Jon Auer - Living Room Show - Los Angeles - 6/30/12

I've always loved The Posies. There is something about those melodies and harmonies that has always drawn me to their music. I never miss an opportunity to talk to anyone that will listen about how under appreciated they have been over the past 25 years. One of the masterminds behind the band is singer/songwriter Jon Auer. I recently had the unique privilege of attending one of Jon's private "living room" shows in Los Angeles. This was a once in a lifetime experience that was held at a private residence in front of about 30 lucky fans.

Jon on "stage"

Jon took the "stage" in front of the fireplace, plugged into a small PA system and gave us all an experience that we will never forget. Although I've seen Jon play solo in the past this was the first time I've seen him without a band behind him. The absence of a backing band allowed his heavenly voice and fantastic guitar playing to really shine.

Jon said that he had a "loose set list" in mind for his performance but he was also open to suggestions. This made for an incredible night of classic Posies songs, solo tunes, deep cuts, as well as some his favorite covers. From Frosting on the Beater he played "Dream All Day," "Burn and Shine" and "Flavor of the Month" which Jon admitted to writing at the request of a record executive that didn't hear a "single" on the album. The crowd gasped when Jon told this story and laughed after he told them that the song's lyrics were written as a hidden "fuck you" to the same executive.

Jon also admitted to being in a nostalgic mood lately. He professed a particular fondness for The Posies 1990 album Dear 23 which he said featured a back photo that proved he was a "recovering goth."  In fact, he ended up playing four tracks from the album including "Golden Blunders," "Suddenly Mary," "Flood of Sunshine" and "Everyone Moves Away." The latter brought much delight to the die hard Posies fans in attendance since the band rarely plays the song live. It's also one of my personal favorites.

Jon also took the opportunity to play songs from his solo record Songs from the Year of Our Demise. The material from this album seemed a lot more personal than some of his earlier solo work. Songs such as "Bottom of the Bottle" and "The Year of Our Demise" painted a picture of pain and loss. Jon explained how his song "Six Feet Under" got into the producer's hands of the Six Feet Under television show and was scheduled to be included in the closing sequence of an episode. The song was pulled at the last minute because the shows creators got cold feet and didn't feel like the song was a good fit for the show. Jon explained that he was really disappointed since he loved the show.

And finally the glorious cover songs! You can't top "Swinging Party" by The Replacements, "Blackbird" by The Beatles and "13" by Big Star.  The latter which Jon explained has been remade several times but it is still one of his favorite songs to perform.

This was a truly unforgettable night of music. One that I will never forget. I always knew that Jon was a talented singer, songwriter and musician but what really made this night special was the intimate setting and all the personal stories behind each of his songs.



Meeting my musical hero.