Before I get into how great The Autumn Defense‘s first Chicago show in years was last night, I have to gush about the venue they played in first. Lincoln Hall, the brand, spanking new music club the Schubas brothers started up last October is a spectacular place to go see an artist perform. From the impeccable sight lines to the stellar acoustics, all concerts should be performed there. It’s that impressive. I can’t think of a place where the music has sounded better in the city of Chicago and, I believe that, by now, I’ve been to all of the main ones major artists perform at. I cannot think of a better band than The Autumn Defense to be my first foray to the club.
Lincoln Hall stands in the spot formerly occupied by the excellently grungy 3 Penny Cinema (I still remember seeing Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs there, as well as many other flicks), is across the street from the Biograph Theatre (of John Dillinger fame and now home to stage plays and musicals) and is mere steps from where the still missed indie rock club Lounge Ax used to stand.
The Autumn Defense, Pat Sansone and John Stirratt (who are also in Chicago rock band Wilco), performed with an ease and wistful charm attained through the years of performing and honing their craft together. Interspersing songs from their three previously released albums (The Green Hour, Circles, The Autumn Defense) as well as three songs from their forthcoming album Once Around, Sansone and Stirratt traded lead vocals back and forth as well as the occasional humble appreciation to the audience for being supportive.
The new tracks (“Back Of My Mind”, “Step Easy” and “It Will Always Be The Way”) are a slight departure from the band’s previous material if only for the fact that they are more propulsive, rather than the pastoral, gentle tunes fans may be used to. These songs find both musicians coming across more forcefully than on their previous albums. The songs “rock” a little more, even if one of them is a country tune.
The Autumn Defense's Pat Sansone wants to take your picture, please
The pair were backed up by some exceptional musicians. James Hagerty on bass; drummer Greg Wieczorek provided backing vocals (in an interview before the show, Stirratt and Sansone referred to Wieczorek as the band’s third member); and John Pirruccello primarily played pedal steel, but also supplied electric guitar where needed, including some great wah-wah during “Feel You Now”. That song also featured special guest Liam Hayes on electric guitar. Hayes, a Chicago musician, along with his band Plush will perform at Chicago’s Hideout this Sunday, June 20th for the release of their new album Bright Penny).
The songs performed last night of particular note were “Bluebirds Fall” from the band’s split EP with Hem from 2004, Birds, Beasts and Flowers, as well as the band’s two covers, which were also the final songs of the night. Bob Welch’s “Sentimental Lady” (a song I can’t even remember when I heard last and which flooded me with memories of listening to the radio in the ’70s in mother’s car); and finally closing out with a dedication “to our friend, Alex”, an impassioned version of Big Star’s “You Can’t Have Me”.
In my interview with Sansone and Stirratt (which will be up in the very near future – keep checking back), they informed me that Once Around, their fourth album, will come out on Yep Roc Records (contracts still need to be signed, but more likely than not, Yep Roc will be their new home) and it will be out on November 02nd. They plan on touring behind it in November and December, hitting as many cities as they possibly can. If one of them is yours, I advise you to get your tickets when you can. You don’t get many opportunities to see this great band perform their masterful take on classic pop-rock, so take it.
The Autumn Defense
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