Category: Live Performances

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Tash Sultana One to Watch

With Tash Sultana preparing to play a slew of shows overseas and here at home, it seemed the perfect time to make sure you all knew about this exciting local talent.

This Melbourne singer-songwriter was a triple j Unearthed featured artist and her online content has racked up millions of streams and views. That content includes this video for Tash’s most recent single “Notion,” recorded in her bedroom.

It takes serious talent to make a bedroom session sound this good! There seems to be plenty of global interest in Tash, as she’s just signed deals with Paradigm/Windish Agency in North America and Free Trade Agency in UK/Europe.

If you’re in Australia or living abroad, here are the places you can catch this dynamic performer in the coming months.

19-21 August 2016 – Townsville Cultural Festival, Townsville
12 September 2016 – Badehaus, Berlin
14 September 2016 – Birthdays, London
15 September 2016 – The Borderline, London
17 September 2016 – 7 Layers Festival, Amsterdam
18 September 2016 – Rotown, Rotterdam
22 September 2016 – The Northern, Byron Bay
23 September 2016 – Woolly Mammoth, Brisbane
24 September 2016 – Listen Out, Melbourne
25 September 2016 – Listen Out, Perth
28, 29, & 30 September 2016 – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
1 October 2016 – Listen Out, Sydney
2 October 2016 – Listen Out, Brisbane
6 October 2016 – Mojos, Fremantle
7 October 2016 – Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
13 October 2016 – Baha’s Tacos, Rye
14 October 2016 – Torquay Hotel, Torquay
15 October 2016 – Uni Bar, Adelaide
18, 19, & 20 October 2016 – Newtown Social Club, Sydney
22 October 2016 – Swagger Music Festival, Bright
27 October 2016 – Sooki Lounge, Belgrave
4 November 2016 – The Homestead, Hobart
11 November 2016 – Kings Arms, Auckland
17-20 November 2016 – Mullum Music Festival, Mullumbimby
25 November 2016 – The Palais, St Kilda (with The Temper Trap)
26 November 2016 – Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley (Day on the Green with Garbage, The Temper Trap, The Preatures, & Adalita)
27 November 2016 – Leconfield Wines, Yarra Valley (Day on the Green with Garbage, The Temper Trap, The Preatures, & Adalita)
30 November 2016 – Enmore Theatre, Newtown (with The Temper Trap)
1 December 2016 – WIN Sports and Entertainment Centre, Wollongong (with Garbage and The Temper Trap)
2 December 2016 – The Solbar, Maroochydore
3 December 2016 – Bimbadgen Estate, Hunter Valley (Day on the Green with Garbage, The Temper Trap, The Preatures, & Adalita)
4 December 2016 – Sirromet Wines, Mt Cotton (Day on the Green with Garbage, The Temper Trap, The Preatures, & Adalita)
10 December 2016 – The Pleasure Garden, Melbourne

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Corey Harris Making Long-Awaited Return to Australia

Corey Harris is one of the great unsung talents of the blues genre. He doesn’t have the global profile of a BB King or a Buddy Guy, two of the many artists he’s toured with, but he deserves it. Something tells me he doesn’t mind his lack of superstar status. The unassuming performer can quietly go about what he does, creating music which blends blues with soul, rock, reggae, and more.

Corey Harris hasn’t been to Australia in 16 years, but in a couple of weeks he’ll be back playing shows for local audiences. If you want an indication of what you’ll see at the show, check out this video which features performances from the North Sea Jazz Festival in April.

Here are all the places you can catch Corey playing while he’s in Oz.

19 August 2016 – Caravan Music Club, Melbourne
20 August 2016 – Harvester Moon Café, Bellarine
21 August 2016 – Lizotte’s, Newcastle
23 August 2016 – Brass Monkey, Cronulla
24 August 2016 – Harmonie-German Club, Canberra
25 August 2016 – The Basement, Sydney
26-28 August 2016 – Gympie Muster, Gympie

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Leopold’s Treat Doing Good

I always love hearing music from exciting up-and-coming acts, but when they’re made up of people doing good in the community it’s doubly exciting. Gold Coast act Leopold’s Treat ticks both those boxes for me.

They formed in 2011, but are starting to gain some serious traction in their local area, culminating in taking home the Emerging Artist of the Year award at the recent Gold Coast Music Awards. One of their songs, “Houndogs and Bullfrogs,” was also a finalist in the Song of the Year category.

Watching this live video of the song with footage recorded at Leopold’s Treat’s album launch last October, it’s easy to see what a great energy the band has. They’re clearly loved by their community; the place is packed to the rafters.

While talent’s clearly a part of that love, I think there’s more going on. Kate Leopold (lead vocals) and Keiran Richardt (lap slide, harmonies, didge, other strings) work together as environmental educators at a local social enterprise that serves more than 32,000 kids every year.

“It is not uncommon for us to be playing at a market where a group of children are dancing to one of our songs and the band members are recognised as the educators that teach worm farming, water quality or how to identify and grow native plants,” Kate Leopold told me in an email.

If you want to dance with Leopold’s Treat, make sure you catch them at the following shows.

22 July 2016 – Soundlounge, Currumbin
September 2016 – NightQuarter, Helensvale (date TBA)
15 & 16 October 2016 – Buskers by the Creek Festival, Currumbin
16 December 2016 – Miami Marketta, Miami

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Megan Hilty @ Theatre Royal, Sydney – 10 June 2016

I can scarcely believe a couple of weeks have gone by since I caught Megan Hilty’s performance at the Theatre Royal, but it was a performance so strong that my memory has barely faded.

The press releases surrounding her maiden Australian tour promised a journey through the Great American Songbook, but her set featured much more than standards. She opened with “Keep Moving the Line,” from the TV series Smash, the first thing that brought her to my attention. As an ardent fan of the series, I was thrilled to hear more of its songs peppering the set, such as “Mr. And Mrs. Smith,” “Let Me Be Your Star,” and the breathtaking “Second Hand White Baby Grand.”

Most of Megan’s career has seen her on the stage rather than the small screen, so it was only fitting that her Broadway turns were acknowledged too with “Popular” from Wicked, “Backwoods Barbie” from 9 to 5, and “Suddenly, Seymour” from the role that got away in Little Shop of Horrors. Stories like the incidences surrounding the part endeared Megan to the already enamored crowd. She spoke in glowing terms of meeting Dolly Parton when cast in her musical and working alongside Idina Menzel and Katherine McPhee and regaled us of personal stories of life with her daughter and husband, the very dishy Brian Gallagher who plays guitar in her exceptional band.

There were the promised standards like “Almost Like Being in Love,” “That’s Life,” and “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” a lovely nod to her time channelling Marilyn as Ivy Lynn in Smash. Don Henley’s “Heart of the Matter” didn’t quite seem to gel with the jazz and show tunes, but it’s such a great song I didn’t really mind. Closing with “Rainbow Connection,” a song she plays nightly for her daughter, left us all feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

No matter what Megan treated us to, it was exquisite. She has such a stunning voice, and her Broadway training sees her connecting to the songs in a way few artists do when singing covers.

This was a fleeting visit for Megan, who had to catch a plane the next day to attend the Tony Awards. She assured us she loved our city and wants to come back for a longer stay. I hope she’s a woman of her word, because I think I speak on behalf of everyone at the Theatre Royal when I say we’d welcome her back with open arms.

The venue didn’t allow photography, so here’s a video so you can all see how amazing she is!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Davey Craddock Releases Stunning “Peaceful Bay” Single

Give me a well-written, sensitively delivered folky number and I’m won over every time. So I was always going to fall for “Peaceful Bay,” the stunning new single from Davey Craddock. The track comes from Davey’s debut album City West, which is due out on February 5.

Davey wrote the track while hiking the Bibbulmum track which runs from Perth to Albany.

“Peaceful Bay is one of the only towns on the track where you camp in a settlement and not in the bush and it’s inspired by a girl a friend and I met in the townsite,” he explained. “She said she’d just moved down there from Perth, was pregnant and had morning sickness. We were knackered and didn’t have time to talk and properly meet her but I thought it was a really brave and unusual move to come from the city to this tiny, isolated fishing town. So by torchlight in a hot tent I filled in the blanks and made up what I thought her story may have been and that formed the basis for the song.”

Davey’s recorded the song at RADA Studios in Perth, but I think this live version really brings out the heart of the song. Are you loving it as much as I am?

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Canada’s Scott Cook Plays Just About Everywhere

You know your concert calendar is too crowded when for the fourth time you’ve had to knock back a show on one specific day. I have no idea why the world has conspired to put everything awesome on February 27, but there you have it. I even actually bought tickets for two shows on that night, forgetting when I bought the second that I’d already committed to something else.

So it looks like I’m not going to see Canada’s Scott Cook when he plays in my suburb, and I’m bummed because literally no one else plays here. So I’m writing this article in the hopes that maybe you can catch him live, because he’s a bit brilliant. If you like folky storytellers in the vein of Shawn Mullins you’re going to love this guy. He’s playing virtually everywhere to support the release of his album One More Time Around, which has been my soundtrack for the afternoon. Hopefully your calendar isn’t as crowded as mine and you can get to one of these gigs!

13 January 2016 – House concert, Wingham (email trishmob@yahoo.com or call 0448 973 994 to RSVP)
14 January 2016 – Sutherland Acoustic @ Gymea Tradies Club, Gymea
15 January 2016 – The Acoustic Picnic @ The Music Lounge, Brookvale
20 January 2016 – Canberra Musicians’ Club @ Smith’s Alternative, Canberra
21 January 2016 – Billyroy’s Blues Bar @ Goldmines Hotel, Bendigo
22-25 January 2016 – Newstead Live Music Festival, Newstead
31 January 2016 – Saints & Sailors, Portarlington
4 February 2016 – South Coast Folk Club, Port Noarlunga (supporting Liz Stringer)
5 February 2016 – Wheatsheaf Hotel, Adelaide (supporting Liz Stringer)
7 February 2016 – Red Poles Café, McLaren Vale (12:30-3:30 FREE)
7 February 2016 – The Groove Garden McLaren Vale
12 February 2016 – House Concert, Eaglemont (Check Scott’s website for details closer to the show)
13 February 2016 –Tanswells Hotel, Beechworth (FREE)
14 February 2016 –Wandi Pub, Wandiligong (2-5 pm FREE)
17 February 2016 – House concert, Tilba Tilba (E-mail eagle_dreaming@hotmail.com or call 0422 690 670 to RSVP)
19 February 2016 – Kameruka Hall, Kameruka
20 February 2016 – House concert, Nowra (Email robcleary@yahoo.com to RSVP)
21 February 2016 – House concert, Picnic Point (3 pm. Email bvbyrn13@tpg.com.au or call 0421017975 to RSVP)
27 February 2016 – Troubadour Acoustic Club, Woy Woy
5 March 2016 – The Shack, Collaroy
6 March 2016 – Live in the Attic @ Hotel Blue, Katoomba
11-14 March 2016 – Burke & Wills Folk Festival, Mia Mia
17 March 2016 – The Lomond Hotel, Brunswick
18-20 March 2016 – Yackandandah Folk Festival, Yackandandah

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Vale Stevie Wright

Like so many music lovers, I was saddened to wake up to the news that Stevie Wright has passed away at age 68.

This isn’t one of those bolt from the blue deaths. Stevie’s been battling ill health for decades. But that doesn’t make the news of his passing any less tragic. I don’t know about you, but sometimes when a person seems to keep soldiering on despite ill health you almost start thinking that they’re made from stronger stuff than the rest of us, and that somehow they’re just going to keep on keeping on.

Stevie rose to fame as the frontman of The Easybeats in the 1960s. I’ve often marvelled at the way that songs like “Friday on my Mind” and “Sorry” still sound fresh as daisies despite all the years that have passed since their release. For me though, the name Stevie Wright will always be synonymous with the epic “Evie.” It was only on Boxing Day that I gave the DJ on the radio a thumbs up for playing parts 2 and 3, rather than just cutting it off at part 1 as so many do. It’s one of the best story songs of all time in my opinion, and that story deserves to be sold in its entirety.

RIP Stevie. I hope you’re up there rocking out with all of the greats who’ve gone before you. Thank you for the music.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

See Tom West Record Live Albums This January

Adelaide’s singer-songwriter extraordinaire Tom West is planning to record two live albums in January, and he wants you to be a part of it. He’ll play two shows – one in Adelaide and the other in Melbourne – and release the performances later in the year as an album called Golden Fleeces.

“I’ve felt for a while that shows are really the truest form of my music, and where I connect best with people,” he explained. “When the idea came up to do some live recording it seemed to make perfect sense. To be able to involve the girls and guys who have been coming out to my shows in the formation of this album is a dream.”

It makes a lot of sense to me. When I heard the single version of his song “Easy Love” I liked it, but when I watched this live video recorded in Toronto I got it completely. There’s just something about the spontaneous energy that comes from a live performance that makes a good musician truly great.

The shows will feature new material as well as some old favourites. If there’s anything you’d like to hear, make sure you email in your requests to hello@pokeintheeye.com.au.

Tom West will play his live album shows at the following venues. He understands people are strapped for cash post-Christmas, so tickets cost just $15 plus booking fee through Oztix.

28 January 2016 – The Grace Emily Hotel, Adelaide
31 January 2016 – The Workers Club, Melbourne

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Tonight Alive Show Softer Side

I just love hearing a rock band strip things back. So while I appreciate Tonight Alive’s rebellious, rocking studio version of their single “Drive,” I actually prefer this acoustic version recorded for Triple M.

I think this take brings those lyrics about breaking away from society’s expectations and expressing your own truth. It also really lets you appreciate Jenna McDougall’s stellar voice. You can hear that in person when Tonight Alive embark on their single tour next year. After that Tonight Alive are heading to Europe, the UK, and the US, so these might be our last local shows for a while. Don’t say you haven’t been warned fans!

16 January 2016 – Unify Festival, Gippsland
17 January 2016 – Max Watts, Melbourne
21 January 2016 – The Triffid, Brisbane
29 January 2016 – Metro Theatre, Sydney

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ben Abraham’s “Speak” a Sign of Special Things to Come

Melbourne singer-songwriter Ben Abraham has found a new home for his music at Inertia Music. I must admit, I hadn’t heard of his stuff until the good folks there sent me a press release, but the moment I started to watch him performing “Speak” in a Mahogany session, I fell hard.

The Sydney Morning Herald recently declared he’s one of the best new male voices the country’s seen in ages, and I’m not inclined to disagree. But there’s more to Ben than just a voice. He’s a superb songwriter who can deliver a lyric like nobody’s business. There’s truth in the way he sings, and I really responded to that. “Speak” is just one of the tracks we’ll hear on Ben’s album Sirens, which will be released on March 4. The album’s seen him collaborating with everyone from Gossling to Gotye, so it should be something really special.