“Memphis is like a second musical home to me now,” muses Jon Auer, best known as a veteran of the Big Star revival(s) and, once upon a time, the Posies. He’s been in town since last Saturday, when he performed with the Sonny Wilsons in their jangling, harmony-laden opening set for the Baseball Project at Overton Park Shell. Today he begins his Sweet Southern Sojourn tour through Nashville, Knoxville, and Asheville, then back to B-Side Memphis on Sunday, September 10th (click here for tickets). And with the Bluff City serving as his base, he’s been staying busy.
“I’ve worked with Memphis artists a lot,” he explains. “Obviously there’s the Big Star connection, so I’ve played here a lot. Part of that’s also due to wanting to only play with people you like. Like, Jody Stephens is a longtime friend of mine. It’s hard not to love Jody Stephens. I’m really fortunate to have had all this time with him in things related to Big Star. Now I’ve been coming to the Crosstown Concourse a lot, and I just made this record with the Sonny Wilsons at Ardent and High/Low Recording. So I’m starting to feel like there’s actually a little community here related to me that makes it feel very homey now. It’s not like I’m just going someplace to do some work. I love the vibe of Memphis. And technically, I mean, I’m in the Memphis Music Hall of Fame! I don’t know how that happened. It kind of makes me laugh, but I’ll take it.”
Indeed, Auer proved his mastery of the original Big Star’s oeuvre only last December, when he, Jody Stephens, Chris Stamey, Pat Sansone, and Mike Mills celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Memphis band’s debut. But while Auer made several songwriting contributions to the latter-day Big Star’s In Space album, that project is forever bound to be focused on the past. These days he’s more future-oriented, getting back to writing and performing as a solo artist.
“It’s kind of emotional to be back out touring because it was taken away for a variety of reasons,” he reflects. “The pandemic really did a number on everyone, myself included.” His first touring after those days of lockdown only came late last year, “playing the recent Big Star 50th Anniversary celebrations in Memphis, New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. And I did my first post-pandemic solo show in Richmond, Virginia, around those days. So this Southern tour is actually me kind of getting back to it.”
He says to expect a bit of music from the great bands he’s been associated with, perhaps including Posies hits like “Coming Right Along” or “Going, Going, Gone,” mixed into a healthy selection of solo material exemplified by his 2006 masterpiece, Songs from the Year of Our Demise. That album, critically acclaimed 17 years ago, hits even harder in the current dark era with songs like “Six Feet Under” or “The Year of Our Demise.”
While that album does rock out dynamically, it also has a vulnerable edge not unlike Elliot Smith’s most homespun work. “That was the first proper, full-length original thing that I did. It was 15 songs and I played everything on it, with the exception of a few drum tracks and a few other instruments. It sold a few thousand copies, got great reviews, and I toured the world: Australia, Japan, the States, and all of Europe. And that was where I discovered the solo part of me, as far as really going out and actually doing a show, getting something together, and really being able to communicate with people.”
He seems eager to do just that at Sunday’s B-Side show. Auer says he’s here for the music and ready to play. “I don’t even have a website. I’m one of those guys. No one would accuse me of over-promoting myself, though I’m better at it these days. I just want to work on music that I enjoy. Certainly it’s nice to get paid, but ultimately this Memphis show isn’t about the money. And I think B-Side is going to be the perfect place for this. I’m just looking forward to having it be a good time with a lot of friends who are coming.”