Jessica Pratt at the Bohemian Nat’l Cemetery

Last Friday, I had the opportunity and the honor to see Jessica Pratt perform at the Bohemian National Cemetery, on Chicago’s north side. The show was beautiful. 

It was a jaunt getting to the venue (two buses and a train), but it was absolutely worth it; there could be no better place and time for a musician like Ms. Pratt. The Bohemian National Cemetery is no less than one hundred and twenty-six acres of land. The show took place in what space hasn’t yet been used for burials. It smelled like evergreen trees and cigarettes. From the beginning, the vibe was extraordinarily relaxed: I have never been spoken to so gently by venue security. The crowd talked in indoor voices. I’m not sure if this was the cemetery’s influence at work or Jessica Pratt’s, but everything felt quiet and reverent, including the opener. 

Rose City Band played their laid-back americana while the sun set and late arrivals to the crowd laid out blankets. They began and finished with little ado, but they were perfect mood-setters. By the time they left, it was nearly dark. 

Around eight o'clock, Jessica Pratt took the stage. My friend and I sat far away, so her head looked like a glowing white orb in the mass of blue stage lights. By way of introduction, she asked, in a calm and barely audible voice, how the audience liked being in a cemetery. Then, she talked about the moon’s phases for a little while before opening with the drearily hopeful “World on a String.”

She sang and played beautifully, exactly like the records, if not better. Most of the songs were pulled from Quiet Signs and Here in the Pitch. I was transfixed from beginning to end, but for me, “Get Your Head Out” and “Empires Never Know” were special moments. Everything that makes her music great was only amplified in this performance. It was like a daydream come alive, shared by a graveyard full of people. After each song, she quietly thanked the audience.

By the time the show was over, and we boarded a bus full of people dressed for a night some sixty years ago, my soul was at peace. Ms. Pratt put on one of the best, most magical shows I’ve ever gotten to attend. If you haven’t checked out her music yet, now is the time. It’s lovely, and I am thankful.