Standing in the Glass House felt more like being in a school gymnasium than a concert venue. I was surrounded by a snack bar selling two dollar French fries and one dollar Doritos, middle and high school kids running around and screaming at some of the celebs who showed their faces to tonight’s show, and bitter adults who were disappointed that instead of a Kettle One and Tonic, had to settle for Sierra Mist and Pretzels. But The 45 minute drive to Pomoma, California was worth every bit of gas that I owe the Audi A6 in order to catch Swedish Gypsy Rock star, Lykke Li. Lykke has quickly become the next “it” girl, and leads a musical movement I like to refer to as the Sweden Invasion. When I first “relocated” out to Los Angeles, her album “Youth Novels” got me through more lonely nights in this town then I care to recap. It was also there during some of the best. Her upbeat rhythms and slowed down tempos are well balanced and curiously attractive. Her voice is a unique angelic and sexy jazz tone that is impossible to hate, and her lyrics are filled with an international honesty that a gymnasium full of mixed generations can relate to. I would imagine it’s like this everywhere she goes. Packed gymnasiums all over the world in London, Germany, LA, France all munching on chips and dip singing along to Lykke Li- she definitely has that power to pull off such a feat.

Equipped with three band mates, Lykke’s set is all about the energy and the music. She takes center stage with a cowbell in hand and pumps out the beat to the opening song which encourages you to Dance Dance Dance! The opening lyrics are my favorite, “Having trouble sharing, how I feel but I, can Dance Dance Dance!!” The sold out Glass House needs not another second to join in, and soon the dark room is jumping and singing along. Yes, I do feel like a gitty little girl going to see N*Sync for the first time. And yes, I am trying to look sort of cool and not too crazy in front of the people I came with. Whatever. Lykke possess a contagious energy on stage that is part b-girl and part aerobics instructor and when you watch her, she draws you into the music even if your not familiar with the songs. Dressed in layers of black cloth, bling, and a Kazoo, Li looks like a phantom musical spirit against the solid white lights. Prancing around, shedding and replacing parts of her garb, moving about and banging cymbals, playing her Kazoo (which sounds awesome) and banging on her cowbell- she is a musical ringmaster that carries a Crique mystique. The chemistry between her band is skin-tight, and at times, the keyboard player uses a voice modulator that would put T-pain to shame. The live interpretations of her songs were better than the album, and her voice never missed a note. A few covers were thrown in the set which spanned from Tears On My Pillow to A Tribe Called Quest, and her rendition of the music was classic. Lykke is a fearless performer who knows it’s her time. She works hard on stage and I’m sure even harder off- and it is clearly paying off. As she sings in “I’m Good, I’m Gone”, “I’m working, I sweat, but it’s all good, I’m breaking my back but it’s all good ‘Cause I know i’ll get it back, Yeah, i know your hands will clap.”

She’s a singer, rapper, Kazoo player and storyteller who is now paving her own lane…indeed our hands are clapping for you Lykke.

A. Landon
www.loudvine.com