As a Coastie it’s easy to get a bit Lizotte’s-focused. This venue has been pampering its guests with incredible food and exceptional entertainment for years. However, with the news of its impending closure it’s worth noticing that there are other venues around that mean you needn’t make the trip up or down the freeway to catch live music. Baker St. is just 10 minutes from my house, yet I didn’t know it existed until last week when I scored some tickets to see former Jinja Safari frontman and fellow Coastie Pepa Knight.
Not that Baker St. is a substitute for Lizotte’s. It caters for a much younger demographic, which is something I struggled with a little bit. I’m too old for places that don’t serve wine in the same room the band’s playing. I’m too old for places that require you to choose between having a great view of the band or sitting down. And I’m definitely too old for places where the main act doesn’t take the stage until after 10:30. But Baker St. isn’t attempting to appeal to people like me. Being there reminds me of the nights I used to spend at SJ’s in Newcastle or the Annandale in Sydney, when I was a young thing with boundless energy who didn’t need anything but a great band on stage and a drink in my hand.
Not that all the bands were great. Stream Lea kicked things off with what they describe on their Facebook page as “electronic, ambient, fun” music. I guess it was the first two, but my husband and I were having no fun. The young crowd seemed to get it, but my husband and I struggled with the music which seemed to lack melody and intelligible lyrics. Elwood Myre were a lot more to my tastes, an acoustic duo with alt-country leanings. Any act with a mandolin can easily win me over, even if they seemed a little too influenced by Dylan. They definitely have talent, so I’m sure with time they’ll find their own voice and seem like less of a cover band. Owen Rabbit came next. I wrote about his track “Police Car” back in July, and was really intrigued by his set. I can’t say that every number was to my tastes, but many of his electronic soundscapes were just so beautiful. It was different and original, and that earns serious points for me.
After all this music I was well and truly flagging by the time that Pepa Knight, or Central Coast Jesus as my husband likes to call him, took to the stage. It makes me feel very old when I realise I’d have already been in bed by the time an artist appears. I was determined to at least make it through a few songs, and the rush of energy that his set provided allowed me to do that. He has such a great calming presence, like a guru or yogi. The combination of his sitar and the trippy psychedelic light show, which would have been further enhanced if I’d invested in the 3D glasses, was mesmerising. Pepa and his band create something so beautiful, jubilant, and tribal that you can’t help but be swept up by it. I’m not sure the venue did him any favours though. He has such a big presence, he seemed a little out of place in this warehouse-like space. The people catching him at Mountain Sounds are in for a real treat; out communing with nature is where this music would really be at its best.
Needless to say, I didn’t make it through the set and I was dozing in the car as my very understanding husband drove me home. As I approach my mid-30s gigs like this aren’t quite for me, but I’m glad I got out of my comfort zone to see someone as talented as Pepa perform, even if for just a little while.
Image source: own photo