Augustana singer set to take concertgoers to "Boston" and beyond

It all started with "Boston."

On Augustana's 2005 single, frontman Dan Layus relayed the travel plans of a woman who'd had enough: "She said I think I'll go to Boston / I think I'll start a new life / I think I'll start it over / Where no one knows my name."

A tune which kept company with work by similarly-styled sensitive rockers such as The Fray and Lifehouse, "Boston" properly introduced Augustana to mainstream audiences and the song landed on popular TV series such as "Scrubs" and "One Tree Hill."

Seventeen years later, Layus is the lone musician to wear the Augustana name and continues to create hook-driven songs marked by their perception and empathy. Layus will bring a solo take on the Augustana catalog to Rose Music Hall this week with a show presented by stalwart FM station 102.3 BXR.

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The Augustana catalog has unfolded over the course of four proper albums, as well EPs and other projects. While "Boston" made the band for most listeners, its sophomore album, 2008's "Can't Love, Can't Hurt," houses perhaps the quintessential Augustana track. "Sweet and Low" feels cut from a similar cloth, but lands a melodic hook that can't be forgotten.

Several tracks on the band's self-titled 2011 album resemble the moody arena fare of The Killers, while 2014's "Life Imitating Life" houses a ballad like "Remember Me," which would've given Richard Marx a run for his money had it been released 25 years earlier.

Last year, Layus released a live record which captured the feel of a late 2020 livestream. Approximating what listeners might encounter at Rose, the solo date lends a quiet weariness to Augustana's hits while leaving enough space for those hooks — and their implications — to ring out.

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Gesturing toward what may be to come, Layus has released several singles since 2019. The latest, this year's "Remedy," is soft with a slinky melody; at times, it sounds like a lullaby for grown-ups.

Layus may be on his own these days, but as the sole — and soul — member of Augustana, he possesses the necessary gifts to indulge nostalgia around songs like "Boston" and take listeners at least another mile.

Rett Madison opens Saturday's show, which starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25. Learn more at https://rosemusichall.com/.

Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at [email protected] or by calling 573-815-1731.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Augustana singer set to take concertgoers to "Boston" and beyond