The Power of an Austria Song Shines Through

Many people overlook the value of a great song. When your favorite (and most likely world famous) artist's song is being covered by someone you don't know, you don't make a big deal of it; people do this quite frequently. But when an act that isn't quite a household name has its songs recorded and shared on youtube, it's a testament to the power of the the songwriter's craft.

I'm not a youtube expert, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are thousands of youtube performances by people that very few of us know, who play hit songs (that we do know) and share them with the world. In fact, it's been said that a great way to increase the popularity and/or awareness of a musical act is to cover a song that is currently riding the pop charts. The purpose of the cover song is partly to gain an audience that might not initially be interested in the artist. Take the Talking Heads' version of Al Green's "Take Me to the River," for example. "River" was the the Heads' first single and the band's main introduction to the world before their original songs were promoted at radio.

For Latin Alternative act Austria, "Adormecida" (on their current album, "Nada,") - which means "numb" in Spanish - is not getting played on the radio (that I know of) and hasn't, as yet, been included in a popular TV series or motion picture, yet a young man in Argentina not only admires "Adormecida," but decided to perform it and share it with the world.

Is this unique? Maybe not. But if there are people covering songs from artists that aren't quite as popular as, say, Taylor Swift, I doubt the songs they're performing are as powerful as "Adormecida," which was written by Martin Rougier (pictured above).

Make no mistake - when a song from a band on a small independent label is being covered, it's a powerful statement - and I wouldn't be surprised if this isn't the last time we hear an Austria song sung by someone other than the band.

Final Austria Show - Malibu

What became Austria's final performance of their Southern California tour, took place at a private party in the exclusive section of Malibu Colony, in Malibu, CA (down the block from Paris Hilton's and a few doors up from Sting's). True, people who saw the band at House of Blues the prior Wednesday were more than happy to see the band again, which added to the color and enthusiasm of the show, but those who knew little of Austria leading up to their sea-side performance, absolutely loved them. The band's set was broken up into two parts and wowed the mostly non-Spanish speaking audience so fiercely that the band was practically forced to play a short third set later in the afternoon, which consisted mostly of songs in English and covers. The real jewel of the event, however, came well into the night and after most of the audience had gone home, when Lautaro Gonzalez de Cap and Martin Rougier performed as an impromptu duo with Martin at the resident's piano. The 'set' consisted of Austria originals and some popular covers in Spanish. Maybe a dozen people were in the room. While the group's tour was heavily documented (the footage is currently being edited), Martin and Lautaro's piano/vocal performance was not. Truly special and truly a treat.

So when are Austria coming back? They hope to return early next year...and sooner, if the opportunity arises.

Austria Returns to The Stardust Lounge - 9/16

Austria's first show was at The Stardust, Sept. 2, in Downey. The band was scheduled to go on at midnight that night, but didn't go on until 1am. Many people had left the club by then, but the those that hung in there, were treated to a great set.

The second show was different. First, the band went on before midnight which helped retain a larger audience. Second, some of those that saw the band at the 9/2 show, came back to see them again.

The band played a short, but condensed set and with a bit of swagger, including Martin Rougier (keyboards) performing part of his repertoire on the stand-up mic, before returning to his usual position behind the 'boards. To help fuel the fire, some fans even shouted out requests - and those requests were honored.

Next show: Malibu, Sept. 17

More on the Austria/So Cal Tour

I was probably too ambitious when I set out to blog about the Austria dates, day by day. Now that the guys have returned to Argentina and things have settled down a little, I plan to report on each of the rest of the shows.

The show following Irvine was September 7 at The Juke Joint, in Anaheim, . Booked by Christian Mejia of Intoroq, the band performed a very tight set that, by now, included their signature opener, España, written and sung by Martin Rougier. Some industry came to the gig and a handful of fellow Argentineans also attended the performance.

Next show - Long Beach.

Lautaro Gonzalez de Cap of Austria in L.A. - Plays First Show

After a long journey from Rosario, Argentina, Lautaro Gonzalez de Cap has arrived. Yes, Lautaro was caught in a 10-plus hour delay in Mexico City, but was on his game at his first performance in Huntington Park, this morning. A curious crowd that seemed pleasantly surprised by the music, heard an extensive Austria set that included songs usually sung by co-lead singer, Martin Rougier. Lautaro's next show is Sunday morning at Great Park, in Irivine. Lautaro/Austria dates continue through September 19, throughout Southern California.