Terminal 5 isn’t usually my friend. It’s annoying to get to by Manhattan standards, the shows are always sold out and overfilled, and worst of all filled with the most annoying elbow-dancing fiends. On this very Spring night in New York City however, The Knife made me forget I was even at Terminal 5 (this review would be very different had I attended one day early in torrential freezing Spring rain!).
When The Knife & their bevy of animated back up singers & dancers sauntered in a robotic line onto the stage in their tonal green, blue & purple silk jumpsuits paired with neon Asics, neon nails, & braided/shaved up-do’s, all the New York hipsters went crazy. This was nothing like The Knife’s last tour in 2006, where they were hidden 100% of the time behind a sheer curtain; this time they were more than active for the whole production. The aerobics themed warm-up support act was so high energy I didn’t know it could even peak more. The activity didn’t necessarily reduce anonymity however, with the act blending in with their back up singers & dancers so much that some were asking ‘which one is Karin’ and ‘where is Olof’? But they were front & centre.
Opening on a mellow note with Wrap Your Arms Around Me, the beat was quickly amped up for Raging Lung when everyone spread out to their various maracas-shaking positions across the stage, and then an amazing hand-clap display for We Share Our Mothers Health, complete with the neon light show we were all waiting for.
Next up, Without You My Life Would Be Boring. Highlight of the night. Hands. Down. The most epic dance ever; a combo of Irish dance, Turkish dance, ballet, cluster dancing like one breathing lung, jazz ballet…. Even a smidge of Penguin dancing. Because you know what? They’re The Knife, and they’re into being a little weird. And I reeeeeaaalllly liked it.
Everyone took a break from singing for One Hit, instead taking to the stage for a whole team dance, a couples dance off, an audience dance off, the whole bit. Keen for (well-deserved) breaks, each member of the party would collect different props & instruments from a gym-like closet on the stage, and return them post-song. There was another intermission style break with a poem reading, before gearing up for a giant finale.
On came the hot-pink disco ball & steel drums and all of a sudden I could have sworn I was in a Berlin club in the prime of the night. Dancers locked in sexual embraces, before breaking into a full on dance party, and instead of the traditional farewell & encore, we were left with the announcement of, this song is not ending, enjoy the dance party for the next 45 minutes! And on the DJ played. Funnest. Night. Ever.
Oh and it didn’t even end there. The after party at nearby Westway saw that there was no ending to the dancing, especially since The Knife saved hit Heartbeats for a karaoke version at the after party instead of performing it for the show. Bill Murray & Emma Stone even partook in the debauchery.
- by Leilani Williams
