Many of us in the Pitchfork-reading community thumb our noses at "artistic" stage lighting effects. The light show and pyrotechnics aspects of rock concerts ran their course during the heyday of Aqua net and spandex. However, it's nice to see an indie band use the resources of a concert venue like Boston's Avalon to their advantage. Peter Bjirn and John's Friday night concert at the nightclub featured a bank of round, arena-like lights facing the audience as well as an appearance by the Avalon's starry wall (a phenomenon wherein the backdrop behind the stage is suddenly illuminated in tiny points of light). The lights, coupled with the band's likable demeanor and somewhat-cute hopping-motions around the stage elevated the show beyond a showcase of the band's timeless indie-pop songwriting aesthetic.The band took the stage to the sitar strains of their popular single, "Young Folks," with their backs to the audience under red lights. After more than a couple minutes in this position, the band sprang to life, playing a set with a traditional pop vibe, of timeless melodies that wouldn't be out of place in any decade of the pop canon. I confess; before Friday night's show, I'd only heard the single. Nonetheless, I was pleased to hear traces of L.A. '60s pop band The Association, of 1980s power-pop band Cheap Trick, of college-rock sweethearts Belle and Sebastian and of a number of other timeless bands in their catchy, rousing pop anthems. PB&J's songs ineffably bring to mind a whole host of pop elements from entirety of the pop canon.

Concertgoers found themselves listening both to whistled passages and intense guitar shredding. The band also delivered some somewhat atypical songs during the encore, the first song of which sounded suspiciously like New Order's "Age of Consent," though this only served to make the song more awesome. During the song, which lasted several minutes, Peter jumped down into the crowd, microphone and shaker in hand, and mingled briefly before returning to the stage. The second and last song in the encore was a Buzzcock's cover, "Ever Fallen In Love?", a fast, punky song that the band pulled off effortlessly. Other standouts from the performance included, of course, "Young Folks," as well as "The Object of My Affection," which ended the set, and "Amsterdam," a song that prompted a cheer from the better part of the audience when announced.

The Clientele opened the show with a mass of sweet, lazy pop songs reminiscent of 1960s pop rock. Think "Mr. Tambourine Man" (the Byrds' version, of course). Lead singer Alasdair MacLean's Donovan- and Bob Dylan-like vocals did nothing to dispel the '60s vibe. The band was upbeat with light electric guitars and a sweet-sounding xylophone on many songs, but never crossed the line to being too sugary.

Perhaps more energy would have been appreciated: the band lost some people during an excessive mid-song jam halfway through their set (which one of my fellow concertgoers described as "Styx-like.") The band could also be criticized for the fact that their songs were difficult to distinguish. The performance was thus something of a long, sunny Avalon Popfest: peaceful, but not overly entertaining.

As the Avalon is slated for destruction within the year (owner Patrick Lyons plans to tear down both Avalon and Axis, both Lansdowne Street nightclubs and concert venues), it's particularly refreshing to see a band that commands the stage and keeps the audience mostly interested and engaged throughout the show. Peter Bjirn and John may be one of the last bands I've see at the Avalon. Friday night's performance made me regret the future passing of the venue.