What does a Fever Ray concert look like? Well, imagine stumbling upon a pagan sacrificial ritual in a misty forest under the blanket of night… if a laser-tag game was raging the heavens. Oh, and don’t forget a touch of Grandma’s house, maybe some antique lamps scattered around the stage. It might look something like that.
Fever Ray—Karin Andersson of the beloved Swedish electronic duo The Knife—put on two otherworldly, thrilling shows at New York’s Webster Hall this week.
Not that you can really see her; a furry black cloak swallowed her head for half of the show, so it often felt like jamming to one of the creatures from Where the Wild Things Are in concert. But nothing could take away from her inimitable voice, which was in great form—she went from a child-like whine to a god-like boom within the space of a single verse, whether singing “the hit” (“When I Grow Up”) or standout album tracks like “Seven” and “I’m Not Done.”
Her onstage entourage of musicians were dressed similarly: If she was the high priestess, they were the druids lurching to her eerie synths and tribal electro weirdness. The whole thing seemed ancient and subhuman, as if it was transported from some lost pre-Christian civilization.
Which is to say, ‘S wonderful.
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Sounds cool. I don’t know who this is, but based on the bizarro-sounding show, I might have to check her out.
Definitely check her out! I’ve been following Karin since she was part of The Knife (also amazing) I wish I knew about this show, Webster Hall is right in my neighborhood