Seraphina Lotkhamnga on May 30th, 2014

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Swedish sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg – aka popular duo First Aid Kit – packed the house at the El Rey Theatre on Wednesday night. Stopping by in support of their forthcoming and Mike Mogis-produced album “Stay Gold” (out June 10 via Columbia), the Söderberg sisters and their powerful harmonies and endearing lyrics took hold of heartstrings with charm from beginning to end.

• ||| Photos by Kelsey Heng

With a glittery gold backdrop and gold lame dresses perfectly visualizing their album title, First Aid Kit opened with new track “Shattered and Hollow.” A track that opens with lyrics “I am in love / And I am lost / But I’d rather be broken than empty / I’d rather be shattered than hollow,” it was a bold but not surprising approach to the night. They go by First Aid Kit after all, and what’s a band name like that without a repertoire of songs that tout the importance of healing?

Every tune the Söderberg sisters played and sung were greeted with nothing less than an eruption of cheers throughout the night. Swooping with every chorus and vulnerable with every slide guitar, they performed old favorites such as “King of the World,” “In the Hearts of Men” and “Wolf,” and also showcased new songs like latest single “Cedar Lane.” The closing song to their main set, the title track, brought emotions full-circle. However, it was their special intimate touches that continued to captivate the audience.

“We’d like to do a song without microphones. If you know this song, you’re more than welcome to sing along.” Coming closer to fans, the two ladies floated the melodies of “Ghost Town” out into the crowd, who did indeed sing along a cappella. An appreciative round of applause and cheers followed but it wasn’t long before the sisters amplified themselves again for with the album’s rollicking lead single “My Silver Lining.”

Other highlights from the sisters included two covers – Bob Dylan’s “One More Cup of Coffee” during the main set and Paul Simon’s “America” during the encore – but everyone was waiting for the hit. First Aid Kit didn’t fall short of complying to fans’ desires. In addition to “America,” the duo perfectly rounded out their encore with another new song titled “Master Pretender” and, of course, “Emmylou,” which made for a perfect finale to a night paying homage to country music.

Supporting First Aid Kit on tour, Willy Mason opened the night and also played to a full room. Performing a couple of his father’s songs (he is the son of songwriters Jemima James and Michael Mason) like “Tic Tac Toe,” the folk-blues country artist won the crowd over early in the night and also brought out guest guitarist Joseph Keith on a handful of songs.