bjork, klaxons, santogold @ madison square garden

i don't normally like huge stadium shows (usually bowery is as big as i like to get), but watching bjork perform at madison square garden was really amazing and enjoyable. we had nosebleed seats, but that's ok because we didn't have to sit next to any crazy people.

i had seen her perform at united palace not too long ago, and was expecting the same show... and it basically was the same show except bjork had on a different outfit, there were red flames bursting up from the stage on the opening number, and at one point bjork squirted out spider webs from her hands into the crowd like she was spiderman. she did her duet with antony of antony and the johnsons, which started off kinda weak, but then antony regained control and really put on a powerful vocal performance. i have to say though, my heart nearly exploded again during "army of me" because the crowd just went FUCKING INSANE. it was crazy. she ended the night during the encore with "declare independence" just as she did during the united palace show.

as i said in my united palace review, it's like watching a musical unfold. this time though, i was thinking this: her show is not as much about the hits as much as it's about the mystical, strange journey she is taking you on. she is able to create a world of her own, and when you're at her concert, you feel like you are not on earth. it's like peeking into another world... or rather peeking into the majesty and chaos that must be bubbling up in bjork's cute lil' head.

the british band the klaxons played as main support, and while i liked their music, i found their live show a bit on the dull side. their music could benefit from a little more of a light show. a lot of their songs started to sound the same, but it all still sounded good... sort of in a lansing-dreiden way, with lots of vocal gymnastics.

santo gold opened the show and they reminded me of m.i.a. meets no doubt or gwen stefani. the california m.i.a., i say (even though she hails from brooklyn). and what do you know, diplo was on the wheels of steel. no wonder!