First Aid Kit - Live in Brooklyn

Super Talented Sisters from Sweden

When I told people that I was going to see First Aid Kit, barely able to contain my excitement, I was met with blank stares, shaking heads or “never heard of them”.  It’s a shame (which, coincidentally, happens to be the title of one of their most popular hits).  Sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg are two of the most talented musicians to come out of Sweden in recent years.  Their music is labeled as folk but their live performance had a distinct rock flavor to it with an abundance of guitar riffs and drum solos.  Their sound also leans towards country, with exquisite harmonies that can be both joyful and sorrowful and their poetic lyrics enhance their appeal.

Their first album, The Big Black and the Blue, was released in 2010 and was produced by their father, and earned the duo a lot of positive attention on the folk and country music scene.  Their second album, The Lion’s Roar, was released in 2012 and featured the hit, Emmylou – which is the song that first made me fall in love with them (as a long-time fan of Emmylou Harris, who lends her name to the title of the song).  The title track was also a big success for the duo.  Album number three, Stay Gold, was released in 2014 and included the singles Silver Lining (another one of my favorite FAK tracks) and Cedar Lane.  Their most recent album, Ruins, was released in 2018.  The first song on the album, Rebel Heart, gave rise to the name of their current world tour, The Rebel Heart Tour (not to be confused with Madonna’s incredible Rebel Heart Tour of 2015 – 2016).

Brooklyn Steel, a 1800 capacity live music venue in Williamsburg, was the venue for the two-night New York leg of their tour.  This was my first visit to BkS and I was rather impressed with the space.  The checking of tickets and security screening were super efficient and the space itself is superior to other warehouse venues such as Terminal 5 in terms of stage visibility, with no pillars to obscure your views.  Though the venue was full, it did not feel crowded and it was really easy to get a drink from the bar, which is always important.  The bathrooms were spacious as and well-maintained (I thought the bowl of candy and mints was a nice touch).

Their opening act was Australian singer Julia Jacklin whose folksy rock vibe complimented that of the main act and did a good job of preparing the crowd for the talented sisters.  Before long, FAK took to the stage, Johanna in what looked to be a red vinyl dress and Klara in a sparkling silver sequins skirt and red top, for a magical show that made me love them even more.  The setlist was as follows:

1. Distant Star
2. It’s A Shame
3. Master Pretender
4. Stay Gold
5. The Lion’s Roar
6. You Are The Problem Here (a song in support of the victims of sexual assault and a confrontation of the perpetrators)
7. Ugly (their first live performance of this song from their upcoming EP)
8. Ghost Town (again, not to be confused with Madonna’s)
9. Hem Of Her Dress (which included a fun Irish pub kind of sing-along at the end)
10. King Of The World
11. Wolf (I love the story of wolf-mother and wolf-father and the hey-ya hey-ya refrain)
12. Emmylou (goosebump moment!)
13. Nothing Has To Be True (a beautiful ballad from Ruins)

Encore

1. Rebel Heart (which included cool heart-shaped light projections)
2. Fireworks (one of the best tracks from Ruins with its relatable “why do I do this to myself?” line)
3. Silver Lining (the perfect ending to a perfect show, reminding the audience that sometimes you gotta “keep on keepin’ on”)