First off, I have to say that Peter Bjorn and John definitely know how to rock out. It was my first time seeing them live, and I was truly amazed by their performance. Their opening act was Chairlift, a trio from New York, which I thought sounded pretty good live. Considering I was only familiar with a few songs from their current album “Does You Inspire You,” I still enjoyed them overall.
Just like at their Vancouver show, they covered the Snoop Dogg song ”Sensual Seduction” which was a pleasant surprise for the audience and personally I think they pulled it off. Some of the standout songs to me were “Evident Utensil,” “Bruises,” and “Planet Health.” Yes I find those three the most catchiest, but Caroline Polachek and Aaron Pfenning’s vocals were on point and I simply love it when the songs sound just like the record. I’m sure we’ll be hearing more from Chairlift in the near future.
Did I mention the show was sold out and that this was Peter Bjorn and John’s last stop on their U.S. tour? The moment the lights dimmed, the audience went into a frenzy. They walked onto the stage one by one, each displaying a different look. Peter Morén wore a white blazer with black slacks and a silk scarf around his neck reminding me of Hugh Hefner. Björn Yttling had an all black ensemble on, leather jacket included. And John Eriksson had a white button up shirt with suspenders, a leather jacket, and a hobo-looking hat.
They started the set with a song from their new album “Living Thing” called “Just the Past.” This song has an addictive beat and you can’t help but just bop your head throughout the whole song. Actually, I found myself doing that to practically every song they sang. What’s great is that they sang a lot of their old stuff from “Writer’s Block” which included “Amsterdam,” “The Chills,” “Objects of My Affection,” and of course their hit “Young Folks.” The crowd loved it, especially during “Young Folks” when Peter got the audience to sing Victoria Bergsman’s part.
What’s funny is that I didn’t expect Peter to be running back and forth across the stage presenting a variety of dance moves, but he did, and it was awesome. He also threw in random guitar solos during a couple of songs which was entertaining to say the least. But I can’t forget Bjorn and John because they definitely did their thing as well. Bjorn appeared to be the serious one in the group, standing still for the most of the show with a stern look on his face. He did crack a few funny faces though, and showed off his guitar skills and deep vocals. John played the drums effortlessly, tossing his sticks into the air and catching them through most of the set, and lending his vocals to certain songs.
When they played “Nothing to Worry About,” their first single off the current album, you could tell it was a crowd pleaser because people immediately started to dance. At some point, the group introduced their entire road crew, which demonstrated how grateful they were to have those people with them on the road. In fact, one of the “roadies” named Ross joined the band onstage to play the bongos for one of the songs, and it was quite amusing.
Soon the band bid their farewells and left the stage, leaving the audience only wanting more. All of the sudden the “roadies” were on stage and passing out masks to the front row so they could wear them when the band came back out for their encore. Since it was dark, I couldn’t make out what the masks looked like. Once Peter Bjorn and John returned back to the stage and the lights came on, you could see that the masks had the band members’ faces on it. They immediately started to laugh and point at the people in the audience who had the masks on. They began to play “Lay It Down,” another song from their current album, and all the “roadies” and even Chairlift came onto the stage and started dancing around, wearing masks of course. It was a great moment to witness, mainly because it was the end of something really beautiful.
And just when I thought the show was coming to an end, the band played a few more songs from their recent album and even did a cover of Joy Division’s “Transmission,” which was clearly recognized by the audience. When they said their actual goodbyes, it was bittersweet for the crowd and of course the band and their crew. I realized that what makes Peter Bjorn and John special is that you can really tell that they love doing what they do, which is making music and performing it in front of people. A special thanks to 9:30 club for letting Killahbeez attend this great show! Check out their site for upcoming shows.
