Peter Bjorn And John - Live At The Phoenix

Back in Peg City after spending four wonderful days in Toronto. Last night, I hit Peter Bjorn and John's sold out gig at the Phoenix, and it was six kinds of awesome. The comma-less Swedes played a relatively short show (about an hour and ten minutes) that was loaded with tunes from 2006's smash hit of a pop record Writer's Block (including the ubiquitous 'Young Folks'), a couple oldies, and a healthy handful off the just-released Living Things. Lead vocalist Peter sure has a commanding stage presence (middle fellow in the top pic) and really knows how to entertain a crowd. I was transfixed the whole time. The trio even wrapped up their encore with an extended version of my personal fav "Up Against The Wall" which morphed into a partial cover of Joy Division's classic "Transmission" before reverting back to "Wall". Fantastic end to one of the best sets I've seen in awhile.

New York's Chairlift opened for PB&J. Now you're probably familiar with their omnipresent hit "Bruises" prominently featured on an ipod nano commercial. It's irresistible and a lot of fun and I quite like the boy-girl dynamic. However, the rest of their repertoire is very unlike "Bruises" and sorta has this 80s goth-synth aesthetic to it. I noted to my friend how "Bruises" is about as different from their main sonic inclinations as "Song Two" is from Blur's. In the end, their short set just didn't work for me.

Also, on Thursday night I caught Vancouver's Ladyhawk at the Horseshoe. The place was jam packed and I couldn't snap any photos that weren't just backs-of-heads. Ladyhawk put on a solid show, though, brought to life by their brand of good ol' sweaty rock 'n roll.

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Sarah Slean is taking part in the West End Cultural Centre's grand re-opening week party by playing a show there on May 26th. Like Hawksley Workman, it's a very rare opportunity to see a popular artist in such an intimate setting.

Rapper-actor LL Cool J is playing The Centennial Concert Hall on June 4th. I've pretty much been singing this continuously since I read the news.

And stylin', profilin'.


Infinite Playlist: Peter Bjorn and John - Writer's Block