Midwest Music: Lykke Li at Bottom Lounge(Chicago)

CLICK TO ENLARGELykke Li took the stage last Friday night at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago. The show was one of several post-Lollapalooza concerts that took place throughout the weekend. Openers for Li were two other foreign acts, also worth checking out, Miike Snow and Esser.
Loving Li’s music since the first time I heard it made me a little worried about attending the show. You know that feeling you get when you realllly like an artist then you hear them live and it sounds so shitty that you never listen to them again? Well, lucky for me, that wasn’t the case. In fact, it was the opposite.
Li gave the crowd every ounce of her energy, saying she was an old soul for the night and we were her young people. The petite yet soulful Swede belted out tunes from her ‘Youth Novels’ album throwing in one or two new ones. At one point, Miike Snow even joined Li on stage for a jamboree. Not one dull moment at this show.
Beyond the music, Li’s style was intensely inspiring to me. She wore all black. A blousy tunic, liquid leggings, and a ruffled scarf. Utterly uncomplicated and chic.
If you want a good taste of Lykke Li in great form, check out her Black Cab Session. Otherwise, you can hear more and see future tour dates on her Myspace page: www.myspace.com/lykkeli