Given the impressive lineup on show this evening, it was a shame to see Chris Dale, vocalist of local alt-country lads Halfway, playing to a near-empty room. Halfway’s songs translate well in a solo setting, with Chris’ warm, earthy voice filling the Troubadour. It was especially a pleasure hearing tunes like When I Get My Patience Back given a less strident, more emotive working. On the strength of tonight’s show I’d be keen to check out these Brisbane lads when they are in band-mode once again.
The absence of the advertised Laura Imbruglia ensures an elevation in the batting order for another local champ in Tim Steward. Having been a long-time fan of Tim’s work in Screamfeeder I was keen to see and hear what he had to offer in a solo live setting. The melodic hooks of his main project remain intact but the songs carried a far more folksy air. This was further complemented by the addition of two backing vocalists for the second half of his set. Its great to see that Tim’s songs don’t need distortion to hold them up (not that there was ever much doubt). And it’s the songs tonight which shine through.
By the time the main event rolled around the crowd was still small (probably only numbered 30) but was vocal in its exhortations as Jon Auer took the stage. A lesser performer may have baulked at seeing such a small turnout after having flown halfway round the world. However he turned the situation to his advantage by making us all feel like he’d just popped into our living room to play a few tunes for us. At one point Jon abandoned the stage (and his amplifier) to play in the middle of the audience, unplugged, from atop a milk crate. He chatted liberally between songs, dropping anecdotes and gags like the seasoned pro that he is. In fact he almost spent more time yakking to us than he did playing. At any other gig that may have been frustrating, but tonight it just further helped to erode the barrier between artist and audience.
The set began with some somber numbers from his solo album Songs From The Year Of Our Demise before moving into more familiar Posies territory. He finished his first set with the Big Star classic Thirteen and The Posies’ Coming Right Along which gave him a chance to show off his chops (and effects rack). He then returned for two encores, buoyed by the appreciation shown by the small if faithful crowd. You could not fault Jon’s enthusiasm. Whilst I personally would have loved to hear a few more Big Star tunes, tonight was not necessarily about hearing individual songs – it was about watching an overall performance. And it was a pleasure watching Jon perform, in all senses of the word.
