October 8, 2024

REVIEW: PJ Harvey Live in Portland

PJ Harvey
Theater of the Clouds, Portland
October 7, 2024

"Arms and legs were in the trees," sang Polly Jean Harvey during "The Words That Maketh Murder," her head tilted upward for dramatic emphasis. This subtle physical movement lent a harrowing narrative even more power; for this artist, music isn't just something to be played, it's something to be experienced and felt profoundly.

On those counts, Harvey succeeded magnificently in Portland. What transpired at Theater of the Clouds resists description. Poetry set to music? Chamber death-pop? A magic realism song suite? "Alternative icon takes it to next level?" The old saying "writing about music is like dancing about architecture" seems targeted to nights like this. Harvey's a sophisticated songwriter, but even here, feelings and movement prevailed over words. She danced, floated about the stage, and frequently stopped by each bandmember, absorbing the sound. At one point, Harvey traced a huge circle with her hand from the ground to the air above her head. "Walk through this portal with me," she seemed to be saying to the audience.

Poetry, the folk tradition and a contemplated, mature vision define Harvey's current tour in support of her 2023 album I Inside the Old Year Dying. Gradually unfolding amid mood-setting stage lights, this was a journey haunted by mortality, emotional longing, and fleeting seasons. The show was audacious, but that should come as no surprise: Harvey, a generational/Gen X comet, has always been heroic. Her lo-fi, early LPs found her asserting her identity with whisper-to-a-scream dynamics, which gave way to the shimmering, narcotic savagery of To Bring You My Love (1995) and other critically hailed works such as Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (2000), Uh Huh Her (2004), and Let England Shake (2011). 

I Inside the Old Year Dying, the Dorset, England musician's 10th album and first effort in seven years, was a creation reportedly spurred by heavy self-reflection. In her fifth decade, the stakes likely feel higher to Harvey, and this knotty, 12-track escapade of atmosphere, reality-bending, and fire-glow storytelling is the second-most graphic advertisement of where she finds herself artistically now. In first place? This spellbinding show, a fine case study of music-as-performance-art that runs through the entire (!) new album in order, then saves the more familiar, crowd-pleasing works for the back half of the night. 

Dressed in a flowing white dress adorned with a pattern of tree branches, Harvey moved about the stage, waving her arms, bending and crouching, as if she wanted to divert attention back to her band (longtime collaborator John Parish, along with drummer Jean-Marc Butty and multi-instrumentalists Giovanni Ferrario and James Johnston). With its intricate soundscapes, this backing quartet summoned a majestic musical environment, and Harvey's vocals were crystalline. Additionally, her presence while delivering these songs was strikingly theatrical. Why waste time in your fifties? When she dreamed up I Inside the Old Year Dying being performed live, maximization must have been Harvey's North Star.

Playing your entire new album to start your show is a gambit very few touring artists would attempt, but Harvey is one of the daring few that can pull it off. From the droning "Prayer at the Gate" to the percolating and spectral "The Nether-edge" to the martial drum-inflected, abrasive "A Noiseless Noise" ("Absence/Cold moon comes down curdling... know you every tear in these woods"), a transformative odyssey had occurred for all assembled. On the sound system, the tolling of church bells and birds chirping between songs lent continuity and a sense of place. Some music undeniably benefits from being played live, and this latest Harvey album, an opaque yet rewarding ride, definitely found its strongest context onstage. 

For all her poetic/artistic impulses and achievements, Harvey understands showmanship and the potency of her work outside of this latest album. After a backing band-only performance of "The Colour of Earth" that acted as a dividing line between the show's two acts, Harvey reemerged in a plain white dress, as if cleansed, and got down to other business. Rid of Me's "50ft Queenie," with its careening chaos, stood in slightly awkward contrast to the calmer, elegant Dying material (it was actually a nice palate-cleanser). "The Desperate Kingdom of Love" found Harvey on an acoustic, in one of the evening's more intimate moments. She appears so possessed and otherworldly at times, a selection like that zooms in on, and humanizes her. 

As with Harvey's repertoire overall, such quietude gives way to a tempest, so it was fitting that the penultimate song of the night was the feral, jagged "To Bring You My Love," radiating high voltage courtesy of Parish's guitar. When Harvey snarled, "I've traveled over dry earth and floods/Hell and high water to bring you my love," you believed her, and on a different level, also felt appreciation for all the intense work she's put into being the artist she is. Is Harvey suffering too much for her art? Worry not  she actually offered some personal reassurance during the encore, "Horses in My Dreams": 

"Rode a horse round the world
Along the tracks of a train
Broke the record, found the gold
Set myself free again...
I have pulled myself clear..."


Photo credit: Steve Gullick

July 26, 2024

Thicker Than Blood: Extreme Carries On

It was a Sunday in Sacramento. The congregation was on its feet. The figure in the spotlight, Gary Cherone, preached an urgent message: 

"Love is all, all you need..." 

That line may come from the Extreme song "Thicker Than Blood," but it's also a key band ethos. Whether Extreme is delivering the goods in dusty Northern California, or at Hellfest in Clisson, France, their beliefs remain intact. These guys are steadfast — truly dedicated to their cause. 

Anything this durable begs examination. In 1990, the power trio King's X proclaimed, "It's love that holds it all together." But what's holding Extreme together in 2024? Based on the observable evidence, it's fan devotion, and a commitment to each other. America may run on Dunkin', but Extreme's using another fuel altogether. This is a robust, Boston-bred brotherhood, full of intention and propelled by an enviable, high-flying songbook. On tour in support of Extreme's 2023 album Six are Cherone (vocals), Nuno Bettencourt (guitar, vocals), Pat Badger (bass), and first-rate drummer Kevin Figueirido, a fellow Bay Stater onboarded in 2007.

Gary Cherone in Sacramento
"Here I am, on the road again..." At Hard Rock Live in Sacramento last February, Extreme was hitting it for the third consecutive night (shows in Indio and Phoenix preceded this gig), but they still radiated vitality. Cherone's spry energy and Bettencourt's Washburn acrobatics combined to sensational effect. Meanwhile, Badger reinforced his rep as a secret weapon, with his on-point backing vocals and rhythm. Touring logistics unavoidably conjure the exhausted, "playin' star again" blues of Bob Seger's "Turn the Page," but wait... there's something else going on here. Call it joy, call it feeding off the crowd, call it what you want. Watching Extreme, a lifelong music fan was reminded of Brad Delp singing "Rock and Roll Band," his tenor aloft and awestruck: 

"But when we got up on stage and got ready to play, people came alive / Rock and roll band, everybody's waitin' / Getting' crazy, anticipatin' / Love and music..."
 
Like that other act out of Boston, Extreme takes none of this for granted. And notably, given their 39 years of existence, they can boast being 3/4 intact, making them a near-anomaly when compared to other acts of their era. (The metric would be 100% instead of 75%, but founding drummer Paul Geary left in 1994 to become an artist manager). The band clearly values authenticity and dignity; they wouldn't allow some near-tribute outfit to go out there, so don't expect "Badger's Extreme Evening" or "Cherone's Side of the Story" to be hitting a club near you anytime soon. 

Figueirido, Bettencourt, Cherone and Badger

Extreme's overall longevity is commendable.
There have been on-again, off-again eras, but Nuno, Gary and Pat have consistently found their way back to each other, as family often does. Extreme 
formed in the mid-'80s, and after winning "Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Band" two years in a row at the Boston Music Awards, they were signed to A&M Records, and released their self-titled debut in 1989. That timestamp feels especially momentous in hindsight, because it shows that Extreme arrived at a distinct midpoint between the peak of Sunset Strip glam-rock debauchery and Seattle angst. Lyrics from their haymaker of a debut single, "Kid Ego," seem to address the failings of hair metal and its attendant Icarus narratives that set the stage for grunge: "Some modesty would suit you better"; "...the bigger they come / The harder they must all fall."

Upon reflection, the guys in Extreme were too creative and emotionally intelligent to convincingly be branded hair metal. They were too upbeat, too East Coast (and too early) for grunge. Ultimately, they were too steeped in the sweet emotion, bombast, and guitar heroism of '70s rock to deny they stood on the shoulders of giants (Daltrey-Townshend, Mercury-May, Plant-Page, Tyler-Perry, Edward Van Halen). 

It's what they did with those influences that matters. Extreme forged their own path, revealing a songwriting and performance sophistication that outclassed all the mascara-smeared, Gazzari's-playing, Rainbow Bar and Grill pizza-eating gutter rats. In the process, they created a form of counterprogramming to what was out there at the time. They were reverent classicists with a vision, more A Night at the Opera than Look What the Cat Dragged In.

Extreme's concept albums, vulnerability, and bold eclecticism (heavy metal shredding, funk, piano torch songs, acoustic rave-ups, musical theater references, etc.) set them apart, but not at the expense of success. They conquered the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991 with the number one hit "More Than Words," a harmony-drenched, evergreen ballad now woven into the American (and easily, global) musical tapestry. Their pop instincts served them well yet again that year when the single "Hole Hearted" reached number four on the same chart a few months later, adding to the double-platinum success of their second LP Extreme II: Pornograffiti.

1992 saw the release of III Sides to Every Story, a thrill ride of existential, romantic and political themes that showcased the quartet's artistic bravery and potential. While recording that album, Extreme received an invite to perform at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium, and were even introduced onstage by Brian May (an avowed Bettencourt fan to this day — check YouTube). Like "More Than Words," Wembley was major profile boost for Extreme, and one of their finest hours. But sadly, and as Yeats once wrote, things fall apart; the center cannot hold. Following Geary's 1994 departure, the band recorded 1995's Waiting for the Punchline, went on tour, and broke up the next year.

A long, winding road then unfurled for Extreme. It's a complex timeline marked by Cherone's stint in Van Halen and solo ventures (Tribe of Judah, Hurtsmile); Bettencourt's own projects (the Schizophonic album, Mourning Widows, DramaGods, Satellite Party) as well as a gig playing for Rihanna; and various reunions, hiatuses and tours. 2008 marked the arrival of Saudades de Rock, Extreme's last full-length effort for 15 years. In spite of all the upheaval, track 4 of Saudades found the band unbroken and defiant: "They'll never take us alive."

With the release of 2023's Six, Extreme delivered a mature, late-career statement — one greeted with acclaim and undeniable fan excitement. It also sent guitar aficionados into their bedrooms to decode Bettencourt's light-up-the-sky, god-tier solo from the lead single "Rise." Dedicated to the late Edward Van Halen, Six means business — it's by turns explosive (the confrontational thunder of "The Mask," the Internet troll-crushing "#Rebel"), romantic ("Other Side of the Rainbow"), and unexpectedly devastating ("Hurricane"). As with any Extreme album, Six also colors outside the lines, with haunting industrial textures ("X Out") and even beach-ready summer pop ("Beautiful Girls"). The closing track, "Here's to the Losers," finds Extreme inverting "We Are the Champions" in the name of compassion ("...you cannot win them all / We all have dropped the ball at one time / Game on the line "). This warmhearted benediction is among Six's best moments.

Nuno Bettencourt
Six is full of songs meant to be played live, and in Sacramento, Extreme summoned the power and precision to do their newer material justice. "Banshee" and "#Rebel" brought the passion and warfare, while "Other Side of the Rainbow" and "Small Town Beautiful" provided exhilaration and grace. At certain moments, there were direct quotes of Van Halen, Sam Cooke, Elvis, Queen, and even Andrew Lloyd Webber  bits of hero worship that underlined the band's respect for their predecessors. "Cupid's Dead" (from III Sides) was a dizzying zenith, with its tightly coiled funk, breakbeats and rapid-fire Nuno runs. Mid-set, "Am I Ever Gonna Change" served as a challenge and reminder that human struggle is universal. Still, the next selection, "Thicker Than Blood," offered a solution 
 one that's helped Extreme carry on for 39 years:

"Just take a look around / There’s so much to be found / Open your heart and you’ll find in you / Love is all, all you need..."

Extreme hits the road again this September in the U.S. and Canada. Tour dates:

Sep. 1 - VooDoo Lounge - Kansas City, MO
Sep. 4 – The Pub Station – Billings, MT
Sep. 5 – The Newberry – Great Falls, MT
Sep. 7 - Emerald Queen Casino - Tacoma, WA
Sep. 8 – Knitting Factory Concert House – Spokane, WA
Sep. 10 – Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver, Canada
Sep. 12 – River Cree Casino & Resort – Enoch, Canada
Sep. 13 – Grey Eagle Event Centre – Tsuut'ina, Canada
Sep. 15 – TCU Place – Saskatoon, Canada
Sep. 16 – Casino Regina – Regina, Canada
Sep. 18 – Club Regent Casino – Winnipeg, Canada
Sep. 20 – Thunder Bay Community Auditorium – Thunder Bay, Canada
Sep. 21 – EPIC Event Center – Green Bay, WI
Sep. 22 - Mystic Lake Casino Hotel - Prior Lake, MN
Sep. 24 – Taft Theatre – Cincinnati, OH
Sep. 25 – Riviera Theatre – N. Tonawanda, NY
Sep. 27 – Casino Rama Resort – Rama, Canada
Sep. 28 – MTELUS – Montréal, Canada

Photo credits: Extreme group photo by Jesse Lirola. Live photos by Mary Layton.