If there were any justice in this world, Joe Pernice would be on the cover of Rolling Stone and John Mayer would be cleaning Jan Wenner’s pool. The Pernice Brothers made a quick stop at the Pilot Light last night, where they were greeted by a packed and enthusiastic house of Knoxville hipsters. And on a Monday night, no less. Joe is the quintessential reluctant rock star, a guy whose downward glances between songs betray something like embarrassment. When he thanked the crowd, he seemed genuinely surprised that we were there to see him and that we were having such a damn good time.
Yours, Mine & Ours, the latest release from The Pernice Brothers, is a nearly perfect collection of pop songs, impeccably produced and just dripping with melodic melancholy. “Blinded by the Stars” earned Song of the Moment honors by winning a tight, three horse race, with “Water Ban” and “Baby in Two” tying for second. “Blinded” won thanks in large part to this particular lyric:
I would tell the world that I love you,
But the waiting game is as serious as statue.