Bare Knuckle Lady Beats With Tove Lo

Tove Lo w/ Phoebe Ryan
Showbox SoDo, Seattle, WA
02.06.17

There’s a sense of enigma about Swedish pop chanteuse Tove Lo, who manages to balance not giving a fuck and playing to the machine with aplomb. In person, on her 11-date North American “Lady Wood Tour,” Lo embodies this enigmatic persona with a sexual everygirl nature that pushes the boundaries of the pop comfort zone just far enough to keep the audience on their toes without causing a major commotion. Her fans eat it up.

Kicking off the tour at Seattle’s Showbox SoDo, Lo’s opener Phoebe Ryan has just flown in. Due to weather delays and missing luggage, Ryan is literally on stage in leopard-print pajama pants tucked into studded combat boots, a baseball cap pulled down over her dyed-green locks. But she’s in a great mood, and her smile is infectious. The venue is sold out, and the crowd is already packed in, singing along. It’s not surprising, as Ryan has been making quite a name for herself in the last couple of years.

From her hit collaboration with The Chainsmokers (“All We Know”) to her songwriting credits for artists like Britney Spears and Melanie Martinez, Ryan has been making noticeable pop waves. Ryan’s own tracks, though, avoid the cookie-cutter. There’s a proud weirdo edge to them that feels healthier than your average sugar-pop nuggets. Her pop-punk aesthetic and laid-back attitude make way for a vocal performance that’s unassumingly great. Her mashup of R. Kelly’s “Ignition” and Miguel’s “Do You,” one of her earliest releases, was clearly a crowd favorite. With a three-person band backing her clean, breathy vocals, Ryan delivered a spare 30-minute set, closing with her latest single, “Dark Side,” and got a great reception from the room.

A white curtain is then raised in front of the stage, as the house sets up for Lo’s set. The room is sold out, and fans jostle for a spot as close as they can get. Suddenly the room goes dark, and the curtain lights up with flame projections silhouetting the stage. The crowd goes nuts as the opening strains of “True Disaster” dance through the room and Lo appears. From here on out, the stage is flushed in vibrantly colored light and smoke, at times Lo barely visible.

But her voice rings clear. And so does her body. She and her backing band leave plenty of time for dance breakdowns between songs, like the extended end of “Influence,” the thumping collaboration with Wiz Khalifa off her second full-length, Lady Wood. Playing several songs for the first time live, she works through a solid set that balances the fresh material with past hits like the chart-topping “Talking Body,” off her 2015 debut, Queen of The Clouds, that has everyone singing along. But frankly, even if you had no idea this was her song, if you didn’t know the words, you’ve probably been hiding under a rock for the past two years.

Lo’s sweet spot is when her killer beats mesh perfectly with her offbeat, bare-knuckle lyrics, all delivered without hesitation. She’s doesn’t sing with humor, or with venom, she’s just singing these phrases like it’s the most natural thing in the world. And that’s why it works. She’s concise and direct, and her hooks are catchy as hell. These are tracks that have the whole room dancing, arms in the air the entire set. Lo shares a few bantering moments with the crowd, but keeps it spare overall, and focused on the work.

Themes of addictive love and the pains of stardom mingle with female empowerment and self-destructive debauchery. The crowd poses with a giant metal vagina, the same as a tattoo on Lo’s arm and matching album art. Lo flashes everyone, pointedly. She is no nonsense, disheveled, and the ultimate cool girl. It’s no surprise that she’s playing to a room that’s basically falling at her feet. What’s surprising is that there are only 11 North American tour dates (thus far). One can only assume that this is all part of the mystery, and Lo is the only one with the key.

Tove Lo Set List
True Disaster
Lady Wood
Influence
Moments
The Way That I Am
Not on Drugs
Thousand Miles
Vibes
Got Love
Talking Body
Imaginary Friend
Keep It Simple
WTF Love Is
Flashes
Cool Girl
What I Want For the Night (Bitches)
Habits (Stay High)