This was a pretty big show for a could-be one-hit wonder. Peter Bjorn and John’s whistle-fueled "Young Folks" is by far the most ubiquitous song to come out of indie rock in ages, easily the biggest since Modest Mouse’s 2004 breakthrough "Float On." It’s the kind of song that inspires covers from Kanye West and obscure Japanese folkies alike (Shugo Tokumaru’s version is currently a top 10 hit in Japan), not to mention hopeless devotion from anybody with ears. They’ve even whistled their way to a Best New Artist nomination at this weekend’s VMAs, which they’ll blogging about right here next week.
But you can’t just play your best song all night, and the question was, what would PB&J do for the rest of their set last night at Manhattan’s cavernous Roseland Ballroom? The answer, apparently, was to sound like Oasis. The audience — a crowd of young folks themselves (I’d be shocked if anyone was over 30) — cheered loudly for "Amsterdam," but didn’t seem particularly excited for any of the other tunes. And no wonder: If the band (pictured at Roseland, with guest Nicole Atkins) didn’t have "Young Folks" and weren’t from Sweden, they’d probably be written off as a slightly-above-average Britpop band. Still, they had stage presence and energy for miles and ran through their set on sheer exuberance — and when they inevitably played "Young Folks," the Ballroom turned into an enormous impromptu indie dance party.
Opening act the Clientele didn’t fare as well, plagued by some soundissues (frontman Alasdair Maclean’s guitar was barely audible for thefirst few songs) and a chatterbox crowd that was more interested intaking pictures of themselves on their iPhones than listening to theband’s exquisite melancholy. This, despite opening with "Since K GotOver Me," a truly fantastic song that’s on par with "Young Folks," ifnot as instantaneously catchy. In 2002, Peter (or Bjorn? Could’ve beenJohn) noted that they’d opened for the Clientele in Sweden, a fact thatMaclean bemoaned during his band’s set: "Where did they go right?"Sounds like a question for you, P-Dubs! Are you tired of "Young Folks"or does it still have you whistling while you work?
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I know that “Young Folks” is a huge indie hit, but its such an endearing song, that I actually WANT it to be a mainstream top 40 hit. Its so infectious, and no matter how often I hear it, it always brings a smile to my face! People who have never before heard the song, ALWAYS ask me who it is, and that they think its catchy. Regardless of indie or mainstream, thats a TRUE sign of a hit. I actually have the Peter, Bjorn & John cd and if the record label does try & work “Young Folks” as a mainstream hit, I think many fans might actually enjoy more songs on the disc.
my brother said he met the guy who played bongos on “young folks”. it’s doug (drummer) from dirty on purpose. I checked out their myspace and definitely want to see them live sometime.
to be honest, i have the album and (have have had it for what feels like years and years). it’s a good album. yes, “young folks” is the song that sticks out, but i think the band has been short changed into the one-hit-wonder catergory. as a live band, they are not very good, but that doesn’t mean that the album isn’t worth owning and listening to. it’t not the greatest thing ever and they’re not reinventing the wheel, but it’s a worthy album that people are too lazy to try to check out. not the bands fault.
I enjoy Young Folks, sparingly, and will definitely have it in my head for the rest of the day. I’m bummed to hear the Clientele weren’t great live. I love most of what I’ve heard from God Save the Clientele.
To me, PB&J is anything but a one-hit wonder. When I first popped their album into my CD player, I was blown away by it’s greatness (and you have to love the way they pronounce their “ch” as “sh”). I’ve listened to the entire thing more times through than I can count. Give them a chance! But, on the “Young Folks” note, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a song on more TV shows/commercials/movies. Give it a rest, people.