Cracking Spines
PB&J — Concert Review
from Decider: Twin Cities
“Like, half the words are just ‘la la la,’” one concertgoer remarked during Peter Bjorn And John’s Fine Line show-opener, “Just The Past,” on Tuesday, April 21. That ratio may be exaggerated, but it’s definitely safe to say that PB&J are comfortable with the classic scat-like syllables of indie pop: la, da, hm, mm, and even the occasional guh. These mutterings have a function, of course, bridging one verse to another in the same way a page break unites scenes in a short story or a deft camera cut directs the flow of a film. And singer Peter Morén was often able to inject as much emotion into a single la as into any of his lyrics.
Comprised of Morén (guitar), Björn Yttling (bass, keyboards, randomly pointing his finger in the air), and John Eriksson (drums), the beloved Swedish trio definitely brought the energy—especially Morén, who bounced around the stage like a puppet whose handler had contracted the DTs. The upbeat vibe contrasted with the band’s dryly ironic backdrop: a tri-fold screen with the word “backdrop” printed on it maybe 50 or 60 times.
Peter Bjorn And John’s musical aesthetic has always been fairly studio-heavy, filled with echoes and whistles and other effects that are often difficult to emulate in live performance. Nevertheless, the band reproduced all the sonic nuance of its albums and then some. All the usual tropes were present—the reverberating vocals, the foggy quality of the guitars—but there was something extra, too, as the band switched up a few moods and arrangements. The familiar structure of “I’m Losing My Mind” deteriorated completely into a guitar-heavy jam. Even the obligatory “Young Folks”—the closest thing to a PB&J mega-hit, played during the encore—was made into something unrecognizable and new.
Most remarkable was the subtlety with which PB&J cycled through so many styles. Peter’s pleasantly pleading voice has a way of uniting the trio’s material, and that’s a good thing, but if you actually tune out his vocals for a minute, it’s startling to hear how versatile the band is musically. “It Don’t Move Me” could easily be classified as techno, while “Just The Past” packed a definite Peter Gabriel vibe. “Nothing To Worry About” was rendered with a looped sample that veered eerily close to hip-hop. These unexpected twists and tweaks are what made the concert most memorable. After all, if the live show doesn’t transcend the recorded version, then what’s the point of squeezing into a crowded venue to be jostled by men taller and stronger and sweatier than you?
