Seraphina Lotkhamnga on October 19th, 2012

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Despite the sold-out crowd packed into the Fonda Theatre on Tuesday night, Sweden’s First Aid Kit created an overwhelming intimacy with their flawless harmonies and folk melodies. For one night, their sea of admirers received an open invitation to become part of the family, and show goers gladly accepted the generous offer as Klara and Johanna Söderberg sung with a purity that could only stem from their sisterly bond.

• ||| Photos by Carl Pocket

Walking out to a cheering crowd, the Söderberg sisters quickly hushed the audience with the opening harmonies of “In the Morning.” The opening track from 2010’s “The Big Black and Blue” featured much of the sisters’ a cappella skills, and it was used as a soft ammunition that not one person could dodge.

The tempo picked up when the girls followed up with “Blue,” a track off their latest record “The Lion’s Roar,” but the duo was not afraid to jump back and forth between their two albums. And with the help of their drummer and pedal steel player (who also happened to be their producer, Mike Mogis), First Aid Kit even went on to do B-sides.

But among the dark, cynical lyrics bouncing off the beautifully orchestrated folk-country twang, it was also a night of dedication. As if the night’s lyrics weren’t personal enough, Klara and Johanna dedicated songs to Richard Dawkins (“Marianne’s Son”), Karin Dreijer Andersson of the Knife and Fever Ray (“When I Grow Up), Pussy Riot (“Our Own Pretty Ways”) and many more.

First Aid Kit’s set was sweet and honest as much as it was raw, but there were certainly highlights that will forever be embedded in fans’ hearts.

For instance, they abandoned amps and microphones “to try something different” and perform “Ghost Town” acoustically. Stepping out to the front of the stage to get personal with the audience, they delivered naked lyrics like “You have visions in the past / Let them follow you down” – that were suddenly naturally amplified as the entire room sang along. Klara’s guitar was heard only when everyone stopped to breathe, and when she struck the last chord, the cheers were not just out of admiration. The applause was out of gratitude.

The second sing-a-long moment happened during their ode to country greats in “Emmylou.” And although the sisters had plugged back in, it was just as moving, if not more. The house lights may have factored into this heightened experience as they splashed across faces of people with their eyes closed singing the chorus. It was a perfect 4 minutes considering Klara had mentioned that the song was “about singing, basically.”

Ending their set with the title track off of “The Lion’s Roar,” hair flew, drums crashed and harmonies soared. But they weren’t done yet.

The night of dedications continued as First Aid Kit explained their love for Paul Simon, “the greatest songwriter of all time.” Going in to a cover of “America,” the sisters happily swayed as fans while they sang this time.

And before finishing up with more upbeat tunes, “Sailor Song” and “King of the World,” they slipped a little humor in. “Come talk to us about your problems,” Klara encouraged. Then after joining Johanna in putting her hands in the air, they both exclaimed in unison, “Because we’re First Aid Kit!” Everyone chuckled as if their little sister had told a joke.

American singer-songwriter Dylan LeBlanc opened the night.