Katarinahuset, 2024-11-08
“We will soon launch Pet Sounds Live”
Photo: Olle Norgren
An interview with Johan Lindgren from Pet Sounds Bar.
Johan Lindgren is a wine-savvy record company profile with a background at Sony and Universal. Together with the legendary record store Pet Sounds, he runs Pet Sounds Bar, which you can find next to A house in Katarinahuset.
Hi Johan! Pet Sounds Bar has finally opened for evening service – how does it feel?
Enchantingly wonderful – as we expected! The food, the drinks, the music and the guests of the best kind have found their way. We could not have dreamed of a better start!
Twelve years ago, Pet Sounds Bar was located opposite the record store on Skånegatan and was a popular place for music journalists with lots of gigs. Do you have the same vision for the bar today?
Of course it is. Pet Sounds Bar is and remains an institution for music and pub lovers. The years have passed and many of us have grown a little grayer. We already see old regulars mixing with a new generation of music lovers: young and old, girls and boys, old men and women – everyone gets along and THAT is very nice to be part of!
What made you want to open in Katarinahuset?
Katarinahuset has for many years boasted Gondolen and wine lovers could previously find Erik’s Vinbar on our premises. Slussen has always been a place for live music; in the 70s you could check out Peps Persson and Tony Ellis Reggaeband at Café Ricardo. In Gula Gången there was Kolingsborg where brilliant bands like Reeperbahn offered rock. In Götgatsbacken was the punk club Musikverket, in Mariahissen you could see Linton Kwesi Johnson and the first Debaser was here under the current Guldbron. Today, a large part of the Swedish music scene is based at A House and Katarinahuset (Sony Music, Sony Publishing, The Orchard, Ifpi and others). For us, it was a matter of course to start up right here.
What’s playing on your speakers one night?
Oh my, a blissful mix of music from the last 50 years. It’s not a wild guess that the new acclaimed album from The Cure will get airtime. Then it could be anything from soul, afrofunk, post-punk, electronic, rock, pop, hip hop, country and God forbid…
What are you inspired by when it comes to the menu?
We want to eat as if we were the guest. There is a strong focus on the best ingredients and inspiration comes from all corners of the world. My many trips to NYC and dishes from my favorite restaurants there have been beautifully interpreted by chef Petter Isaksson, who is a northerner with a broader taste palette than that. I am overjoyed that Petter has come to us.
What’s on the menu besides Stockholm’s best wines?
We have everything from oxtail dumplings, halibut with miso butter, duck confit sandwich, poached oysters, smoked amadine potatoes to stewed cabbage with Gotland truffles!
Do you have any exciting events coming up?
We will soon be launching Pet Sounds Live, where interesting cross-genre music will be performed on our stage. We will also have showcases, release shows and the Pet Sounds Quiz, which starts on November 21! On Fridays and Saturdays, “music selectors” stand at the turntables and select magical tracks.
If you can dream big – who or who are the people you would most like to see perform live at your venue?
We love all music but an honest dream booking would be Thåström acoustically, Robyn with Goran Kajfes or Peter Lemarc with Seinabo Sey….we are open to unexpected constellations!