It is now twenty past one and I have just had breakfast! I woke up late, we had a couple of parties after the show last night at United Palace Theatre. And boy, did we have a good time! The crowd seemed unusually enthusiastic, and I also think all of us are relaxing more and more into the performance. At least, that applies to me.
The show was webcast to some four millions I understand. I wasn´t that nervous though. Maybe at the beginning, because Björk had the wild idea of starting with Cover Me, with the curtains drawn and only me being visible on stage.
A few words about Cover Me in the version we performed last night:
Soon after Björk called me in October to propose the tour to me, she sent me a few songs she thought just the two of us might perform at the shows. One of them was Cover Me, and she sent three different versions of it to me. One of them is on the album Post, another one is the Brodsky Quartet version, and the third one is for a dulcimer decorated with electronic sounds. At the end there is a bit from La Nativité Du Seigneur by Messiaen, a composer Björk adores.
I wanted to create the fourth version of Cover Me, but keep the excerpt from the Messiaen piece at the end, because we both thought it would be highly effective in a concert. I therefore composed an accompaniment to Björk’s singing in a kind of a Messiaen style, so that the organ solo at the close of the song would sound more plausible than in the earlier version. The trick was to not go too far in that direction, because the actual melody is so simple, just in a minor/E major.
Anyway, in the final chord of Cover Me, the curtains fell away and Earth Intruders started. The audience seemed to love it.
We had the same guests as at the last show. They performed admirably.
And now I’m going to take a walk around New York. The sun is shining and it looks like a great day ahead!
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May 6th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
last night was a gorgeous magickal experience, & i thank you all from the bottom of my heart!
May 6th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
You succeeded! I’m glad you’re getting more comfortable : I hope you don’t mind if I call out your name (and probably mess up the pronunciation of ó (oh-oo, right?) at the Apollo
I guess part of the reason we were so particularly enthusiastic is because the theater was so wonderful!
And very good to enjoy this lovely day. It’s cooled off to such a wonderful temperature.
Thanks — and keep up the good work!
May 6th, 2007 at 6:51 pm
So that was you on stage? A superb perfomance! My favorite was Army of Me with the stobe lights and lasers and sounds so loud I could feel it all over my body.
May 6th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
the performance was wonderful, and your version of “Cover Me” was a lovely surprise and a great way to open the show. it really worked in the context of the almost-bizarre decor of the United Palace.
May 6th, 2007 at 8:02 pm
Hello Jonas. I heard you yesterday via Webcast from France. I found amazing your version of Cover Me. I like very much Olivier Messiaen and of course Björk musics, so it was really surprising and gorgeous to hear the two joined in a piece of music. And then going into Earth Intruders with Konono n°1. How is this possible to join such different musics ? Here is the magic of Björk.
I find the shows fantastic (I saw other webcasts and TV shows). It might be a great experience to live that tour. I hope we will have other surprises like Cover Me, a song Björk played only two or three times on stage. “Come to me”, for example …
May 6th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
I was at one of the places you were last night. So now that you’re trying the life of a pop star is time to have your first fan: Me. I hope you heard me screaming: “Love you Jónas” when you first came on stage
I’m really impressed with your work, i find it so valuable. Thank you so much for these two performances.
See you at the Apollo!
May 6th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Jónas, your performances are an invaluable addition to Björk’s tour! I specifically admire ‘Cover Me’ from last night. This song is an invitation for experiments anyway and I think you understand that very well. I like also the new and improved ‘Pleasure is all mine’ very much.
‘Where is the line with you?’ at Radio City was also great, but it could have even more impact from you, IMHO.
Thank you and keep the good work going!
May 7th, 2007 at 1:01 am
Halló! I’m Pablo, from Argentina ,
I would like to know
what about VOLTA TOUR in Argentina .
Please let me know!
Thank you very much ,
Pablooo
http//www.fotolog.com/allisfullofbjork
May 7th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
great job on the opening!!! i was sooo happy to see you there on stage!! what a cool version of cover me you guys did, i went with my boyfriend…who wasnt much of a fan..but he was so stoked by the intro and he also enjoyed the whole concert and now a bjork convert
:D 
i am listening to the stream again and again…reliving each moment…what a dream come true and the best birthday present for me
pagan poetry was the highlight for me…that song inspired many of my self portrait photography [ http://www.livebooksedu.com/nadirah ]
and listening to “declare independence” has got me inspired to shoot more!
good luck with the rest of the tour and i look forwrad to reading about your adventures
May 8th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
Don’t take this the wrong way, Atlantic Records, but can you not afford to provide a proofreader for the lyrics in the booklet? There’s a difference between how “it’s” and “its” are used, and really, can you not afford to provide a proofreader for the booklet? There’s also a difference between “loose” and “lose,” but hey, you’re Atlantic Records, you can make up your own language, can’t you?
Otherwise, Saturday United Palace–beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. New album: beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Thank you, much.
Enjoy.