Peter Bjorn & John: Young Folks

SXSW Photo Blog Journal
Peter Bjorn & John: March 14 @ La Zona Rosa

Note that throughout this post, you'll find images like that to the left from the show listed above.

I flew into Austin on the 14th. There were a few reasons for my Texas trek; the primary being that of Free Yr Radio, a program developed to benefit independent radio. The majority of the day was spent in preparation for the event. I went to Home Depot for some makeshift hanging tools (PVC pipe) and hung out while The Rapture and The Pipettes did sound check.

The launch kicked off at 7pm with a VIP party including free food, an open bar, and a live DJ set by Dave Pianka. At 8pm, the doors opened for The Pipettes and at 9pm the Rapture jumped on-stage. I didn't get to see much of the show, as I was working behind-the-scenes, but both bands sounded amazing.

I'm not really here to talk about them, however. I'm here to discuss the rest of the evening, when I was set free to unleash my wrath on SXSW.

The decision was simple. La Zona Rosa was fairly out-of-the-way when it came to SXSW events and by the end of our event, I was already exhausted. I decided to stay, the bonus being Peter Bjorn & John (MySpace) at 1am (so yeah, that's technically March 16, but it's still 11pm on the 15th in Seattle).

The trio has made a bit of a name for themselves of late. Their song, "Young Folks," is not only damn catchy, it's garnered the most hype for PB&J. According to Jon from Abandoned Love Records (more to come soon on him and our encounter with a giant bear last Saturday), "Looks like whistling is last year's hand clap." You said it buddy!

Peter Bjorn & John: Young Folks (mp3)

Oh, you say, didn't they make a video of that? Yep, here you go:



Before going any further, check out the FensePost review of PB&J's latest endeavor, Writer's Block.

As I stood with fellow KZUU pals, a girl walked by, holding her hands out in front of her and running into people. As she approached, a couple to our left realized what was happening and caught her as she passed out. It reminded me of my first time seeing Aqueduct, when one of our party passed out while Nada Surf was on stage. The couple carried her through the crowd and to safety.

After a few more songs, I decided five beers was too much for my bladder and made my way out of the masses and into the restroom.

Business finished, it was time for some pictures. I snapped some from the safety of the crowd's edge. It was the first time I had really used the camera, so I found it difficult to get good lighting and, as you'll soon see, this trend seemed to last throughout SXSW.

I circled to the side, where the entrance to backstage had a burly bouncer perched with arms folded on a stool. Seeing me, who had been backstage during The Pipettes and The Rapture, and who now held a fancy little camera, he said I could slip back for a few minutes to snap some shots. Sweet.

NOTE: All photos copyright Andrew Fenstermaker and FensePost Reviews.