Peter Bjorn & John
If Peter Bjorn & John were the first act you saw Friday afternoon, your ACL 2007 experience got off on the good foot. The lovable Swedish threesome bounded onstage and kicked off an infectious, exuberant set largely comprising tunes from their Writer’s Block with “Let’s Call It Off” before apologizing for their less-than-bespoke appearances. “Please excuse us for not wearing jackets,” said Peter, who, like his bandmates, was clad in a white dress shirt and black pants. The bassist chimed in, “It’s too hot for jackets, but I’m still Bjorn.” The trio, especially Peter, indulged in goofy stage-play amid peppy tracks “Amsterdam” and “Objects of My Affection,” Bjorn waving to the crowd while Peter hopped around more energetically than anyone wearing synthetic fabrics in the Texas heat has any business doing, eventually jumping into the pit during “Up Against the Wall.” Their sense of irony firmly intact, PB&J wrapped things up with covers of the Undertones’ “Teenage Kicks” and Buzzcocks’ “Ever Fallen in Love.” At a festival where many studio acts didn’t translate well to a live setting, Peter Bjorn & John brought the rock.
This article appears in September 21 • 2007.