The Knife

Swedish electronic duo and critical darlings The Knife have a reputation for constantly pushing the envelope, and their ritualistic live show is no exception. Featuring cult-like costumes, extensive choreography, and conceptual audience participation activities like "absurdist aerobics" and "danceoke" (a dance version of karaoke), the band's performances on the European leg of their Shaking the Habitual tour drew rave reviews in 2013. Following a rare appearance at Coachella in 2014, the band will treat North American audiences to their deliciously bizarre live show on a string of highly anticipated tour dates.BACKGROUND SNAPSHOT:The brainchild of Swedish siblings Karin and Olof Dreijer, The Knife formed in 1999, generating copious amounts of buzz with the stark and beautifully tortured sound of 2003's Deep Cuts.

The Knife Concert & Tour Photos

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Fan Reviews

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Allenflx
Dance interpretations of their songs, pretty sure there were some live vocals as well, but no live instrumentation. Mesmerizing stage performances tho, plus a guest appearance by Shannon Funchess, helping with vocals on Stay Out Here. Too bad the venue is crap.
Terminal 5 - New York, NY - Thu, May 1, 2014
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
OSALrio
Been a fan for 8 years and I finally got to see them perform live and it was just amazing. Although they didn't play Heartbeats. But it was still a great show.
Terminal 5 - New York, NY - Thu, May 1, 2014
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Anonymous
too damn crowded. full of basic bitches. very short.
Terminal 5 - New York, NY - Thu, May 1, 2014
Kyle Dunnigan :: CMA Awards :: Brothers Osborne :: Ghost - the Musical :: Becky Lynch
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Anonymous
Utterly AMAZING. Need to see them again. Pass this on.
Terminal 5 - New York, NY - Thu, May 1, 2014
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Anonymous
I was already in love with the knife, after this show I fell even more in love with the knife. The show was unique and left you with a great sense of satisfaction. The show opened with aerobics that was so much fun and got everyone not only going but was a great idea to get you familiar with your neighbors. The vibe at the Fox was awesome and there was nothing but cool people, drama free and I usually blame the vibe on the performers because weither or not the talent likes to admit it they control the morale of their crowd. They started on time and kept the energy High, the show could not have been better. That's how you do it!
Terminal 5 - New York, NY - Thu, May 1, 2014
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
solaris2011
I Such elegance! Such dexterity! Mucho Thanks to a great show!
Terminal 5 - New York, NY - Thu, May 1, 2014
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Anonymous
It was more of an OK dance performance than a concert. The crowd was left wondering what just happened at the end of the night. It just kind of ended with a DJ playing music, which was not much different than the rest of the show since there was very little actual music being performed live. It was mostly a bunch of people dancing on stage to knife songs but only a couple of times actually singing or playing instruments. Overall it was pretty weird. I went in with that expectation and thought the whole performance was ok but would not see it again.
Terminal 5 - New York, NY - Thu, May 1, 2014
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Anonymous
Shaking the Habitual- it's supposed to be about challenging the audience and our notions about what a live performance should be. Understood. But during the 2 or 3 songs during the set where no one on stage so much as sang into a microphone or pretended to play their homemade instruments the performance should have been something beautiful and engaging. Instead, it felt rather lazy- an unrehearsed burlesque show with an elaborate set design and light show.
Terminal 5 - New York, NY - Thu, May 1, 2014
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Mm74
I love The Knifes music. I flew in from Portland Oregon to see them. I think their music is second to none. I am late to the game. I only discovered them a year ago. Only one thing was a dissapointment to me. I wish they would have played longer. When you really love someone's music, you really want to experience more of it. It felt like a teaser. Oh well, I would go again if given the chance.
Terminal 5 - New York, NY - Thu, May 1, 2014
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
NavR
We bought tickets to hear the duo sing... But what we got is a "cult" like dancing act. Other members lip synched to the songs. It was a waste of time. Sorry.
Terminal 5 - New York, NY - Thu, May 1, 2014
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
kjkkjk
Just amazing to see this live performance.....it was an incredible night.......
Fillmore Auditorium (Denver) - Denver, CO - Mon, Apr 21, 2014
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Anonymous
One of the most incredible shows I have been to in my life! It was full of energy and fun!!
Fillmore Auditorium (Denver) - Denver, CO - Mon, Apr 21, 2014
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
somatik
When I go to a concert, the least I expect is to see musicians making music. Voice overs, dubbing, pretending to play instruments while a CD is actually playing are not part of what I consider a concert. This was a lack of respect to the audience. Also, if they actually wanted to create a performance including contemporary dance, at least they should have found good dancers. The show seemed improvised, and the choreographies seemed to be out of a high school performance. I have seen better ones performances by kids. And the poetry in the middle of the show lacked feeling and aesthetics. You you are a teenager, the show is great for you. Alas, this is not a good thing to watch if you have hit your adulthood.
Fillmore Auditorium (Denver) - Denver, CO - Mon, Apr 21, 2014
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
thaori
The best show of the year so far. I was so impress. Love them.
Fillmore Auditorium (Denver) - Denver, CO - Mon, Apr 21, 2014
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Anonymous
save yourself some $. stay at home and play their music ...
Fillmore Auditorium (Denver) - Denver, CO - Mon, Apr 21, 2014
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
raglanar
They danced to their cd for most of the show. This is not an exaggeration. There wasn't a single person playing an instrument or singing into a microphone for most songs. Just dancing. Disgusting and hugely disappointing
Fillmore Auditorium (Denver) - Denver, CO - Mon, Apr 21, 2014
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Anonymous
I guess I expected them to perform the music, not just do poorly choreographed dancing to a backing tape.
Fillmore Auditorium (Denver) - Denver, CO - Mon, Apr 21, 2014
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Anonymous
Worst concert I've ever been to. Too much frisking at the door. I'm not boarding a plane.
Fillmore Auditorium (Denver) - Denver, CO - Mon, Apr 21, 2014
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
DavidJT
I believe I first heard about eccentric electronic duo The Knife around the time that the mysterious project iamamwhoami began posting creepy videos and the Internet was guessing who was behind them. While it ended up being Jonna Lee from Sweden, one of the more prominent speculations was that it had something to do with the aforementioned group, based out of the same country. I soon stumbled across a song, "We Share Our Mother's Health" and was intrigued by how danceable yet otherworldly it was - creepy in a drugged-out nightmarish sense, not an over-the-top slasher flick. Anyway I never ventured much past that song until their 2013 release Shaking the Habitual. I listened to the whole thing and found it at once danceable yet alienating. When they began touring in Europe word leaked out that the shows were very unorthodox - mostly dancing to prerecorded tracks. I was still interested to see them, however, and their Coachella booking excited me. When they announced a pre-Coachella show at the Fox I figured I might as well go in case there was an unavoidable festival conflict. Turns out they tweaked the show a bit for American audiences, and I found the whole thing pretty spectacular. After some house/dance music pumped into the crowd for a while, a colorful guy came out and conducted, literally, aerobics with us. It was a lot of fun and different. Then the "band" came out - a troupe of 11 or 12 simply costumed individuals - and began performing ominously with a wide array of colorful and unorthodox instruments. The lighting was simple but superb. Eventually the music picked up, revealing the group's contradiction between futuristic and almost tribal elements. The theme was multi-instrumentalism with lots of switching between drums, e-clarinets, and that giant, scary sitar-looking thing. There were a couple solos on that and the e-clarinet that really exemplified this was a group of performers and musicians, not just dancers (as if that somehow diminishes their talent). One interesting thing is that the two primary members of the Knife were not really distinguished from the rest of the group; no effort was made to point them out. After a few songs full of musical performance the group switched to dancing and this was the part that had received criticism overseas. However live singing was still an element and I have to say the dance choreography - something I am no expert on - was certainly compelling and seemed to highlight the themes of the songs. (Mainly, the idea of literally "shaking the habitual" - shaking what we know, the customary.) The closest mainstream thing one might compare this stuff to is Cirque du Soleil, but with more, well, dance music. However, it felt truly unique and particularly intimate given the venue and the fact that I was lucky to get a really good and close spot in the pit. The dance/performance art eventually gave way to a strobe-light focused rave segment which was an exciting climax, and before long the group waved goodbye and left the stage. Us audiences being spoiled with encores, we hoped/expected they would return for another number, but alas the music kept pumping and eventually transitioned into an afterparty DJ as the curtains closed and a dance party picked up steam in the pit. Perhaps not the strangest way to end a show but certainly interesting and playing with expectations. As it was getting late and I had to pack for Coachella I couldn't stay for the rest of the dance party but the night as a whole was very memorable and I would be interested to see them again whenever they come around next. I have a feeling it will be very different from this.
Fillmore Auditorium (Denver) - Denver, CO - Mon, Apr 21, 2014
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Anonymous
What a disappointment. I've been waiting years to see them to now say that the show was only sub par at best. I wish I'd have stayed home.
Fillmore Auditorium (Denver) - Denver, CO - Mon, Apr 21, 2014
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Jryson
This was my first time seeing The Knife in concert. I wasn't sure what to expect and loved the celebratory, fun, dancing environment.
Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland, CA - Tue, Apr 15, 2014
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
meaculpa20v
The Knife put on an amazing show. Nice and unique dance choreography and costume changes. Interesting use instruments.
Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland, CA - Tue, Apr 15, 2014
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
IdiotBagOfWater
As a friend said, "I'd really like to meet the computer that put on that show". For a good portion of the show, the dance performance was the primary focus, with everyone (including Karin) dancing to backing music/vocals. There were some songs with instruments, and they were great, but definitely seemed to be the minority of time. There were a few older songs, such as We Share Our Mother's Health, and One Hit, which were wonderful, because I know and love those two songs in particular, but I'm not as familiar with the songs on Shaking the Habitual so I got less out of them (I should have done my homework).
Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland, CA - Tue, Apr 15, 2014
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Mulago1
Danceoke was incredible. The song arrangements were interesting and the atmosphere just fun. You knew you were seeing something special. I hope they ever tour again.
Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland, CA - Tue, Apr 15, 2014
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Anonymous
They turned that show into a rave with remixed versions of their songs as house music. Not cool, The Knife!
Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland, CA - Tue, Apr 15, 2014
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Anonymous
Amateurish. Bad art school presentation. Worst show that I have gone to in years.
Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland, CA - Tue, Apr 15, 2014
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
KnaKna
Pros: - Amazing lighting and other visual effects - Amazing choreography - Great connection with the audience - (When used) wonderful instrumentalists and vocalists Cons: - Not much live music, most music was prerecorded with live vocals or some instruments - (sound technicians fault not the knife) Mix was too muddy, to much emphasis in the 300-500Hz range. At times could not make out vocalists or other high ranges. I would not call this a musical act as much as I would call this a visual performance with some live music. Still a wonderful event to go to, completely worth the 8 hour round trip drive from San Luis Obispo. Completely not what I excepted but I was pleasantly surprised.
Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland, CA - Tue, Apr 15, 2014
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Fiestaban
Wow, holy smokes, what an amazing show. These guys brought the feeling, the moves, the designs, everything.
Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland, CA - Tue, Apr 15, 2014
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
tobyspaceman
I would expect the bands to actually play their instruments if I'm paying $45 to see the show. The lights and visuals were fantastic but felt the show was at a high school level of showmanship.
Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland, CA - Tue, Apr 15, 2014
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
gregb
Very hard to fully describe THE KNIFE....kind of like Bjork meets Sigur Ros meets the Mark Morris Dance Troupe!!! Beautiful stage setting and lighting with 10 members in turquoise robe-like garb moving about the stage on different tiers....some dancing...different members singing at any given time. Some playing unique musical instruments. Dance moves that are sometimes synchronized and sometimes individual. The entire presentation is mesmerizing along with the electro dance music. It is certainly a unique performance that is unforgettable!!! THE KNIFE are simply brilliant. Quite cool after they conclude and leave the stage, the wonderful Fox Theatre in Oakland continued the dance music so that people could continue to party and dance.
Fox Theater - Oakland - Oakland, CA - Tue, Apr 15, 2014
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Zoeboe
I love the Knife. I love Fever Ray. I realized I wasn't as in love with the Knife's new album. Don't get me wrong, it's good. I just love their old music and was hoping to hear more of it. The lights and dancing made this a pretty damn good show.
The Fox Theater - Pomona - Pomona, CA - Wed, Apr 9, 2014
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Dannyavid
I left the event early. I could not enjoy the show. I sat in the balcony. There were a few people in the rows in front that were standing up and dancing, obstructing my view. I could not see the stage and saw no point in being there.
The Fox Theater - Pomona - Pomona, CA - Wed, Apr 9, 2014
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Xoch6
If you like the knife, you don't really know how great they are until you see them live!!! This was for sure one of the best shows I have seen. Incredible!!!
The Fox Theater - Pomona - Pomona, CA - Wed, Apr 9, 2014
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
soonerxorlater
I was very disappointed in this show. It was more of a cirque du soleil act than a concert with all the dance performances. And of course, everyone was waiting to hear "Heartbeats" and they didn't even play it. Wish I could get a refund.
The Fox Theater - Pomona - Pomona, CA - Wed, Apr 9, 2014
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
MOVALE
There are no words good enough to describe this...FABULOUS, AWESOME, EXTRAORDINARY, PHENOMENAL, A MAY ZING! UNIQUE is what I have to say about the DEEP AEROBICS...so completely unusual & I'm not sure in what way???? I feel so privileged & thankful I was able to see them & hope that I will have the pleasure to do so again.
The Fox Theater - Pomona - Pomona, CA - Wed, Apr 9, 2014
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Anonymous
I only wish there was less dancing and more actual playing of instruments instead of pre-recorded. So many people on stage walking around and dancing instead if playing music was very boring. First half great but we left early because we were bored.
The Fox Theater - Pomona - Pomona, CA - Wed, Apr 9, 2014
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
LM73
I love The Knife. I loved this show! Lots of good energy. So happy I got to see them live!
The Fox Theater - Pomona - Pomona, CA - Wed, Apr 9, 2014
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Chicksadee
I haven't danced and had so much fun in a while! Thank you!!
The Fox Theater - Pomona - Pomona, CA - Wed, Apr 9, 2014
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
handrogyny
I completely understand the artistic expression behind everything that is the Knife. But it was a disappointing that they did not play Heartbeat. Granted I am a huge fan of them regardless, but i was with friends who were only there for that song. Visual everything entertaining, although at times too hectic on stage and took away from the music. While i understand this is more of a show/experience and not a concert- it took some getting used to.
The Fox Theater - Pomona - Pomona, CA - Wed, Apr 9, 2014
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