![\"unnamed\"](\"\/wtbu\/files\/2017\/03\/unnamed-358x636.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
You couldn\u2019t have a bad time at a Jens Lekman show if you tried. Despite the frigid winds and icy sidewalks, a sizeable line huddled outside Brighton Music Hall for the sold out concert this Wednesday. The wait paid off, as the Swedish indie-pop singer did his whimsical songs justice (and then some) in a joyful, warm and electric set.<\/p>\n
The opener, Lisa\/Liza, started off with a few acoustic, folky songs, filling the room with ghostly guitar distortions and her sweetly brooding voice. Unfortunately, the ethereal atmosphere was cut through by a slightly boisterous crowd that seemed to think she was there to serve as background music. Liza played assuredly through the din of the crowd, impressively ignoring the Boston bro who was asserting that CD\u2019s were a lost medium.<\/p>\n
Shortly after Lisa\/Liza left the stage, Lekman made his entrance to the great delight of the crowd. He started with an acoustic version of \u201cTo Know Your Mission\u201d off his newest album,\u00a0Life Will See You Now<\/i>. After the intimate first song, Lekman introduced his all-female backing band one-by-one and launched into a lively performance of the first single off\u00a0Life<\/i>, the disco-calypso \u201cWhat\u2019s That Perfume You Wear?\u201d<\/p>\n
It quickly became apparent just how die-hard the crowd was\u2014 and that a Jens Lekman show was not a one-time event. Over half of the crowd cheered that they had seen him before. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to see some familiar faces,\u201d he said. \u201cI like growing old with you.\u201d The crowd sang along to every song, much to the delight of Lekman. He ended many songs by saying, \u201cThat was nice!\u201d and jokingly offered to bring the crowd on tour as his backup choir.<\/p>\n
On stage, Lekman is just as modest, genuine and funny as on his records. Whether he was shaking his tambourine over the audience, swaying during instrumental breaks with his eyes closed and a thoughtful smile on his face, or mock-proposing to an audience member during \u201cI Know What Love Isn\u2019t,\u201d Jens made the Boston show feel like something special\u2014a rare occasion, an all-welcoming club that new friends were being initiated into.<\/p>\n
Lekman\u2019s lyrics are known for telling unique, whimsical stories, and his newest record is no different. Both the upbeat, dance-y songs and his thoughtful, acoustic ones translated excellently into live music. Mixed into the setlist were a few favorites off his exceptional 2007 album,\u00a0Night Falls Over Kortedala<\/i>, including \u201cThe Opposite of Hallelujah\u201d and \u201cSipping on the Sweet Nectar.\u201d He played nearly all of the songs off his new album, infusing each with an infectious joy and satisfying both the new listener and the committed fan. The last two songs, \u201cDandelion Seeds\u201d and \u201cBlack Cab\u201d put the crowd in a relaxed trance as Lekman wound down, but this goodbye was only his first. The enthusiastic crowd demanded not one, but two encores. In the first, Jens sang another old favorite, \u201cMaple Leaves,\u201d and one of his most popular songs, \u201cA Postcard to Nina.\u201d<\/p>\n
The only song Lekman performed in his second encore distilled the mood of the entire night. His intimate songs, the passionate crowd, the feeling of rarity, and even the weather outside all came together as he sang a song he hadn\u2019t in over 10 years\u2014\u201cThe Cold Swedish Winter.\u201d \u201cI looked outside this morning, and I just thought of it,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019ll have to help me if I forget some of the words.\u201d Whispering the last lines of the song and allowing the crowd\u2019s collective voice to swell in and out, Lekman parted ways for the last time with a contented crowd, leaving smiles on every face. Until next time, Jens.<\/p>\n
![\"unnamed-1\"](\"\/wtbu\/files\/2017\/03\/unnamed-1-636x477.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Review and photos by Sophie Sachar<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
You couldn\u2019t have a bad time at a Jens Lekman show if you tried. Despite the frigid winds and icy sidewalks, a sizeable line huddled outside Brighton Music Hall for the sold out concert this Wednesday. The wait paid off, as the Swedish indie-pop singer did his whimsical songs justice (and then some) in a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13221,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1525],"tags":[33,26,88,89,31,25],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/397"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13221"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=397"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/397\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":401,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/397\/revisions\/401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}