After wowing me with singles like “All Hard Feelings” and “If I Want In,” Imogen Clark raised my expectations for her latest album The Art of Getting Through. Those singles were so well-written, with insightful lyrics and impeccable melodies. Happily, the release of the album shows they were no fluke.
I discover some amazing artists through this blog. I hear about their shows and think they’d be great live, but I often don’t actually make it to the gigs. Then there are the rare artists like Donovan Woods, who capture my heart so quickly that I know I need to be there. That’s how I found myself at new inner-city venue Darling Nikki’s on Friday night, just a couple of months after hearing his music for the first time. As I looked around at the blokes dressed in flannel and trucker hats, emulating Donovan’s signature look, I knew most people had followed his career for a lot longer. But I always say, it doesn’t matter when you find an artist; just that you do.
Tom Harrison takes us on a road trip through North America with his gorgeous debut EP, Old Growth. Tom burst onto the scene in 2018 with his band Hugo Stranger and the Rattlers, but he’s showing us a quieter, more introverted side with this release.
Attending a Club Broadway event has been on my bucket list for a while. As an unashamed theatre nerd, the thought of coming together with other theatre nerds, singing along to showtunes while I danced like nobody’s watching always seemed like some kind of heaven. But as someone who remains a little COVID-cautious, I couldn’t quite bring myself to attend one of the indoor club events. I couldn’t believe it when they announced a free outdoor event for Vivid, which unfortunately clashed with last week’s Jason Singh show. But then the rains came down, the event was washed out, and the stars aligned with a rescheduled show. Last night I was off to my first ever Club Broadway event!
If Reckless Coast felt any nerves recording their debut EP, they don’t show. Naked & Famous is a confident rock release that declares this band from Meeanjin/Brisbane have arrived.
If it wasn’t already abundantly clear, I love Avoca Beach Theatre. It’s such a charming venue committed to showcasing the country’s best artists. It doesn’t hurt that it’s also less than half an hour from my house. So even though I already had tickets for Richard Clapton on Friday night, when Jason Singh’s show was moved to the Saturday I held on to my tickets. I’m still young enough to back up, right? At least I am if they’re local!
We’ve all got our comfort artists. The ones that we go see every couple of years because we can count on them singing songs we want to hear and simply making us feel good. They’re probably musicians you grew up listening to, so they feel like home. Richard Clapton is definitely one of those artists for me. As I look back at my blog it seems I’ve somehow let nine years go by without seeing Richard live, so a show was long overdue. And when he’s playing locally, who can refuse?
As I stepped into Lizotte’s on Saturday night, I realised that it’s been far too long. It’s the kind of venue that welcomes you back like an old friend, no matter how much time has passed though. It may be under new management, but other than the hosts wearing more sequins and the décor receiving a few more fairy lights, little has changed. The rotating menu still features old favourites like the salt and pepper squid with passionfruit sauce and classic fish and chips. If anything, the dishes were even better than we remembered. With bellies and glasses full, we settled in for a fantastic night of music.
Kiwi-raised and Naarm/Melbourne-based, Matt Joe Gow and Kerryn Fields have both impressed me with their solo efforts, so it was inevitable that I’d fall hard for their new album of duets, I Remember You. With a natural chemistry and knack for songwriting, the pair have created some of the best music you’ll hear this year.
Parade may be the best musical you’ve never heard of. Its original 1998 Broadway run lasted just three months. The 2023 Broadway revival also ran for less than six months, although it did take home a key Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. I get it. It’s a hard sell. In a market saturated by jukebox musicals and productions based on familiar stories, an original musical about a Jewish factory manager accused of a young girl’s murder in 1913 seems pretty dreary. Yet Parade endures because it’s incredible. Independent Naarm/Melbourne theatre company Soundworks Productions staged Parade in their hometown late last year and have now brought it to Eora/Sydney. I’m so glad they did.