Jens Lekman in Seattle last night: I went to the show with the expectation, nay - the hope, that Jens would win me over with his charm. I wanted to enjoy myself, I wanted to be converted. Even the ghastly Throw Me The Statue wasn't going to ruin my night. So, while Jens was indeed quite charming, the show fell a bit short for me. Part of it was the pacing- the mid-portion of the set was bogged down by slow, maudlin numbers. Good songs, yes, but more fitting for a seated audience as opposed to a packed club. On the other hand, seeing Jens live did impress me in a number of ways. His backing band was excellent and they really accentuated Jens' gift for arrangements. Jens is also consistently improving as a musician himself and when he stretches himself on stage, it's great. I wasn't wowed, but I enjoyed myself.
Viktor Sjöberg closed the night as promised and it was great to see him again. Apparently he was having a bit of technical issues, so I bailed for the long drive home once he segued his set from his own material into a DJ set, but the bit I did hear was quite good. Viktor's a tremendous artist, all the better because I never know quite what to expect from him. Oh, and seeing him bust out his disco dance moves during Jens' set made the night. That alone was worth the price of admission.