the evening, with one of the members running his hands suggestively down the other's back at one point, provided the bulk of the accompaniment for "Army Of Me," giving it a Tangerine Dream flavour. At another point, the amplified shuffling of cards was fashioned into a percussive effect. The second set ended with a throbbing interpretation of Homogenic's "Bachelorette" that made the fussy business of the first half recede in memory. As pop concerts go, it was daring — maybe even a little over-ambitious — and not always successful. But it was also unmistakably original. In other words, the personification of Björk herself. /thestar.com - 3080 |
| Dear Bjork fans, Well it is hard to verbalize or come up with words to describe the evenings events, but I will try my best to summarize the show. The first half was much more introverted and less "exstatic" than the second bit. When she first appeared on stage the crowd overwhelmed her with an exuberant applause. She looked georgeous in her white "swan dress", accompanied by her ebony locks that hung simply simply around her shoulders. The orchestra did a wonderful job at recapturing the essence of "Overture" which opened up the show. Bjork approached the stage, with snow flakes falling all around her, and began to sing "All is full of Love". She decided to do the "Stigmata" version with much help from Matmos. "Unravel", " Cocoon" and "It's Not up to You" soon followed. After the ever mysterious "An Echo, A stain", our homegrown Tagaq bellowed out crazy sounds from her throat that sounded like beats. Her voice can do some some pretty amazing things, while her movements added a sensuous energy to the atmosphere for the entire concert. It was difficult to take our eyes off her, even when the glorious Bjork sang. "Play Dead" was played before the intermission which made the orchestra shine and left the audience waiting for more. After the break, Bjork gracefully approached the stage with an Icelandic version of " You've been Flirting Again". " Isobel" followed where Bjork danced and enchanted us with the adventuristic verses of one of her most poetic songs. "Venus as a Boy" and "Pagan Poetry" gave the audience a farmiliar track to which they could sing along to. "Hyperballad" had us grooving in our seats, making us feel as though we "were on a mountain top" with her. After we were energized with the sweet melody of "Hyperballad" we were introduced to a punk/industrial version of "Army of Me". The encores were thunderous and she really made us beg! She decided to do "Human Behaviour" and "Our Hands" that had the audience pumping and reminded us that sitting in seats and not getting up and shakin' our booties was really confining. It was a true test of respect and constraint because I'm sure that well over seventy percent of us would be dancing in the aisles if we could. It seemed that Bjork may have lost her voice at certain moments in the show, perhaps limiting her encore to just one rather than her typical two. Regardless, she was energized and happy and her little body exhibited the right amount of movements to make the crowd scream "We love you". It is important to note the talent of Matmos and the element of "intelligence" they added to Bjork's gig. They proved themselves to be innovative, experimental and sensual when accompanying a legend like Bjork. The audience responded graciously to their act as they waited patiently for the Icelandic Diva to arrive. Their eclecticism is the perfect accompaniment to the ever-morphing Bjork who never ceases to suprize or amaze us. /Natx - 3079 |
| Overture All Is Full Of Love Unravel Cocoon It's Not Up To You I've Seen It All Generous Palmstroke An Echo, A Stain (Taqaq solo) seques into Hidden Place Play Dead ---------------------------------- You've Been Flirting Again Isobel Venus As A Boy Pagan Poetry Hyperballad Army Of Me Bachelorette ------------------------------- Joga (this was not played...it's on the setlist) Human Behaviour -------------------------------------- Our Hands EEEE!!! OK...details where to start?? The orchestra was lovely...very full, thick sound. Matmos sounded pretty good...they did some very cool stuff during their set at the beginning of the show. Zeena was fantastic when I could hear her properly...songs she stood out on included Generous Palmstroke (Bjork and Zeena only) and Pagan Poetry. The choir was the one aspect of the show I was slightly underwhelmed by. They were good in certain spots but not as good as I would have liked in songs like It's Not Up To You and Hidden Place. ARghh...too much to say...my head feels crowded. I'm gonna start writing the review for one of the U of T papers that I'm supposed to do...I'm sure everyone else who went has lots to say! I GOT A SETLIST! I went up to the percussionist at the end of the show and asked him (I made sure to say please and to compliment him) and he gave it to me! Wheeee! /Frosti - 3078 |
| Yo Yo: The show had it all. A very dramatic opening and a closer that rocked the house down. My review: Highlights (in order): 1. The large quantity of hot gay guys in attendance (and the abundance of hot people all round!). The hotter and richer, the closer to the stage. Now I know how Cher fans feel! 2. Bjork's performance. How she can jump that high in an ostrich feather dress, I don't know. But she pulled it off during the rock-out encore of Our Hands. 3. Tanya Tageq's freestyle segued into Hidden Place and bowled everyone over, especially the fags behind me, beside me and in front me. Tageq also dances like maniac. That was cool. 4. When Martin felt up Daniel during Cocoon. Also: They practically stole the show in their flashy jogging suits. When Zeena and Matmos jogged out during You've Been Flirting Again, they single-handedly upstaged Bjork in the fashion department. The card shuffling during Hidden Place was actually audible. In fact, all elements of the show were audible, which is probably a first for Toronto concert-goers. 4.5. Matmos' opening set. Everything they did was hilarious. Especially the close up shots of ear wax on projected on the screen behind them and the big balloon-groping finale. Oh and the rat cage freak out. If the show was a sitcom, they were the wacky neighbours. 5. "In Our Hands" or whatever it's called. This song brought the house down, with Bjork jumping, clapping and running around. Plus a little audience participation ain't so bad once in a while. Especially when encouraged by the performer. I wasn't expecting Bjork to be so responsive to the crowd. It was enough and it came at the right time. Normally when people start clapping at shows, I cringe and have flashbacks to my dad listening to the Garth Brooks live CD. 6. When Bjork introduced the orchestra. "And...an orchestra." 7. The entire first part of the show. All the elements came together making the new material the best part of the gig. The second part was heavy on old favourites. While they were fun, the lack of Vespertine was noticeable. 9. The orchestra during Overture. Most people were close to tears. Especially the fags behind me, beside me and in front of me. The opening was very dramatic, but then things lightened up with the jumping, screaming and feeling-up of Daniel from Matmos. 10. My new shoes. I was taking a piss during the intermission and this guy at the urinal beside me looked down towards my dick. Then I realized he was looking at my brand new shoes, which looked amazing. Fresh out of the box. Damn fine. Things that sucked: 1. The guys behind me talking about how sexy big noses are. I'm indifferent on the subject, but the mental imagary was totally uncalled for. 2. When the mic sort of cut out during Bachelorette. Right at the end dammit! Almost! 3. $4.50 for domestic beer! Fuck! The selection of juiceboxes was also rather pathetic. 3.5. When that bitch at the bar gave me a dirty look after I changed my mind and asked for bottled water instead of a juicebox. 4. When I showed up wearing the same dress as Bjork. How embarassing. Alexander McQueen said I had the only one. Same thing happened to me and Kevin Spacey at the 1996 Academy Awards. It also happened to two of my friends at my high school prom. Can you say: "Discount dress from Biway"? 5. Ummm...nothing else sucked. The setlist: (if my memory serves me correctly) Part 1 1. Frosti 2. Overture 3. All is Full of Love 4. Unravel 5. Cocoon 6. It's Not Up to You 7. I've Seen It All 8. Generous Palmstroke 9. An Echo, A Stain --Tanya Tageq freestyle sensation!-- 10. Hidden Place 11. Play Dead Part 2 1. You've Been Flirting Again 2. Isobel 3. Pagan Poetry 4. Venus as A Boy 5. Hyperballad 6. Army of Me 7. Bachelorette Encore 1. Human Behaviour 2. In Our Hands Sincerely / Kevin - 3077 |
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