This month, Björk is presenting a new stage show called “Cornucopia” at The Shed, a new arts venue located in New York City’s Hudson Yards neighborhood. The first “preview” performance took place on Monday night.
In the lead-up to last night’s premiere, Björk described the production as her “most elaborate stage concert yet, where the acoustic and digital will shake hands, encouraged by a bespoke team of collaborators.” She’s accompanied on stage by Viibra, a seven-piece female Icelandic flute ensemble, as well as by a harpist, a percussionist, and a full 50-member choir.
(Buy: Tickets to Björk’s “Cornucopia”)
The result, according to Rock NYC, is a “thrilling, astonishingly beautiful musical and visual illustration of a world where people and nature cross pollinate in matriarchal society. Imagine Avatar as a plant based human mash up.” Rock NYC’s review continues:
“In glowing pinks and greens and musicians decked as a new hybrid humans, it is all flutes, fauns and fauna and Bjork MCs the proceedings in an eggshell bottom and a mask that covers her nose. The sound emerges from everywhere, sometimes from behind you, the drums sometimes thunder like rain, sometimes, as in the introduction to ‘Blissing Me’, water being poured is another effect.”
As for the 19-song setlist, it included the live debuts of “Body Memory” and “Future Forever” from Björk’s latest album, Utopia. She also dusted off the Medúlla track “Show Me Forgiveness” for the first time since 2006. The Debut track “Venus as a Boy” and the Vespertine song “Hidden Place” were both performed live for the first time in over the decade.
Watch fan-shot footage and see the full setlist below. Björk’s “Cornucopia” runs through early June, and you can get tickets here.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxJe0pkA-EI/
Setlist:
The Gate
Utopia
Arisen My Senses
Show Me Forgiveness (First time performed since 2006)
Venus as a Boy (First time performed since 2011)
Claimstaker
Isobel
Blissing Me (with serpentwithfeet)
Body Memory (Live debut)
Hidden Place (First time performed since 2013)
Mouth’s Cradle
Features Creatures
Courtship
Pagan Poetry
Losss
Sue Me
Tabula Rasa
Encore:
Future Forever (Live debut)
Notget
Björk “Corncucopia” 2019 Dates:
05/09 – New York, NY @ The Shed at 8:00 p.m.
05/12 – New York, NY @ The Shed at 7:00 p.m.
05/16 – New York, NY @ The Shed at 8:00 p.m.
05/22 – New York, NY @ The Shed at 7:00 p.m.
05/25 – New York, NY @ The Shed at 8:00 p.m.
05/28 – New York, NY @ The Shed at 7:00 p.m.
06/01 – New York, NY @ The Shed at 8:00 p.m.
