Peter Morén Drops By Hideout for Secret Set [VIDEO]

By Kim Bellware in Arts & Entertainment on May 27, 2011 6:00PM

Last night at the Hideout, fans eager to hear Daniel Knox and Judson Claiborne (it was the record release show for Knox) were treated to a little Swedish surprise: Scandinavian heartthrob singer Peter Morén of Peter Bjorn and John popped in to play a short, 25-minute secret set before the main acts took the stage. Morén, who lauded the Hideout's cozy atmosphere, remarking that "it feels like an after-ski," was in Chicago early due to several trans-Atlantic flight changes. Thanks, Icelandic volcano!

In one of his several monologues to the crowd, Morén said, "I'm going to explain the situation. On the way from Sweden to America there's an island called Iceland. And they have a volcano--maybe a couple of them, I don't know. And this volcano has ashes, that fucks up the airways and the flights from Europe to America."

Apparently Morén wasn't supposed to land in Chicago until today, but was shuffled to and earlier flight. On the invitation from band member's in Judson Claiborne and the Daniel Knox band, he agreed to play a quick set on the sly. Morén rather hilariously admitted to not knowing a lot of the words of the songs he was going to play, so he relied on sheets of his own lyrics "that I got off the Internet," which were printed off in the Hideout's greenroom before the show.

Unexpected and intimate, the set was casual, with Morén singing half-Swedish half-English songs from albums that never made it stateside, as well as a knockout cover of A-ha's "Take On Me." Rocking a borrowed Rickenbacker, Morén displayed pretty amazing showmanship despite being entirely improvisational.

Morén will return with Bjorn and John in August for a mini-residency including shows at the Empty Bottle on August 24, Lincoln Hall on August 25, and Scubas on August 28 and 29.

Special thanks to Sei Jin Lee for the video