When Jens Lekman announced at the end of 2006 that he was scuttling his second full-length and taking a break from songwriting, I could hear the collective whisper of his fans, pleading, Shhh, please be quiet; I know you dont want to, but please deny it.
Of course, it wasnt long before Jens rekindled his wistfully passionate relationship with the world of pop music, and if it took a cold Swedish winter to sow the seeds of his full bloom performance in Los Angeles, the wait was well worth it.
Jens, backed by an ensemble of musical fairies, kicked off the finale to his US tour with a beautifully orchestrated rendition of Into Eternity, replete with flutes, cowbells, accordion, and a recorder. As the song came to a close, he set down his guitar and dug up a tiny silver triangle, which he held proudly to the microphone.
Jens beaming smile cut through the crowd as pristinely as the ring of the triangle to end the song, and it was on this masterful note of exuberance that he carried the rest of the night. Working their way deftly through hits such as The Opposite of Hallelujah, A Postcard to Nina and Black Cab, Jens and his band demonstrated a kind of grace which one might not expect from a musician who has rhymed chili with chilly.
It was this blend of awkwardness, bravado and palpable sincerity, however, which made the night so memorable. During the pre-recorded break of Sipping on the Sweet Nectar, all of the band members dropped their instruments, spread their arms, and began flying in circles to the music. When they rushed to pick up the pieces and leap back into the chorus without missing a single beat, the illusion of spontaneity faded away, but the expressions of delight on their faces shone even brighter.
Even after a double encore, highlighted by a charming cover of Paul Simons You Can Call Me Al (and a tender aside on his aversion to Chevy Chases stupid grinning face), Jens had not finished consummating his bond with musicianship. Over an hour after the show had ended, he emerged alone, acoustic guitar in hand, to serenade the handful of fans still lingering with a surprise performance of I Met Her at the Anti-War Demonstration.
Jens then jumped gleefully back onto the stage and began picking the opening notes to Julie. His devotional lyrics took on new meaning, as if professing a newly liberated love for pop music. Like the subject of the song, its an inherently uncertain embrace, fearful of the disenchantment that follows so many relationships. Even so, Jens Lekman has decided to share this uncertainty with the world, reminding us of the undeniable joy that accompanies it and giving all of us a chance, for better or for worse, to revel in this moment in time. All thats left to say now is, I do.
