It’s too bad I forgot my Fedora at home. Last night at (le) Poisson Rouge - NYC’s Euro trash central located in the heart of the West Village - Swedish hipster queen Lykke Li took center stage. The Material Girl donned herself all in black ala 1980s Madonna – spandex, leotard and oversized blazer with shoulder pads - complete with enough bling to reflect more that just a ray of light. Lykke’s look was a perfect fit for the dark dominatrix-y underground lair. As I wondered about where the whips and chains were stored, I thought about that poor goldfish in the glass box suspension near the entrance. Do they use ball gags and bondage when they bring out the guppy?
The tiny venue was packed with likes of sorority girls, gay and straight men alike. In other words, all the good lookers gathered round the theatre in the round to Dance, Dance, Dance to the cowbell infused Swede pop. As Ms. Li and the band breezed through an infectiously immaculate collection of songs from her debut album, Youth Novels, all I kept asking myself was what was with that getup?
“She’s like a total Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs”, it was as if the very pretty guy next to me (sporting a Fedora of course) was reading my thoughts – well, sort of. “Well, I was thinking more of a new millennium, Like A Virgin…” I was cut off when a sorority girl of seemingly Mid-western decent shoosh’d me. Not wanting to anger the die-hard fans, I remained silent for the duration of Lykke Li’s extensive forty-five minute set.
Focusing back on the pop music I was happy to be chewing bubble gum. If Britney Spears were to use her powers for good instead of evil, the resulting product would be Lykke Li. It’s Lykke, bitch! FYI, megaphone usage is notorious for producing that beloved Britney coo. The Euro-disco vibe of the venue was a perfect compliment to the Swedish acid techno-pop. Lykke Li was high-energy and en vogue like there was nothin’ to it. Her choppy dance moves and rebel yell hair whips with long Avril Lavigne-like tresses extended wildly into the mood light. Hot, sweaty and sexy – Lykke Li has the voice and face of an angel, her sound true to the record - always a pleasant surprise.
The song and dance routine was accompanied by worldly drum machines and keyboard riffs in the single, Little Bit, and was more than well received. “This is a very special night for me” Lykke Li revealed to the crowd, honored to have played in New York City. “I really need a drink!” She holds out her hand to the audience and a lucky contender hands her the rest of his unfinished beer, likely a Red Fish - the aptly named house ale. I would have given mine away too, had I been closer. The damn Stella keg had blown and that’s all that was available at the time. Oddly enough, after a drink of the ‘ole fish, the band geared up for the next track, Complaint Department.
I was most enamored by the very cute (and tall) Swedes that backed her up. Me lyk-kie! A shaggy haired hipster fellow rocked a few power chords on guitar and bass while another gentlemanly Nordic wearing those dorky black-rimmed glasses that women find sexy, played multi-faceted keyboard combos. The Chris Martin look-alike drummer on a standup kit was a total hit with the crowd, except for the two girls he had to shoosh during the encore who were fighting over a drumstick. Lykke liked to sporadically jump about onstage, banging a drumstick on a cymbal or the mic stand or – whatever, to help keep the beat. Evidently, the stick she threw to a couple of screaming fans served more in the realm of a bouquet toss gone terribly wrong.
When Lykke returned to the stage alone for the first part of the encore, a piano solo began with a mean falsetto and finished with the gentle coo-coo-ca-choos of a banshee. In fact, the song ended so softly that she had to remind us it was over. “Yes…? Hello?” She asked a little bit perplexed, and then we remembered to clap.
The real big finish occurred when LL’s alter ego dropped a bombshell and busted out as a hip-hoppin’ MC with her own rendition of a certain infamous Tribe Called Quest jam. “Can I kick it?” She belts out. “Yes you can!” The crowd exclaims, going totally nuts. No one seemed to want the show to end, alas, it had to - whether we lykk-ied it or not.
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