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Bjork played 2 shows at King's Theatre (pics, setlists), showing virtual reality "Stonemilker" vid @ MoMA PS1 & Rough Trade

photos by David Andrako; words by Bill Pearis

Bjork @ King’s Theatre 3/22/2015
Bjork
Bjork

After her Carnegie Hall shows, Bjork‘s NYC takeover hit Brooklyn’s ornate, gorgeously renovated King’s Theatre for two shows — an evening performance on Wednesday (3/18) and a matinee on Sunday (3/22). Pictures from Sunday’s shows are in this post. I went to Wednesday night’s performance which, like all these shows, had Bjork backed by her Vulnicura collaborator Arca, percussionist Manu Delago and 15-piece chamber ensemble Alarm Will Sound. The show was split into two sections, the Vulnicura material first, then an intermission followed by a mix of songs from throughout her career that fit with the accompaniment.

For the Vulnicura portion, there were projections made by Stephen Malinowski that mapped out the songs’ arrangements linearly in what looked like a highly stylized combo of Garage Band and Guitar Hero. As I was in the balcony and Bjork mainly looked like a yellow dandelion with her face obscured, the projections were hard not to watch. But her voice — and the strings — sounded amazing. The second half, where Bjork came out in a dress, featured other projections and a distinct lack of hits which I knew would be the case, but still pretty mesmerizing. She switched thing’s up for Sunday’s show, adding two songs from Homogenic: “All Neon Like” which apparently hasn’t been played live since 1999, and she encored with “All is Full of Love.” Setlists from both King’s Theatre shows are below.

Bjork’s final three shows in NYC will be at City Center on March 28 and April 1, which are both sold out. Bjork will be back in May for Governors Ball.

In other news, Bjork has just released a video for Vulnicura‘s “Stonemilker” which was made with frequent collaborator Andrew Thomas Huang and was shot using a 360 camera. It was created for virtual reality technology and requires VR headsets to watch. The video debuted on Sunday (3/22) at Rough Trade and will be on display there from every day through Sunday (3/28) from 5-7 PM. You need to purchase Vulnicura (which just came out on vinyl this week) at RT to view it. You can also check out “Stonemilker” at MOMA PS1’s VW Dome from today (3/23) through May 17. A little more info from MoMA PS1:

In a continuation of Björk’s pioneering use of technology, Stonemilker, directed by Andrew Thomas Huang, explores the potential for Virtual Reality as a performance platform outside the scope of a traditional music video. Upon entering the VW Dome, the visitor is immersed in a panoramic view of an Icelandic landscape, while the ambient sounds of the waves flood the space. Ten viewing stations are fitted with VR headsets through which the audience can enter Björk’s virtual world. The VR experience lasts for seven minutes, and allows each visitor to interact with one of Björk’s most raw and revealing performances to date in a manner that is both intimate and confrontational.

Full MoMA PS1 admission ($10 adults, $5 students and seniors) is required to view “Stonemilker.”

More pics from Bjork’s 3/22 King’s Theatre performance, below…


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SETLIST: Bjork @ King’s Theatre 3/22/2015
Stonemilker
Lionsong
History of Touches
Black Lake
Family
Notget

Second Set:
Pleasure Is All Mine
Come to Me
All Neon Like
I See Who You Are
Quicksand
Mouth Mantra
Wanderlust

Encore:
All Is Full of Love

SETLIST: Bjork @ King’s Theatre 3/18/2015
Stonemilker
Lionsong
History of Touches
Black Lake
Family
Notget

Second Set:
Pleasure Is All Mine
Come to Me
Undo
I See Who You Are
Quicksand
Mouth Mantra

Encore:
Harm of Will
Wanderlust