Jack and Coke.....Please take off your coat

Went to see Augustana play last night. I headed straight to the Commodore after dance class, but had to miss the opening act Vega 4. Some friends said they did a good job with their set.

It didn't make much sense for HOB to book Augustana at the Commodore, considering they've had little to no exposure through any media outlets in the city...radio, t.v., newsprint, online, etc. In addition, it was also their first headlining tour and only their second time performing in Vancouver...having opened for Snow Patrol last September. All this clearly reflected in the attendance for the evening, which was just over 200 people. This was the first Commodore show I've attended where the balcony was closed off and not needed for the night.

Despite the small turnout, which is no fault of the band...they simply arrive in town to play the show they're booked for...I thought Augustana put on a pretty good set filled with their catchy pop-rock riffs and killer melodies.

The San Diego natives opened with Stars And Boulevards and Hotel Roosevelt off their debut LP. This was followed with an upbeat and rockin' version of Bullets, which got the crowd moving in unison. Singer and guitarist Dan Layus has such a strong voice that can stretch for miles.

They played a few new songs for us, including one called Devil's Blue Eyes that Dan performed solo acoustic....wow, that one was completely haunting. Seeing the mandolin onstage meant Sunday Best, which is my absolute favourite of theirs. For Boston, they changed up the lyrics and had a really nice outro. Coffee And Cigarettes was a definite highlight as well.

Set lasted 1hr 15mins.