Tag: Sydney Opera House

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Heavenly Antennas Release Single Ahead of VIVID Festival

Monday can be a bit of a downer, unless you’ve got the right soundtrack. You can thank me later for choosing today to introduce you to Heavenly Antennas, a fun electro-pop duo from Sydney.

Their new single might be called “Misery”, but it’s far from depressing. The upbeat track features gorgeous guest vocals from Berlin-based songbird Larissa Rate.

Heavenly Antenna seem destined to make it big as they’ve landed the prestigious role of scoring this year’s light projections for the VIVID Sydney festival. If you’ve never been to Sydney, this is the time to do it. From May 24 to June 10, a rainbow-colored light show will be projected onto the sails of the Opera House, accompanied by Heavenly Antennas’ tunes. This is actually the first time Aussies have been invited to work on the initiative, so it’s a bloody big deal.

Something tells me we’ll be hearing a lot more from this talented twosome.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Melissa Etheridge @ Opera House, Sydney – 11 July 2012

We’ve all got those albums that nurse us through hard times. You move on from those moments, but they always occupy a special place in your heart. Melissa Etheridge’s self-titled album was one of those discs for me. It was on my periphery on its release, but eight years later when I was a teenager pining over a relationship that never was it all clicked. Melissa’s raw emotion and the lyrics she wrote echoed the heartbreak I felt like nothing else could.

It was that connection I felt so many years ago that took me to the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday night. We’ve bought gotten older, but it was wonderful to cross paths again.

The Melissa of today is much more optimistic than the one that delivered that painful debut. That spirit was encapsulated in her opening number “Fearless Love.” She soars in those strong powerful numbers, but I was thrilled to see she can still tap into that hurt from years gone by. I was floored by a stripped back version of “Precious Pain,” one of the little known numbers from that first disc. The desperation of “I Want to Come Over” was palpable, and the anger of “Somebody Bring Me Some Water” filled the room. Newer positive songs like “Falling Up” can’t quite match the intensity of those earlier tracks, but they bring some necessary balance to her set. So too does her easy banter with the crowd. Her joy at performing in Australia after so long, at a venue she holds in such high regard, was evident.

Melissa closed the night with “Like I Do,” a number that’s everything I love about her. She rocked hard and left her heart on the stage. This tour was a long time coming for her fans, but she gave us everything we could have wished for. Hopefully we won’t be waiting so long for the next go round.

Image source: Angela George @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Jason Mraz @ Opera House, Sydney – 19 November 2011

I first saw Jason Mraz live roughly seven or eight years ago. “The Remedy” was his “I’m Yours,” and acoustic performances were more common that those with a full band. I’m pretty sure I had change from $100, and that bought me not just the show but my dinner at The Vanguard.

A lot has changed since that time. The venues are bigger, the catalogue of songs is larger, and acoustic performances are increasingly rare. So it was pretty special to recapture some of what drew me to his music in the first place with Saturday night’s performance at the Sydney Opera House.

The Opera House is a long way from The Vanguard, but at least in my seats the show felt just as intimate as that first one. I wish I had some photos of my own to give you a sense of the show as I saw it, but I figured the Opera House’s usual no cameras policy would be enforced. Anyway, Jason joked easily with the crowd and his first mate and percussionist Toca. He encouraged us all to sing along and follow his lead as he scatted. He also delivered a selection of songs that should have satisfied most of the fans he’s picked up along the way.

We were treated to a generous helping of songs from his as yet unreleased album, but as he graced the stage for almost three hours I couldn’t fault that. Their acoustic treatment meant we could really listen to the unfamiliar lyrics and appreciate what he’s been building while away from the public eye.

All three studio albums were represented (although if I’m critical I would have appreciated more numbers from the first two), and the diehard fans were also treated to a few beloved rarities. I was thrilled to hear one of my personal favourites “1000 Things,” one song I never expected to make the set list. “Mr Curiosity” stripped back on the piano was another highlight, as was my all-time favourite Mraz number “You and I Both.”

There was no “The Remedy” this time, and I thought about the days when he couldn’t play a show without it. These days it’s been replaced with “I’m Yours,” a number which is still as much fun despite the radio saturation. As the extended version wound down Jason and Toca played recorded looped audio and their words rang out as they left the stage: “You are Loved.” It was more than simply the tour’s name. It was a reminder that they appreciate all the fans have given them, especially here where their music has been embraced for close to a decade. It was a lovely parting sentiment, and one that reinforced the giving way they played for us. I’m sure most people who left the Concert Hall were every bit as grateful for the night’s amazing performance.

Image source: Matthew Straubmuller @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Stars Cover “The Ship Song” at Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House has assembled some of Australia’s most influential musical talents (and one Canadian ring-in) for The Ship Song Project, an epic cover version of one of Nick Cave’s best loved songs.

If you want stars, this video’s got them. Neil Finn, Kev Carmody, Angus & Julia Stone, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, The Temper Trap, Daniel Johns, Martha Wainwright and heaps more lend their vocal stylings to this amazing clip, which is filmed against the dynamic background of the Opera House.

As marketing campaigns go, they don’t get more effective than this. I’d love to see a cleverly cut version of it on our television screens. It might just convince the naysayers that the Opera House isn’t as stuffy as they believe.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Jimmy Buffet Makes Long Awaited Australian Return

www.margaritaville.com/I always knew that the strong performance of the Aussie dollar would convince plenty of international artists to frequent our shores, but I’m not sure I was quite prepared for all the tours announced of late. The most recent addition to the list is Jimmy Buffet, who’s returning to Australia after 23 long years.

I have fond memories of growing up with Buffet’s music. I remember cheerfully singing “Why don’t we get drunk and spew” with my sister. Of course I learned years later the lyric was “screw,” but it’s probably a good thing Dad never corrected us! Come to think of it, I don’t think I ever got the full gist of “Margaritaville” either.

It’s a bit of a shame that Buffet’s only visiting Sydney, but I have a feeling that Parrotheads all over the country will be prepared to make the pilgrimage to the Opera House. Tickets go on sale on December 17 for the shows on January 23 and 24.