In the mist of the Occupy Oakland debacles and the city itself being under the global microscope, I arrived in Oakland the night of the 9th of November for a different reason. Entering the Fox Theatre for no other reason than to witness a double feature Swedish performance from First Aid Kit and Lykke Li, I felt a slight amount of guilt for not at least wearing a shirt that said, “Who Would Jesus Foreclose On?” (not my idea).
First Aid Kit
First Aid Kit
Opening was Swedish folk duo (with drummer) Johanna and Klara Söderberg aka First Aid Kit. The duo made some waves last year’s Big Black and Blue and their well made rendition of Fever Ray’s When I Grow Up. The pale and angelic group churned out a Stevie Nicks inspired style of harmonic folk not far off from the likes of Azure Ray or a female fronted Mumford & Sons. Their sound radiated across the Fox Theatre, which is know for it’s poor sound quality, despite how gorgeous it is inside.
First Aid Kit
First Aid Kit
First Aid Kit
Still, FAK was able to channel their sound in a way that didn’t initiate the Fox’s distorted and muffled echo. Songs like I Met Up With A King and the single and title track of next year’s The Lion’s Roar highlighted their ability to slip off the vulnerable cloak and become an intimidating force (hence the Nicks comparison). It’s going to be interesting to see if these girls get the attention they deserve once Lion’s Roar gets released on the 24th of January.
Check out their dark video for The Lion’s Roar here.
First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar by Wichita Recordings
Lykke Li
Lykke Li
Lykke Li
The stage was darkly set for the fiery and passionate Lykke Li (Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson) with draped cloth hanging from the rafters and various drum kits peppered throughout the stage. She entered the stage behind thunderous drums and a thick layer of fog that nearly made her invisible behind the mic stand. The entire performance would mirror this atmosphere with the addition of bright white lights, tribal drums, and a very basic yet epic feel. The impression the presentation gave was an extremely dramatic representation of her already visceral and poignant style of music. Each song was graced with a theatrical sense that made the audience feel like this was the first and only show on the tour. Nothing seemed half-assed or dialed in.
Lykke Li
Lykke Li
Lykke Li
It was comforting to hear tracks from 2008’s Youth Novels in the mix, like the danceable I’m Good, I’m Gone and of course the always infectious Little Bit. Also thrown into the setlist was an emotional version of Burt Bacharach’s Please Stay also a few blend-ins with other songs she’s a fan of. For instance, Rich Kid Blues was followed by an almost tribal cover of The Knife’s Silent Shout and Youth Knows No Pain was followed by a collaborative drum-off with Kanye West’s Power being used as the backdrop. She even pulled the ever increasingly popular Kleerup produced track Until We Bleed. With all this surprise and drama behind the performance, I almost forgot ab
out the ever-so intense Get Some until it crept up on me. She closed with an encore of Unrequited Love, which was also blessed with the grace of her brand of spectacle.
Lykke Li
Lykke Li
Overall consensus; she’s a born performer, there’s no question. But what made this show special was the care behind each song and the simple production paired with it’s enormous feel. I felt like I just saw Sigur Ros but instead I witnessed a timid little Swedish girl utterly destroy a theater full of adoring fans. I’m comfortable with saying that I’m impressed.
SETLIST:
Jerome
I’m Good, I’m Gone
Sadness is a Blessing
I Follow Rivers
Dance, Dance, Dance
Please Stay
I Know Places
Little Bit
Love Out of Lust
Rich Kid Blues
Until We Bleed
Youth Knows No Pain
Get Some
ENCORE:
Unrequited Love
For more photos from this show, click here.
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Lykke Li – Get Some from Wounded Rhymes (2011)
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Lykke Li – Unchained Melody (Righteous Brothers Cover)
crowd