Live: Lykke Li at Le Poisson Rouge, NYC, December 1, 2010

December 02, 2010


When Lykke Li played Bowery Ballroom a couple years ago, just as her debut album, Youth Novels, was breaking in the States, she took the opportunity, or was forced by the circumstances, to prove that she was not the shy child introduced on songs like "Little Bit" and "Dance, Dance, Dance." She was the boss, and from that moment she was already guaranteeing that the follow-up would be a lot different. Wounded Rhymes definitely is—more adult, more assured, more weary, more powerful, a lot louder—and as she told us for the cover story of Issue #71, it was borne from both the experience of touring the world and dealing with a broken heart.


So when Lykke Li made her return to the U.S. in anticipation of this new record, at New York's compact Le Poisson Rouge, the aim was entirely different. She now has the wild and weary music to match her presentation, so when she wound her hips down to the floor in an all-black leotard and silky cape, surrounded by rapt young ladies and a semi-strange collection of ogling fellas, it was obvious she was not trying to be cute. In fact, we received more than one text from friends in the room calling her "gangster" or one particularly apt appraisal: "No fuckeries." That is British for "This person is quite self-confident."

See for yourself.

We'll have the full cover story up in a couple weeks, along with plenty of extras, including our own fancy video from the show, some stills from which you can see below along with the setlist and Lykke's spring North American tour dates.

Setlist:
Come Near
Youth Knows No Pain
I'm Good I'm Gone
Love Out Of Lust
I Follow
Little Bit
Velvet
Paris Blue
Jerome
Dance, Dance, Dance
Rich Kid
Sadness
Breaking It Up/Silent Shout
Until
Get Some

Encore:
Possibility
Unrequited Love

Lykke Li Spring 2011 tour dates:
5/15/11 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
5/16/11 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
5/17/11 New York, NY @ Webster Hall
5/18/11 New York, NY @ Webster Hall
5/20/11 Boston, MA @ Paradise
5/21/11 Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
5/22/11 Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
5/23/11 Chicago, IL @ Metro
5/26/11 Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market
5/27/11 Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
5/28/11 Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
5/30/11 San Francisco, CA @ Grand Ballroom @ Regency Center



Live: Lykke Li at Le Poisson Rouge, NYC, December 1, 2010