Sidewise video? It’s worth it, trust me. 400+ Calvin Johnson’s can’t be wrong as they fill in for the “sample” at the end of “Pocketful of Money.” If you have the opportunity to catch Jens on this tour, I highly recommend it. In fact, it was by far the best show I’ve seen in years. With a (swedish?) female orchestra frocked in white kicking out the jams on sax, trumpet, piccolo, accordion, et al., and Jens’ gorgeous croon, every song was a delightful wall of sound compared to the intimate, stripped down Uke+Jens solo show I caught several years ago in Atlanta. Not only did he bring the hits (Black Cab, Maple Leaves) in full symphonic form, but he pulled out a handful of older songs like the hushed Cold Swedish Winter, the sing-along classic A Sweet Summer’s Night on Hammer Hill, and the cheeky I saw Her in the Anti-War Demonstration. And lest you think I’m just some sort of freakish swede-obsessed fanboi, I’m not alone in my appreciation for the performance.

Jens Lekman at the Black Cat! 10/25 from Laura Alice on Vimeo.