Peter Bjorn and John @ 9:30 Club - 4.30.11
Oh, how I do love surprises.
For the second time in a week, a band has completely defied my expectations and in the process, turned me into a total fan. You would think that a night with Peter Bjorn and John would be a synth heavy exploration of the hits, but oh boy would you be wrong.
Replacing keyboards and drum machines with the classic setup of drums, bass and guitar, the gentlemen from Sweden took the stage Saturday night and delivered nothing short of a full on balls to the wall rock show…with a pop edge.
Expanding upon the slightly different sound they achieved on their latest release, Gimme Some (our review here), the band has seemingly transformed itself from genius pop studio wizards to a ridiculously engaging, at times even ferocious, live band. Drums thundered, and guitars positively wailed as the band burned through their new material without a moment’s concern for what they crowd might have wanted to hear. Where they could have easily relied on the hits to get them through the band instead chose to showcase their raw talent as songwriters and performers.
Power trio isn’t a term you would ever think to apply to a band like Peter Bjorn and John, but after this performance it’s the only description that could ever really fit. Even the obligatory performance of the track Young Folks near the end of the set was more a supercharged reimagining of PB&J via The Replacements than it was a band just giving an audience what they want. And that, I think, is the trick here.
You may think you know what you want. You may be dying to hear the band play exactly what’s on the record for you. But Peter Bjorn and John ACTUALLY know what you want and Saturday night was proof that they are more than willing to give it to you.
So, um, Gimme Some more?
Click on the image to head on over to the gallery for more shots of the show!
