Seattle Subsonic

Lykke Li Is Good, Now She’s Gone

February 16th, 2009

Man, I’ve seen a lot of really amazing shows lately (you should think about riding my coattails for a couple weeks), and Lykke Li‘s performance at the Showbox this past Friday the 13th was no exception. For starters, the show had scores of energy, not only from the revved up crowd, but also from her superb band. There were only three of them, plus Li, but the phrase “tribal folk orchestra” came to mind; the drummer, in particular, was outstanding. Secondly—and for all you out there who’ve passed on her music because of its overly heartsick, mellow feel—the Swede and her band radically altered their songs to be far more potent and percussive, and did much to veil the somber sound that dominates the record. It was big and boisterous and blaring. Finally, Li is the consummate performer: her confidence, voice, and general oddball manner completely complement her ability to command the stage.

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Most people refer to her as a “Swedish pop sensation”, a label that’s a bit lazy, if not altogether wrong. I even read where someone thought she sounded like a 6-year-old, which I interpreted as an insult and unnecessary. Her music is too varied for “pop” to be the primary definition; she is more dynamic than demure, and exudes more sass than sex, easily separating her from other “sensations”. Born Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson, she is, however, obviously Swedish.

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Draped in a droopy black shirt and a leopard print scarf, her herky-jerky, elbow-akimbo moves and unique vocals reminded me of a sort of bird creature. Everything was kind of animalistic, I guess. After a personless instrumental version of “Melodies and Desires”, the set began with her “shy” song, “Dance, Dance, Dance”. Although the first half was simply Li and a cowbell, her bandmates joined onstage mid song and blew up the latter half with their raucous instruments. Her best and most popular song, “I’m Good, I’m Gone” was played shortly thereafter, removing any suspense of it being the set closer. A rousing “Breaking It Up” would fill that role later on. In a particularly fun moment, Li led the crowd through the “un, deux, trois / quatre cinq six” chant of the haunting “Window Blues”, challenging one side of the venue to the other. One poor sap was even so bold as to get up on stage and hand Li a paper valentine (during her encore performance of “Tonight”, I think). She made no mention of it later on.

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Her concerts have been known for their cover songs, and she infused a short rendition of Lou Reed’s “Walk On The Wild Side” during the encore. I thought that was a bit more palatable than some of the cringe-worthy hip-hop covers she tends toward. Luckily, the bulk of the show was aces.