Peter, Bjorn and John Roll Call

[arcane]

Originally posted by brennser:
 the amount of chatter during some of the acoustic songs was disgraceful.

I have to admit, the acoustic songs even kinda bored me, and I'm usually into that.  They should have spaced them out a bit, rather than doing three in a row.  Still, it was a very good show overall.

[Bombay Chutney]

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes,Japanese Golfer:
  Ok, how about LOOKS LIKE an idiot?

That's half the fun.

[sparky]

Originally posted by miss pretentious:
  my only complaint is that the crowd didn't seem to get into PBJ as much as i was...i guess everyone expected them to play 'young folks' for an hour. ugh.

That's PBJ's fault, not the crowd's.  If you're lucky enough to have a big enough hit that you sell out a place, that's a huge opportunity for you to sell them on the rest of your catalog.  Unfortunately the acoustic stuff lagged, the pre-recorded parts were just really unprofessional (particularly for 'young folks' - everyone around me was disappointed when it became clear that he wasn't acutally whistling the part), and the other standout tracks (amsterdam, for example) didn't come across well live.  I thought Up Against the Wall was really great at the end of the set but by that point they had really lost everyone.

[miss pretentious]

i agree that they didn't start off the set well... at all. but the acoustic stuff didn't really lag. amsterdam was fine and they sped up chills enough to get some dancing going. object of my affection. up against the wall and let's call the whole thing off were all well done.
 
 AND although the lack of whistling was a disappointment, john referred to the machine making the prerecorded whistling before the song even started.
 
 

Originally posted by sparky:
   

Originally posted by miss pretentious:
  my only complaint is that the crowd didn't seem to get into PBJ as much as i was...i guess everyone expected them to play 'young folks' for an hour. ugh.

That's PBJ's fault, not the crowd's.  If you're lucky enough to have a big enough hit that you sell out a place, that's a huge opportunity for you to sell them on the rest of your catalog.  Unfortunately the acoustic stuff lagged, the pre-recorded parts were just really unprofessional (particularly for 'young folks' - everyone around me was disappointed when it became clear that he wasn't acutally whistling the part), and the other standout tracks (amsterdam, for example) didn't come across well live.  I thought Up Against the Wall was really great at the end of the set but by that point they had really lost everyone. [/b]

[xneverwherex]

Originally posted by arcane:
   

Originally posted by brennser:
 the amount of chatter during some of the acoustic songs was disgraceful.

I have to admit, the acoustic songs even kinda bored me, and I'm usually into that.  They should have spaced them out a bit, rather than doing three in a row.  Still, it was a very good show overall. [/b]

I saw them last night at Webster Hall. Their second night playing there. I wasn't overly impressed with Au Revoir Simone. The music was fine, and I think part of the problem was me being insanely tired to the point I couldn't function. They just seemed a bit boring.
 
 Fujiya & Miyagi was a whole different story. They played about a 40 min set (if not longer) and it was kick ass! For those of us who came to see them, the whole front of Webster Hall was all dancing. Great stuff and very energetic. Besides, they didn't just cut off the songs, but had really long drawn out guitars which was a great change.
 
 PB&J did not disappoint, but Heather (or one of the chicks from Au Revoir Simone) had said John wouldnt be playing. Thank god he was!    They played about 6-7 songs before going acoustic. It was a similar set list to the DC but different order. Let's Call It Off - the second or third song of the set really got the crowd dancing. A few people were yelling to Peter "Lets get a dance party going". And that would have been a great idea, and naturally right after that comment, the acoustic songs came into play.
 
 Standout by far was Amsterdam which sounded really good. I'm sad to say, I nearly fell asleep during the acoustic songs. My friend and I could barely hold our heads up and we were in the very front. Awful of us, I'll be the first to say, but we were dancing during all the other songs.
 
 They played close to an hour and a half (in total) and had said during the encore they'd just play all covers for 30 mins. The crowd went nuts! It turned out not to be all covers, but good stuff anyway.
 
 It seemed a good chunk of the crowd was there to hear "Young Folks" and it was great adding not only Heather but a friend of theirs from Brooklyn who played bongos.
 
 Sad to say that so many people missed Fujiya & Miyagi. I hear theyre playing South Street Seaport - I am SO there!

[sonickteam2]

its peanut butter jelly time!!!

[xneverwherex]

last night a friend and i were thinking...
 'uh oh, you cant have peanut butter with out jelly'    luckily John was playing or it'd have sucked!

[sonickteam2]

Originally posted by xneverwherex:
  last night a friend and i were thinking...
 'uh oh, you cant have peanut butter with out jelly'     luckily John was playing or it'd have sucked!

definitely, john is the reason this band doesnt stick to the roof of your mouth!

[georgewendt]

Check out  this 930 club pre-show interview  by NPR with the Arctic Monkeys from last March.  
 
 From the 5:58 mark:
 
 NPR Guy:  "A lot of times in bands who played the 930 club let's say 20 years ago, you'd see an audience of people who were moving like crazy and thrashing about for music that would be the kind of energy that you have.  These days I come to the club and I see people standing up and they've sort of got their hands in the pockets like either "Impress me" or they just soak it in.  What's it like, that?  What happens there?"
 
 Arctic Monkey:  "We don't get that in England very much. In England it's crazy.  It really is like, sometimes you have to stop playing cause crowds are that full of hundreds of people..."
 
 NPR:  "Are people flying across and being held up by one another?"
 
 AM:  "Oh yeah, its great.  Yeah, its fantastic."
 
 Its funny how even the NPR guy wonders what's going on.

[xneverwherex]

Just came across this review from Filter Magazine. I like the end paragraph about new yorkers and dancing    
 
 Peter Bjorn & John
 Webster Hall - 05.02.07
 Filter Grade: 89%
 by Anita Applebaum | 05.02.2007
 
 
 HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH
 
 For one night only.  Well actually two because Peter Bjorn And John arrived last night in New York City to play Webster Hall, the first installment of their two-nights only stint.  Word has it that their busdriver failed to show up to bring them North from previous night�??s show in Washington DC, and by the time they�??d deciphered the American translation of planes, trains and automobiles showed up in the Big Apple only just in time to hit the stage on Tuesday night, a little bedraggled and worse for wear.  And coming off the weekend in the Coachellian desert who can blame them.  
 
 Anyway, all that was faint history tonight because they took the stage with fresh vengeance and wiped any memory of anything gone before from the minds of the New York indie elite (and all others along for the ride).
 
 Opening with a pre-recording of a lone Sitar paying instrumental tribute to �??Young Folk,�?� the full house was well primed and wet-mouthed for their entrance on stage.  Three Swedish cavaliers.  They picked up their instruments, offered requisite salutation, then launched into a remarkable set of back-to-back classics �?? who knew they could deliver such pristine excellence in live forum.  I mean, on record/emanating from a studio is one thing.  But quite another to recognize the well-foundedness of their musicianship, the simplicity and ease of their commanding of instruments.  The one guitar line picked over the hypnotic throbbing bass lines over the tightly-braced and fully-intentioned drum rhythmns.  Lordy lord these quirky Swedes can play!  Even cuter was the explanation midway through the set of John admitting that he occasionally also plays the sampler.  That he can �??record a song�?� and then �??hit the song�?�.  And he then vowed to show us how he �??hit the song�?� for the next two songs, and who didn�??t think that was adorable?
 
 From the instant melodies, to the poppy post-punk, to stripped back acoustic versions and a capella singalongs, to the Yo La Tengo meets Stereolab improvised jams (i.e. the 12-minute closing number) this band reeked a diversity that was as equally surprising as impressive.  There was not a dull moment and a glance out into the crowd gave the ultimate reassurance�?� ubiquitous looks of absolute glee!  Nevermind that in a stroke of pure genius they invited Heather from Au Revoir Simone (who opened the night) out to sing co-vocals on �??Young Folks�?�.  True to the original but wayyyyy sexier she pulled it off with consummate style.  John�??s brother also jumped onstage to man the bongos, and the night bounced along from one song to the next without giving us a single moment to lose interest.  Other highlights were �??Let�??s Call It Off,�?� �??Amsterdam�?� and a song that Peter said he wrote when he was 13 (that I missed the name of).
 
 Boys. Girls.  The awkwardest of dance moves not in the least bit impairing the PB&J devotees�?? pure celebration of the music.  Couples sharing innocent moments (surely these songs will give many something to walk down the aisle to) and a complete lack of self-consciousness of an en masse crowd.  I�??d seen it one time before (at their LA show back in February) but who knew it transcended those West coast/East coast boundaries.  In our collective minds, even if for �??one night only,�?� we truly were the happiest fans on earth!