Home > The M.O. > Archives > 2007 > February > 13 > Entry
Autumn’s breeze makes me feel fine
Following the Longhorns’ easy dismantling of Big XII foe Oklahoma State last night, I switched gears completely and headed downtown for a show at the Parish. Moving from a raucous crowd of nearly 13,000 with their almost nationalistic school chants and blaring band to an intimate venue of 70+ folks listening to warm Americana pop is like pulling the emergency break in your car while cruising in the fast lane on Interstate 35.
But unlike the alarming and dangerous act of said driving maneuver, my walk down to the Parish on Sixth Street proved to be the perfect way to unwind following the game. Unfortunately, the length of the game forced me to miss openers Michael Booher and Catherine Davis of Zykos (which I will certainly check out next time they play together), but I did arrive in time to see headliner the Autumn Defense, side project of Wilco members John Stirratt and Pat Sansone. The project gives these two gifted multi-instrumentalists the chance to spread their wings beyond the purview of songwriter Jeff Tweedy.
While Sansone is a relative newcomer to Wilco, I have always been impressed with Stirratt’s acceptance of his role with what is essentially Tweedy’s baby. While he has been given a slightly greater role in helping dictate Wilco’s sound in recent years, Stirratt has been wise enough to know that the Wilco gig is a good one, and that the best way to stay a part of the ever-changing band is to let Tweedy call the shots. Just ask Jay Bennett.
Since the early 2000s, Stirratt seems happy to get his more independent creative and writing jones satisfied by his work with the Autumn Defense, as well as in another project featuring his sister Laurie. The group put on a lovely show last night; the only thing missing was a gigantic fireplace in the middle of the club.
Last night at The Parish, the group played a 75-minute set with songs from their three albums, as well as the EP they recorded with Hem. The band features a warm, lush sound that harkens back to Laurel Canyon in the late ’60s and early ’70s. I spent the evening half-expecting to see David Crosby or Joni Mitchell to walk into the club at any moment. Sansone and Stirratt have perfected a beautiful harmony that was refreshingly, in this era of loud and often derivative indie rock, reminiscent of the sounds of Bread. Mixing in the occasional electric guitar with their friendly and familiar acoustic sound, the band would slip slightly towards a moodier sound only to pull back into its soulful strumming.
At one point in the show Sansone, after realizing the band had indeed played here during SXSW a couple of years ago, said “SXSW is awesome, but it isn’t Austin.” And though the crowd was a little too tame to vociferously respond, Sansone could not have been more accurate. Monday night at The Parish was undoubtedly Austin, even bordering on an Austin from a different era, one of peace, love, marijuana and acoustic sing-alongs, with the band dedicating their encore, Fleetwood Mac’s “Sentimental Lady,” to all the old Austin hippies.
Photo by Amy Lombardi from band’s Web site.
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