From Saturday's Washington Post:
Pernice Brothers at Black Cat
Along with the Pernice Brothers CDs and stickers available for sale at the Black Cat's merchandise table Thursday was "Two Blind Pigeons," a slim book of poetry by Joe Pernice, the band's singer and songwriter.
Pernice's poems, like his lyrics, are melancholic slices of life filled with wistful images and lines that hint at the beauty in sadness and the sadness in beauty. They are rueful odes to death, the passing of time and the futility of trying to make sense of anything at all. That might seem like a downcast outlook for a rock band, but the Pernice Brothers wrap a buoyant sound around the world-weary words. The result is smart, serious power pop in the tradition of Matthew Sweet, Elvis Costello, Big Star and maybe anyone who ever wrote a bouncy song that made someone cry.
A good-size crowd paid rapt attention (well, except for the drunk couple grinding against each other in the middle of the floor) for 90 minutes as Pernice held forth with his band mates -- guitarist Peyton Pinkerton, bassist Thom Monahan, longtime Matthew Sweet drummer Ric Menck and keyboardist James Walbourne. (Joe's brother Bob records with the band but rarely tours.) Barely pausing between songs, they furrowed their brows and went to work, dishing up favorites such as"Sometimes I Remember," "The Weakest Shade of Blue" and "Monkey Suit."
Returning for an encore, the 36-year-old singer went it alone and played acoustic guitar on "Bum Leg" and "Prince Valium." Scrunched over and singing every song with his eyes closed, he looked as if he were trying to inhabit whatever mood he was in when he first created a song. It's a dark place, so it was a relief that he opened his eyes and smiled when the songs ended.
-- Joe Heim
