PJ Harvey Plays Marilyn Monroe's Old Stomping Grounds

from Addicted To Noise, 5 Oct 1995, http://www.addict.com/

PJ Harvey, more of a recluse than party animal, surprised the patrons at San Francisco's historic Hotel Utah (capacity less than 100 people), where she and her entire band showed up after their gig at the Warfield Theatre last Saturday (Oct. 2).

Harvey was resplendent in leather pants, a midriff-bearing blouse and her jet-black bee hive. The reason for the unscheduled (and unannounced performance) was that the manager of the saloon, Guy Carson, is a long-time friend of Harvey's guitar player, Joe Gore, and keyboardist Eric Feldman, (former Pere Ubu keyboardist and member of Captain Beefheart's Magic Band) and they've been cooking up this show for a long time.

They arrived at the late-night club a little after midnight, and went on stage at 12:40 AM. Playing for an hour, they did some of their hits, with Harvey again picking up the guitar, something she hasn't done at all during this tour. In addition, the band took requests from the capacity-plus crowd.

This is not an unprecedented show. The Counting Crows play the bar whenever they play in the area (some say it's where they got their start). Frank Black has graced the club with his presence, as has the American Music Club and Gregg Allman. It was where the Red House Painters played many a show too. But the Hotel Utah's real claim to fame is the fact that Marilyn Monroe used to drink there.