Concert Review: First Aid Kit Comes To Heal Broken Hearts At Town Hall

As people entered the rows to do their own melodic, interpretive dances and First Aid Kit fell to their knees in guitar riffs, I thought I was reliving the “old days” when Jerry Lee Lewis would play and light his piano on fire to the crowd’s glee. First Aid Kit served “folk marches” or rather anthemic, folk songs made for you to stomp through your life and days with a set determination. If Town Hall NYC was once a place to hold political discussion, for First Aid Kit, it was one to hold human empowerment.
First Aid Kit – You are the Problem Here (Audio)

Something about their bright, swindling melodies made their guitars reflect song like mirrors reflect light. Chords bounced and glistened into an audience that was absolutely enamored with  Swedish sisters Johanna Söderberg and Klara Söderberg. These darlings are a breathe of fresh air with their sweet smiles and riling personalities. From “Master Pretender” to “Postcard”, people were taking in the soundscape of their songs like one would a beautiful cliffside. Such an image makes sense because these twenty-somethings sing about being young and in love, but being forced to face adult issues. Each track felt like a tale into how love, an even the lack of it, is what pushes people to grow either better or worse. In essence, human connection is what sparks human ascension or degradation. When these sisters unite to sing harmoniously, you swear Mother Nature enters the room to bow. They are elemental in their vocality; going from rousingly fiery to crisp like clearwater. Although I loved their humorous “Girl From Ipanema” cover, due to technical difficulties, the night had two show-stopping instances/ songs  for me.
First Aid Kit – It’s a Shame

The first “moment” that made this show go from good to excellent was the debut of their unreleased track, “Fireworks”. I’ll say it! I cried! This song is so romantic, and a gorgeous portrait of how self-sabotaging we can be when it comes to relationships. From choosing a wrong partner to choosing to treat our lover wrong , “Fireworks” is like a watercolor painting into how self-destruction can ruin potential love, and elaborates that these sisters can hit a vocal range higher than the sky . The second moment came in their opus to Bill Cosby, Donald Trump, The Stanford Rapist, Bill O’Reilly, Harvey Weinstein, and any other sexual predator that fails to see “You Are The Problem Here”. It was clear this song was a passionate and personal track to the ladies, of which I thought the stage would combust from their willful message; if you are a man that sexually hurts a woman then you cannot call yourself innocent human. Their performance embodied the #metoo campaign, which they mentioned, and had everyone cheering like Meryl Streep at a feminist rally.  Who could forget people cheering, dancing in aisles, praising women’s empowerment? Thus, it was these type of moments that proved First Aid Kit are not just “another concert” or “folk-rock” duo; they show artists become stars when they learn music can build memories. For More Information On First Aid Kit Click Here. 
First Aid Kit – My Silver Lining