LYKKE LI + Wildbirds and Peacedrum @ Club Soda

By DJ Solespin - Eclectricity - 02/04/2009

Months ago, I found out about the young singer with an unusual name.  The Youth Novels CD arrived at CJLO and I was not very impressed after the initial listen.  I had a feeling there was something to her judging by how her name appeared on charts and lists I came across.  In a discussion with a colleague, he mentioned her live performances are "off the hook."  When the opportunity came to see her at Club Soda on February 4, I took it in the hopes of learning what the big deal about Lykke Li was. 

The opening act, Wildbirds and Peacedrums, did not move me much.  The male and female duo's unstructured music however made more of an impact on those closest to the stage.  The only benefit of their cacophony was the cathartic effect it had on me near the beginning of the night.  Their music represented my mood while waiting for Lykke Li.

The random playlist provided by the resident Ipod or mixed CD was a much needed and welcome relief from the opening act.  The sounds of Bruce Springsteen, Booker T. & MG`s, David Bowie and Desmond Dekker seemed to put the audience in the right mood for Lykke Li.  Those songs served more as an opening act than the opening act.

The time came for Lykke Li to take the stage.  Both the crowd and myself were anticipating her arrival.  I was very eager to experience what was to come.  In my review of the Herbaliser show, I said that I was not familiar with their music and used the crowd reactions to get an understanding of what could be important Herbaliser tracks.  Within a short period of time, I went from an observer to a participant and contemplated moving closer to the action.

The crowd was energetic and receptive to Lykke Li.  Club Soda seems to provide the ideal climate for performers and audience.  Her energy and presence seemed to fuel the crowd. The energy and anticipation was so high that the crowd exploded into applause before the song's end on many occasions. 

As mentioned before, certain tracks off her Youth Novels CD created more reaction than others.  In the midst of one of the songs, a young lady told me we were grooving to "Breaking It Up" after I asked her.  "Complaint Department" needed no consultation and caused the most damage upon impact.  

Wildbirds and Peacedrums joined her on stage for one of her songs.  That was almost a redeeming factor for them.  It was nice to see them with Lykke Li and nearly made me forgive what they did earlier.

Near the middle of the show, Lykke Li apologized for her voice and compared it to one of a popular Southern rapper.  Never at any point did she give the impression she was ill.  She did the opposite which is what a performer is supposed to do.  Little did we know that was going to signal the beginning of the end of the night.

At the end of the show, her voice seemed to have broken and cracked mid-song and she blamed the gruelling tour schedule for her condition.  The crowd naturally wanted an encore and it seemed highly doubtful there would be one.  Magically, the four performers returned to the stage for a final number.  There was something bittersweet when they took the stage.  The bittersweet feeling was expressed in the final song of the night.  She and the band did a stripped down cover of A Tribe Called Quest's "Can I Kick It".  I was touched she returned to the stage and of all songs to cover, she chose that one. 

Ideally, the concert should have been fifteen to thirty minutes longer.  Perhaps that will happen when she releases her next CD.  I was contemplating writing a Youth Novels review, but I have written more than enough on her now.  Follow my example by checking out the CD and her live performance whenever you can.  Hopefully she will be at full strength at that time.  There is one thing that is certain though: we might see each other at the front of the stage or I could tell you the name of a track making us groove.

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