Little Dragon roars into Detroit

REVIEW (WJRT) -- Is a legendary art deco jazz club the proper venue for an ambient Swedish electronica act who mixes it up with some soulful rock and R&B?

The lush Cliff Bell's in downtown Detroit turned out to be the ideal venue thanks to Atlast Detroit, a production group that partners with recording labels to bring live music and DJs from around the world to Michigan.

Cliff Bell's warm acoustic space provided a sophisticated environment for Gothenburg, Sweden's Little Dragon, a quartet that brought power and perfection to the stage.

The night's entertainment began with the "Hour Detroit" and "Ambassador Magazine" Best DJ of 2009, DJ Powdrblu. He truly set the tone with his trademark styling of lounge beats.

As he quietly stood stage right, he brought the grooves forefront -- the music is the star of his set. A popular local talent, Powdrblu's feel for the crowd has kept him at the forefront of lounge, ambient and house styles for nearly a decade.

Little Dragon's style is often described as electronic and ambient R&B with minimalist soundscapes. However, Little Dragon's performance was anything but minimal or sparse.

The band blends genres, and even bends them. Their ability to weave many musical tapestries may have a lot to do with hailing from Gothenburg. It's a city rich with music history and thriving scenes in just about every genre.

Classical music, electro-pop, indie and metal all flourish in Sweden's second-largest city. Gothenburg can also take credit for being the home of melodic death metal, also known as "the Gothenburg sound."

Frontwoman Yukimi Nagano, an adorable barefoot pixie, brought rich vocals that were both powerful and subtle. And the band was tight and fostered its connection with the audience with every thumping beat.

Nagano is both primal and elegant, which fueled the crowd's energy. Drummer Eric Bodin, along with bassist Fredrik Källgren Wallin, kept the rhythm fused perfectly, while keyboardist Håkan Wirenstrand flawlessly enhanced and brought the sound full circle.

Dancing in the crowd, Nagano brought a couple of audience members to dance with her, and the crowd fell under Little Dragon's spell over the span of the night.

As it goes with being a frontwoman, Yukimi Nagano is the face, voice and the jewel of the band. She was unstoppable, and the band gave 200 percent in playing two encores.

This was truly a concert that transcended Cliff Bell's -- a glorious, grooving party.

Little Dragon setlist:
"A New"
"Never Never"
"After the Rain"
"My Step"
"Test"
"Forever"
"Blinking Pigs"
"Looking Glass"
"Feather"
"Run About"

Encore:
"Swimming Wink/Constant Surprises"
"Twice"

DJ Pwdrblu setlist (sampling from a two-hour set)
"Chocolate and Chili" (Brenda Boykin)
"50 Ways to Leave Your Love" (Tok Tok Tok)
"He Does It Better" (Marva Josie)
"Love Like Ours" (Freddie Cruger)
"Let's Straighten It Out" (The Revelations Featuring Tre Williams)
"You're My Medicine" (Gare Du Nord featuring Marvin Gaye)
"Strange Love" (Koop)
"Wearing Out My Shoes" (Club Des Belugas)
"Hanging On the Moon" (Gerardo Frisina remix, S-Tone Inc)
"Omerta Bossa" (Nicolas Conte remix, Isabelle Antena)
"Black Is the Graceful Veil" (Kim Sanders)
"Desire" (Moodymann remix, Jose James)
"Sometimes I'm Blue" (Nick Holder)
"This Is What You Are" (Dim's Housing the Jazz remix, Mario Biondi)
"Things We Do" (Nicola Conte Deep Jazz rework, Nils Krogh)
"A New Born Day (Belladonna & Delexy remix, Silvia Donati)
"D.E.T.R.O.I.T (Keep The Party Free)" (Del mix, Gregory Del Piero f/ Billy Love)
"I Love You My Hope" (Hird)

The ABC12 Listening Room staff: James Chesna, editor-in-chief; Josh Daunt, managing editor, photographer; Beth McEnroe, staff writer, photographer; Gwen Mikolajczak, staff writer; Eric Fletcher, chief photographer; Randy Cox, photographer; Chris Carr, photographer; Jessica Reid, contributing photographer; LeeAlan Weddel, contributing editor, writer; Shawn Light, contributing writer; Robin Chan, contributing writer.

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