Friday evening Wolf Trap’s Filene Center played host to one of the UK’s most prolific and eclectic indie artists, PJ Harvey, who in tandem with her nine-piece band of musicians took the stage with no opener to set a mood, but a dramatic one it would become.
PJ Harvey is no stranger to on-stage theatrics, but seeing her poised and repetitive motions live is an experience all its own. Her stage presence is beyond commanding, leading her backing band in every sense—feeling every note with moves set against a thundering bass drum.
This is particularly the case in songs such as “Down by the Water” and her set opener, “Chain of Keys.” It feels as if we’re privy to a story unfolding which adds a heightened dimension to the flow of the evening, as was the case with “The Ministry of Defense.” I swear I got goosebumps as every musician on stage chimed in for the chorus’s beautiful melodies for one of the most dramatic shows I’ve seen in many years.
For the last two songs of the main set, Harvey enlisted the help of some local artists from DC’s Anacostia Union Temple Baptist Church Choir. The choir added an distinct element of depth and fullness to the live experience.
Touring in support of her 2016 release The Hope Six Demolition Project which was nominated for a Grammy, PJ Harvey has already made stops in most major cities in the US and Canada and will soon head to back to Europe for live dates through August.
SETLIST
Chain of Keys
The Ministry of Defence
Shame
All & Everyone
Let England Shake
The Words That Maketh Murder
The Glorious Land
The Devil
Dear Darkness
White Chalk
In the Dark Places
The Wheel
The Ministry of Social Affairs
50ft Queenie
To Bring You My Love
Down by the Water
The Community of Hope
(With Anacostia’s Union Temple Baptist Church Choir)
River Anacostia
(With Anacostia’s Union Temple Baptist Church Choir)
ENCORE
The Last Living Rose
The River
