Frida Hyonen gave a fierce performance last night at the John Waldron Arts Center. Unfortunately, I showed up late and missed out on special guest, Swords of Exactly. Frida made up for my lack of punctuality, however.
All Photos by David Hassell.
Frida is a Swedish songwriter who just released her sophomore album, Silence is Wild on Secretly Canadian. She also plays piano for Jens Lekman, so I was thrilled before the show even began. However, I honestly wasn't expecting her to be as sexy and as fun as she was. She played the piano with fervor, and stood up between songs to shake out the sleeves of her long black dress.
The most unique aspect of the show was simply how it was set up. Her piano was centered in the room, but she didn't face the audience, which gave the show an intimate feel. It was almost like watching a private piano recital.
Her voice rang out powerfully in the tiny brick room, and the way she played the piano was haunting and beautiful. Just her mere presence was stunning; her short hair was shockingly white and she stomped her feet and threw back her head.
Her lyrics were sexual and honest, but not over the top. She gave off the feeling that she didn't care what the audience thought, which was very refreshing. She was just simply herself.
When she was done with her performance, she bowed and then exited the stage. Despite the simplicity of the show, Frida did a magnificent job. I hope she comes back to Bloomington sometime soon, even if Sweden is ridiculously far away.
Cheers,
Katie
