Peter, Bjorn and John at Fine Line Music Café on 4/21/09

By: Kristin A. Hasler

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Peter, Bjorn and John - Photo by Jenn Barnett

Fresh off their Coachella gig, I imagine Peter, Bjorn and John were still discovering sand in odd places as they arrived in Minneapolis for their first “proper club gig” promoting their new album Living Thing. You can fully indulge in their new album on peterbjornandjohn.com (I’d also check out their a la mode performance of “Living Thing” in the back of a London cab—silly, sweet, and fabulous).

After seeing them at their last Minneapolis gig (First Ave in 2008), I quickly learned they were definitely not a one-hit wonder (“Young Folks”) but a polished trio bearing a slew of great songs; they were incredible live as well. Their latest Minneapolis appearance, despite being brief, was further proof of this. They began with new material and sprinkled it throughout the night: “Just the Past”, “It Don’t Move Me”, “Nothing to Worry About”, “Lay It Down” and the delightful title track “Living Thing”. They played a precious few tracks from their wealth of older material: “It Beats Me Every Time”, “Amsterdam”, and of course the ubiquitous head-bobber “Young Folks” during the encore.

They tossed in The Feelie’s “Fa Ce´ La” and ended with the sublime “Object of My Affection” off last year’s Writer’s Block. The trio returned for a raucous three-song encore including a lengthy, droning version of “Up Against the Wall” into which they spliced a bit of Joy Division’s “Transmisssion” (which I momentarily thought might be a promo for Jake Rudh’s Wednesday night Club Jaeger weekly of the same name.)

Clocking in at just over an hour, their set was disappointing in length but satisfying in quality. They’ve got the whole package: style (impeccably worn ascots), a growing and progressive discography (five full-lengths), and live shows that leave you excited to go home and rather obsessively listen to them for the rest of the week.

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Location Info: Fine Line Music Café
Artist Info: Peter, Bjorn and John

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