REVIEW: First Aid Kit | 7.12.23 @ The Ryman Auditorium [PHOTOS]

First Aid Kit
w/ The Weather Station
The Ryman Auditorium; Nashville, TN
July 12, 2023

Review by Philip Obenschain. Photos by Mary-Beth Blankenship.

Though they hail from Sweden, indie folk sister duo First Aid Kit have been no strangers to Nashville throughout their career, and, in fact, have made it to Music City on tour around the release of every single album. They played The End in 2010, in support of debut The Big Black and Blue, graduated to 3rd & Lindsley for 2012 breakout The Lion’s Roar, and have since been fixtures at the wonderfully well-suited Ryman Auditorium, in 2014 for Stay Gold, and in 2018 for Ruins. In support of their latest, fifth LP, last fall’s Palomino, it feels only fitting that the duo returned once more to The Mother Church, for yet another stunning, intimate, and magical show. Despite attending most every Nashville performance they’ve ever played, each time feels so fresh, unique, and special, and after a five year wait for their return- the longest gap between Music City shows- it was wonderful to see First Aid Kit back at the best-sounding room in town. Read on for our review and photos from the duo’s latest stop!

Arriving just a bit late, I caught the tail end of opener The Weather Station, a project I’ve seen a couple times before at other shows and fests, and whose folky, indie stylings mesh well with First Aid Kit, setting a perfect tone for the evening. Taking my seat, I was met with a packed house, and, as expected, a pretty mellow and diverse crowd, who largely remained seated (though very enthusiastic) throughout the show. I noticed a gigantic projector in the balcony, cluing me into First Aid Kit’s production for this tour, which, otherwise, looked pretty low-key and tasteful, with some shimmering stage adornments separating the backing band from the sisters’ parallel mics, and some cool strips of lights along and on the edges of the stage.

By the time the band- sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg- emerged, the room was buzzing with anticipation, and as they launched into “Palomino,” the title track from their latest record, they were met with rapturous cheers. There’s really no matching the dynamic of a duo who’ve made music together for literally the entire lives (and have been in this band together formally for half of them), and now, as they enter their 30s, the Söderbergs seem as locked in, polished, and in sync as ever, boasting unreal harmonies, effortless guitar and bass work, and an even more lived-out feeling of life experience and thematic earnestness, all boosted by their supportive, palpable sisterly bond. Their discography is truly remarkable, and Palomino is such special, confessional, introspective addition, full of songs that really soared in a live setting, and which I was thrilled to see make up almost half the set, while still leaving plenty of room for old favorites.

That big projector I noticed was used to fill the backdrop with a mix of nostalgic imagery and footage perfectly suited to the vibe of the set, as, in the front half, many of the songs came from more recent albums. About halfway through, the curtain dropped, foregoing video to reveal a huge, tactile, illuminated sun and clouds, which would serve as the background for the reminder of the show, peppered in with older tunes and covers. As usual, the duo were backed with a group of fantastic additional players, handling drums, keyboards, guitars, and mandolin, but after their rendition of new tune “Wild Horses II” (which, they explained, they envisioned as a sort of sequel to “Wild Horses,” the tune made popular by The Rolling Stones, though they noted that they preferred the Gram Parsons original), the band stepped away as Johanna and Klara performed a stripped-down cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird.” They shared memories of their youth, prior memories of Nashville, and more throughout the show, and particular in this intimate section, proceeding to play “Ghost Town,” from their first album, before being rejoined by the band during “Hem of Her Dress.”

I believe I’ve seen First Aid Kit four times now in Nashville and at a couple more at fests over more than a decade, and they’ve always been one of the best live bands, and most gifted songwriters in modern indie folk. Their shows are lovely, tastefully produced, and engaging, but their raw talent and the strength of the songs themselves are what really set them apart, and what make such a historic and incredible sounding room like The Ryman so uniquely, perfectly suited to their talents. This show, with all their experience, a balance of new and old material from an impressive, and now lengthy discography, and an inherently cool, refined performance style, was as phenomenal as they’ve ever been, and a reminder as to why they’ve long been one of my favorite bands, even as someone who doesn’t listen to a ton of folk music (I hear a lot in their sound of similar acts I’ve long admired, like Bright Eyes and Fleet Foxes). As the set wound down, “Emmylou,” of course, excited huge singalongs, before Ruins tune “Fireworks” brought the initial set to a close.

Returning for a generous encore of “Out of My Head” and “King of the World,” before introducing the band to a rendition of “On the Road Again” (which they recorded a great cover over amidst the pandemic), the show ended, of course, with fan-favorite single “Silver Lining,” before the sisters, their sincere appreciation and humility on full display, took a bow and concluded yet another unforgettable Nashville performance. It’s really wonderful to see how much this town has meant to the band’s history, and I hope they keep coming back to the The Ryman for shows like this forever and ever. Until the next one!

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All photos by Mary-Beth Blankenship.

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Setlist:

Palomino
Angel
It’s A Shame
Fallen Snow
Stay Gold
The Last One
Rebel Heart
The Lion’s Roar
Wild Horses II
Songbird (Fleetwood Mac cover)
Ghost Town
Hem of Her Dress
A Feeling That Never Came
Emmylou
Fireworks

Out of My Head
King of the World
On the Road Again (Willie Nelson cover)
My Silver Lining