For a long while a friend has told me I needed to go to more independent theatre productions. I’ve always been resistant. After seeing a few fairly amateur local community theatre shows, I decided it wasn’t for me. But then my husband got a job that saw him in Eora/Sydney a couple of days a week, and I started to realise that the only way we would be able to see the shows we’d heard about it at the Tony Awards was to explore the independent theatres there. Needless to say, I’m hooked. Last month we caught the Australian debut of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 at the Darlinghurst Theatre. It was bold and dynamic, and I definitely would have written about it if we didn’t attend one of the last shows. Last night we headed to the Hayes Theatre to see the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and since there’s a little more than a week left I wasn’t going to miss the chance to tell you all about it.
Category: Reviews
“Best Friend” – Clayton Francis
As a big fan of American indie-pop duo LANY, I was instantly drawn to Aussie artist Clayton Francis’s new EP Best Friend. Their music is so similar, with electronic percussion, uplifting synths, sweet vocals, and romantic lyrics that make the world seem better. However, the more I listened, the more I started to appreciate Clayton’s music in its own right.
“Down in Hollywood” – Dana Gehrman
I must admit, I approached Dana Gehrman’s new album Down in Hollywood with a little trepidation. I wasn’t very familiar with this Meeanjin/Brisbane-based blues-rock artist, and I’m ashamed to admit I’m not across the music from Little Feat, whose songs she covers on this release. I thought I’d feel like a fish out of water listening, but I have a policy of playing everything that lands in my inbox. I’m so glad I did. While I expected to feel out of my element, Down in Hollywood is one of the most accessible and enjoyable albums I’ve heard in some time.
“Independent Discover Volume 2” – Sounds on the Couch
The early days of the COVID-19 pandemic both isolated us, as we were stuck in our homes, and brought us closer together as a global community. We were all in the same boat, desperate for some connection, and relationships were formed and nurtured across the miles. Sounds on the Couch was just one of the exciting initiatives to come out of that time. Naarm/Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Karen Harding launched Sounds on the Couch in April 2020 to support and promote independent and emerging artists at home and around the world. Unlike so many pandemic initiatives, it’s still going strong. Sounds on the Couch recently launched its latest digital compilation, Independent Discovery Volume 2.
Darren Criss @ City Recital Hall, Eora/Sydney – 11 September 2023
Darren Criss is undeniably one of Glee’s true success stories. While some cast members have been taken too soon, had their legacies marred by scandals, or faded into obscurity, his star has continued to rise after Ryan Murphy’s teen musical juggernaut. He’s starred on Broadway, performed for President Barack Obama on his second inauguration, and earned an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his role in The Assassination of Gianni Versace. He’s released a couple of EPs of original material and a Christmas album to little fanfare, but you wouldn’t know it if you were anywhere near the City Recital Theatre on Monday night. The sold-out crowd gave him a rock star welcome, the kind reserved for chart-toppers. He repaid their kindness with one of the most entertaining nights of music I’ve experienced in a while.
“Happy Ever After” – MID CITY
MID CITY might be the next big Aussie success story. The Naarm/Melbourne outfit has been releasing music together since 2018, but they’ve taken their time in releasing an album. The wait was worth it. Happy Ever After is one of the best albums I’ve heard all year.
“Wicked” @ Lyric Theatre, Eora/Sydney
I haven’t seen Wicked since it played at the Capitol Theatre in 2009. I remember enjoying it without falling totally in love with it. My husband was enamoured though, and my parents wished they’d seen it, so I found myself at the Lyric on the weekend ready to experience it all again. I wasn’t especially excited, but I reasoned enough time had passed that I was bound to have a good time. I wondered how the latest cast could possibly match the talents of Jemma Rix and Lucy Durack, who perfectly inhabited the lead roles, or even stellar supporting players like Rob Mills and Bert Newton.
“Sunsoli” – Sunsoli
Rebranding after eight years performing together is a risky move. But that’s exactly what Darkinjung Country/Central Coast act The Sea Gypsies did when they became Sunsoli earlier this year. Risky or not, the move seems to have revitalised this band who with the release of their self-titled album prove they’re making some of the best music of their career.
“The Pleasure Pit” – Tiali
Tiali wowed me with their single “Icicles” a few months ago. It was so raw and personal, I couldn’t wait to hear more. They deliver and then some with their debut EP The Pleasure Pit, a collection of intimate songs that pack a real punch.
“Fortress” – KEZRA
People speak a lot of teen angst, but I think for many people their 20s are more tumultuous. It’s a time when you’re expected to be an adult, but you’re still trying to figure so much out. You have more freedom than you did in your teen years, but that gives you so much more space to make mistakes. You might grow from those mistakes, but they can also sting. Music can be a salvation during those challenging years, both for artists and their listeners. That time might be far behind me, but I can’t resist music that explores an artist’s coming of age. KEZRA’s new EP Fortress is a beautiful collection of songs that charts her personal journey of self-discovery.