Kelsey Heng on April 10th, 2014

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There has been a lot of talk surrounding the return of brother and sister Swedish duo the Knife, with their “Shaking the Habitual Tour” and its attendant debate over performance vs. performance art. “There are other ways to do things,” states the Shake the Habitual Manifesto and by this rule, there are also other ways of doing a live concert.

For those who have followed the Knife and the duo of Olof Dreijer and Karin Dreijer Andersson, it is well-known that crowds should leave their preconceived notions at the door. They have made a name for themselves as electronic artists who are gender questioning, politically radical, brooding, destabilizing and generally outside-the-lines.

So with last year’s release of “Shaking the Habitual,” an album reaching 97 minutes in length with lyrical curiosities challenging established power dynamics all fueled by a Foucault quote themed by the dissipation of conventionalities, the band austerely reminded their public that as they stand as experiential and collaborative artists, and so should listeners and viewers.

“The work of an intellectual is not to mould the political will of others; it is, through the analyses that he does in his own field, to re-examine evidence and assumptions, to shake up habitual ways of working and thinking, to dissipate conventional familiarities, to re-evaluate rules and institutions and to participate in the formation of a political will (where he has his role as citizen to play).”
– Michel Foucault

The full spectacle arrived Wednesday night at the Fox Theater Pomona and was welcomed by a sold-out crowd eager to witness the band’s first North American live date since 2006.

With the help of Terek Halaby’s 20-minute aerobic crowd warm-up set – described as D.E.E.P. Aerobics (Death Electro Emo Protest) – the crowd found themselves yelling in unison with an incredibly flamboyant man in spandex and a purple wig: “I’m still alive and I’m not afraid to die.”

Then the show began. Curtains opened and smoke thinned to reveal a vast theatrical set, with scattered prismed musical stations and unidentified homemade instruments in place. Slowly the cast moved into place as the synth and drums of “Wrap Your Arms Around Me” filled the theater.

Olof and Karin, with masks removed, still stood out throughout the show, but by the end of the 12 acts the dance troupe bowed equally as one. The Knife no longer seemed like a duo, but a strange collective in jumpsuits and neon sneakers.

Each track welcomed new movements and personas with a unique fight. At times the dance movements felt folky and traditional and others high energy with jump-styling acrobatics. Half of the show featured tracks from the newest album, with interspersed versions of “We Share Our Mother’s Health,” “One Hit” and “Bird.”

By the time the final song was announced, every person still left standing was ready to dance along for one last time to the 2006 anthem, “Silent Shout.” The rainbow LED lights danced as the silhouetted group members moved about in pulsing celebration of a more loosened choreography.

Electronic rave, dark ballet, kaleidoscopic light show, collaborative experimentation, intentionally other. In full, the show was more a rare performance spectacle than concert, and while some walked away feeling disappointed by that fact, if anything, the Foucault quote and album inspiration is now imbued with a grand set of accompanying visuals.