Most everyone knows Peter Bjorn and John for the group’s popular single, “Young Folks.” For a long while, the song’s carefree whistle seemed to waft out of every car, restaurant, and apartment I passed by. No doubt that single helped PB&J attract the large crowd of starry eyed gals and floppy haired boys at the Granada in Lawrence, Kansas last Friday evening. The band’s stellar performance that night, however, ensured the audience would walk away thinking, “Wow. What a great show,” rather than, “Sweet. We got to hear ‘Young Folks.’”
Lawrence locals Cowboy Indian Bear started out the evening at 9 p.m. The three piece band, composed of Beau Bruns (percussion, vocals, glockenspiel, guitar), Charles Calhoun (vocals, guitar, keys, bass, percussion), and Martinez Hillard (vocals, guitar, keys, bass, percussion), performed well. CIB’s songs contained haunting melodies and whisper-like lyrics that sounded somewhat akin to Death Cab For Cutie. The band of former members from the local acts Kennedy Luck Club and the Jen Say Kwahs were a lovely opener who set the mood of the evening appropriately.
Around 9:55, Peter Moren (guitar, vocals), Bjorn Yttling (bass, keyboards, vocals), and John Eriksson (drums, vocals), took the stage quietly, and eased into their first song of the evening, “Nothing To Worry About.” After completing the song, Moren addressed the crowd humbly, and clarified who was who in the band. He also said the band had never visited Lawrence before, but stated they were having a great time. He also asked the crowd about the Jayhawks, Kansas Univesity’s championship winning basketball team. The mention was sweet, but I couldn’t help but think that Moren had addressed the audience to get the girlies to say “ooh” and “ahh,” but later, when Moren said he wanted to thank the Love Garden (a local Lawrence music store) for taking all his money, it was obvious he was being genuine.
During the next few songs, Peter Bjorn and John proved they are more than a band that writes watercolor ballads with semi-sweet lyrics, and new wave songsters, who create hollow tunes, such as the Depeche Mode inspired “Chills, The.” Live, PB&J’s songs have a jaunty vibe, and sound very similar to early Beatles tunes.
Towards the middle of “Living Thing,” the title track from their latest album, Moren took off across the stage, dancing at a rapid pace. He kicked up his white shoes causing his sky blue pants to slightly ruffle past his ankle, and his white shirt to rise, strained above the silver clutch of his black suspenders. As Peter strutted back and forth across the stage, the crowd around me shook and stirred, while a man back towards the merch booth waved a Swedish flag.
Although Moren was the only member of the trio who busted massive moves that evening, each member put on a mini performance of their own. During “See Through,” Yttling faked a tragic death. While he lay motionless on the floor, Moren appeared in front of Yttling, “shocking” his limp body three or so times, after which Yttling leapt from the floor in a heated fervor, his solid black outfit barley amiss. During “Melt” Moren, layered in a leather jacket, white shirt, black pants and a green stocking cap, was bathed in red light as he sang and drummed the beats of the solemn melody.
The middle portion of the show was filled with recognizable tunes. The crowd responded well to the slow and clompy “Amsterdam,” danced to the synth-tastic “Move Me,” and spat out the sassy lyrics to the sing along ready “Lay It Down”: “Hey shut the Fuck up boy. You’re starting to piss me off.”
Before the trio started playing “Young Folks,” Moren introduced the band’s “fourth member,” and said he’d be playing a bit of drums. A serious looking Scottish man began to tap out the song’s recognizable beat, which launched a thousand screams. Although PB&J (plus the extra drummer) played most of the single as it’s known, they changed it up a bit, keeping the audience curious.
PB&J finished up the main part of their show with “I Don’t Know,” and the beautiful song “Objects Of My Affection,” which sounded like a power anthem, backed to the beat of running horses.
After the musicians left the stage for five minutes, the crowd quickly beckoned the members back. The trio played “Stay This Way,” “Fa Ci La” and ending with “Up Against The Wall,” which went off track for a bit, touched on Joy Division’s “Transmission,” and came back for a riotous close. I mean it. Moren rocked the f out. He busted out a crazy guitar solo while jumping from speaker to speaker. He moved about the stage in a frenzied, frantic, and fantastic fashion. At the conclusion of his surprising stage rocking performance, he walked from stage right to left, shaking the hand of every fan he could.
When the house lights came up, everyone in the crowd looked a bit stunned. The three young folks from Sweden left us all in a bothered sweat; satisfied, and happy.
Set List:
Nothing To Worry About
Living Thing
Beats
See Through
Melt
Amsterdam
Move Me
Lay It Down
Past
Young Folks
I Don’t Know
Objects Of My Affection
//
Stay This Way
Fa Ci La
Up Against The Wall
Peter Bjorn and John: website | myspace | @ 9:30 club | @ lolla 2009
Photos: Scott Spy
Nice review. Equally impressed with the photographs.