Honestly, I did not have high expectations for the PB&J concert for the following reasons:
(1) I only listened to one album, Writer's Block, prior to buying the ticket.
(2) After I bought the latest album, Living Thing, I was mildly disappointed.
I expected Living Thing to be another Writer's Block, sincerely playful and fun and producing carefree and lovable hits such as "Young Folks," whistled by every person that knows how to whistle--but it was not. There are songs I liked, such as "It Don't Move Me" and "Nothing to Worry About," but other than that, this album was contrived and really difficult to listen to. So, going into the concert, I was already disappointed, and I hadn't even driven my in-total four hours to get there.
To kill the suspense, I actually quite liked it. Their opener was El Perro Del Mar with lead singer, Sarah Assbring (quite possibly the best Swedish surname of the century). I had her one album, the self-titled one, but it was not very easy to listen to, so much so that it ended up in the "skip while shuffling" library. But, I was very pleasantly surprised. Her new album, Love is Not Pop, is quite good and her performance live was even better. I liked "Change of Heart" and even "I Can't Talk About It," which was pretty unrecognizable live. As a side note, I thought Sarah Assbring's dancing was right on par--can't go wrong with an old school cabbage-patch, running-man mix.
Then, after waiting 2.5 hours after doors, the PB&J trio sprung on stage. Starting with "Amsterdam," one of my favorite songs, they began an energetic set, mostly with songs from the new album. One aspect I really like about this band is that every member sings lead. "Amsterdam's" low bass was provided by Bjorn and if I hadn't know any better--I didn't--I would have interpreted him as the lead singer, which of course would be Peter. In the song, "I Want You!," the drummer, whose name is John if you hadn't caught on, sang a vulnerable tune with a slight Swedish accent. Peter, of course, is the designated lead and he had the charisma to match, asking the audience to amuse themselves by singing a vaguely-addressed "Happy Birthday" or to laugh off the time when he forgot the words to "Paris 2004." We happily obliged. The band performed all my favorite songs including the rhythmic "It Don't Move Me," my favorite from the new album. Also a stand-out was "I Want You!" which is growing fast on me as a catchy song with an even catchier guitar riff. However, the best performance was "Paris 2004," a request from an audience member which started off their encore. It was very tender and sweet, starting with only Peter on the guitar, half improving the chords and lyrics, then asking the other two to join along. However, I did not enjoy the "Needles and Pins" complete with a big band, which was pretty cool, but lacked any sort of coherence within the song. Also, the flashy strobe light sequence was mad and someone in the balcony actually fainted during the song. Peter had started off saying that they have never performed this song in America and perhaps it should stay that way.
Overall, PB&J was a pretty good concert. I wasn't sold at the beginning but they had sold it by the end. Their energy was infectious and the crowd was mosh-ready. By the way, I found my favorite hang out spot at the 930 Club. Instead of having to stand for hours waiting and waiting for the band, Serena and I chose to watch from the left balcony at the spot closest to the stage. There, we watched afar as the crowd of eager fans jumped and smashed into each other with excitement. Hey, I was excited too, but not energetic enough to be bopping around. Regardless, at that spot, we were able to feel the energy but were removed from it enough to not tire ourselves out. It's a pretty chill spot and the best seat (because everywhere else is standing room) at the venue.
This may be one of the last good concerts I see. Starting mid-January, I'm moving to Huntsville, AL, which contains nothing there I want except for a NASA center. So, this may be the end of live concert reviews for a while. At least there's still Rooney on 12/12.
