Concert Review: Augustana

Having never seen Augustana live before Monday, I had a very specific mental image of how the performance would be. I expected the band to be riding the coattails of its radio smash, "Boston," saving the song for the encore in order to maintain the audience's attention. I expected a cocky group of boys, phoning in old songs and stumbling over new material. From the opening notes of the concert it was clear my expectations were way off base.

The set was focused on the band's newest release, Can't Love, Can't Hurt, an album we've been whoring on this blog for waaaaaay too long. I would feel bad about referencing it again, but live the songs off this album showcased that Augustana is starting to catch on to the alternative country genre perfected by fellow Chicagoans Wilco years ago. The breadth of the album came through during a song set featuring "I Still Ain't Over You," "Twenty Year" and "Fire" back to back to back. While incredibly different, these songs each highlighted a different Augustana sound: boppy pop, introspective ballad, sexy love song.

Throughout the set, it was clear frontman Dan Layus was the star of the show. Dressed in a white collared shirt, black tie and black J Crewish looking sweater, he appeared nervous in front of the crowd, but queued all four of his band mates on their parts with confidence throughout. Playing solo piano on aforementioned "Fire," he stole the show which left the rest of the band looking bored and unamused.

Two cover songs peppered the setlist, which was extremely disappointing as the band's catalog is strong enough to fill an hour and a half of original tunes. They closed the show with Bob Dylan's "Baby Please Don't Go," a choice telling of their musical aspirations. While spirited and entertaining, Layus' voice was thin and boyish compared to Dylan's raspy growl.

My favorite moment came near the end of the show. "Sunday Best," a heartbreaking ballad off Stars and Boulevards, was the first song of the encore. It was played by only three band members (two of which were completely unplugged) around one microphone. The acoustic set up framed the audience as outsiders to a band jam practice session. The result was a haunting display of the band's musical diversity.

As for "Boston," it was given no more attention than any other song and was played in the middle of the set. The band seemed almost embarrassed to play it, like they would rather be focusing on more technically complex material.

So here's a little acoustic rarity for you to download and pretend like you're at the concert. It's the first single off Can't Love, Can't Hurt. Thought I'd get one more plug for the album in there.

Augustana - "Sweet and Low (acoustic)"