b'suits summer, when lifes hard edges seem to meltLaura Stein. Peyton and Thom came along as well, like the sad verses of his songs. and Bob Pernice even showed up for a few shows.In Europe and Australia (where Rykodisc handledThis new iteration of the Pernice Brothers had to the release), the album got even more traction. Inreinvent these songs, which meant that many of the London Sunday Times, Stewart Lee wrote, Inthemin particular Monkey Suit and Wait to less capable hands Monkey Suit and Wait to StopStopturned out much heavier onstage. They might wash over in a gentle jangle of acousticadded extra harmonies where they could and guitars and strings, but Joe Pernice has a knackrelied on Steins piano. When they headlined the of wringing a bittersweet melody out of every line.Mercury Lounge in New York, Stein was so nervous Let the Pernice Brothers overcome you. And thethat she played through the first song without her Sydney Morning Herald praised the subtlety of theamp on. It turned out that shed never played arrangements and Joes gorgeous, yearning vocalpiano live, says Joe. Shed lied to me and said that wraps around the music like a security blanket,she was a piano player, but she didnt tell me she adding that when the strings rise up from the cho- had stopped playing piano in eighth grade! (He rus of the albums opening track, Crestfallen, youdidnt hold the deception against her. In fact, they get a sense of majesty in his misery. married just a few years later.) The Pernice Brothers played their first giganJoe had toured extensively with the Scud Mountain acoustic show in Brookline, Massachusetts, onBoys, and while their spare sound naturally a bill with Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses, theemphasized his vocals, he had to adjust to singing Breeders, and Belly fame. As Joe recalls, it waswith a full band making a bigger noise. If there me, Bob, Thom, and Peyton. We just sat down andwas a weak link on that tour, it was probably me. played a couple of songs unplugged. It was fun,Sometimes Id have anxiety, and Id be pretty vocal but it wasnt the real deal. In order to tour behindabout it instead of just rolling with it. Im not one Overcome by Happiness, however, he had to deviseto bitch about the monitors these days, but if I yet another lineup: there was no way to bring ancouldnt hear, Id start to panic, like I couldnt sing. orchestra or a harpist on the road, and Sperske stillIve never been afraid to get up in front of people, had obligations with Lilys. So Joe recruited mem- but the act of actually playing the song start to bers of their Sub Pop labelmates Jale, includingfinish without fucking up, that took some work. Its drummer Mike Belitsky and bassist/keyboardistnot a natural thing for me.'