New York Magazine may have put it best when they said “Lykke Li used to pretend she was a Swedish pop star. Now she is one.”
I was lucky enough to experience Lykke Li last Thursday at Le Poisson Rouge – a kind of theatre in the round experience which is great because there’s no backstage which forced the sexy Swede to part the seas of the audience up close and personal.
Lykke Li posseses a kind of magical power that is at once generous and restrained. Her lyrics are lovelorn and her vibe is somewhat manic — her leotard, black eyeliner, chunky heeled boots and oversized jacket revealed a sex kitten energy that felt playful and dangerous.
BTW – I adore her and the album took on a whole new meaning for me after this haunting performance. With vodka in hand I teared up during the devastating “Tonight.” And using a bullhorn for “Complaint Department,” she sang/informed that “If you wanna complain/I’m not the complaint departmen.” I couldn’t help but feel empowered in a kind of “Army of Me” Bjork-fashion.
Of course “Little Bit” was amazing, see live video here. She was innovative and timely as all hell closing “Dance Dance Dance” with a bit of Vampire Weekend’s “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa.” What girl (or dancey boy) can’t relate to “Having troubles telling how I feel but I can dance dance dance…” ?
And after saying “What should I do now? I feel like doing something special…that everyone can sing along to,” she integrated Tribe’s “Can I Kick It?” into her encore. Amaaaazing!
For more photos check out my pal Nicky Digital’s awesome site!
For more Lykke Li goodness check out this amazing widget:
Leave A Comment!