What a start to winter it has been in Sydney! Storms, rain and (finally) cold weather means goodbye to sand and beaches hello to cosy bars, whiskeys and of course, live music. Our gig suggestions this month all fall in the latter part of June and take on a distinctly Australian flavour. Do yourself a favour and get along to support our local musicians.

 

1. Cumbiamuffin (Camelot Lounge, 12 June @ 9pm) 

Get your dancing shoes on and head out to Camelot Lounge and check out what cumbia is all about. This band is all about big sound, big energy, and will no doubt transport you to the Caribbean! The cosy interiors of Camelot Longue makes a great backdrop for this gig.

 

2. The Morrisons – Smoke on a Foggy Highway: The Bluesgrass Albums of Paul Kelly (17 June, The Basement)

Winners of the Australian Song Writers Assocation folk/acoustic Song of the Year (2014), The Morrisons fuse Australian stories with the spirit and intensity of Americana, bluegrass, country and folk. I first saw these guys a couple of years ago at the Vanguard, where they performed a tribute to the soundtrack O Brother, Where Art Thou? If that is anything to go by, this performance is sure to be a cracker.

For those willing splurge, the Basement does a great dinner/show ticket. Not only do you get a great meal, but you are practically right in front of the stage.

 

3. Eagle and the Wolf (Newtown Social Club, 19 June. Doors @ 6.00pm)

Eagle and the Wolf are Sarah Humphreys and Kris Morris. I have followed Sarah’s solo career closely since 2008 and she is an incredibly accomplished musician in her own right. Since pairing up with Morris (both on and off record), her musical palate has expanded significantly. The pair’s self-titled record spans the gamut of roots, blues, folk and soul. It’s a worthy collaboration and perfect for a Sunday night.

 

4. Chris Abrahams + ‘Close to Forever’ (Venue 505, 25 June @ 9.00pm)

Hypnotic is probably the best word to describe Chris Abraham’s piano playing. As anyone who has ever attended a concert of The Necks will attest, each performance is a tour de force in improvisation and the creation vivid soundscapes. Chris is about to release his ninth solo album “Fluid to The Influence” on Room 40 records. He will be supported by ‘Close to Forever’ who are self-described as indie anti-folk. Along with original compositions you might find them covering anything from Tim Buckley and Cat Power to Nina Simone and Armenian traditional laments.

This is a fascinating double bill and will no doubt be a sold out gig, so get in quick.

 

5. The Paper Kites – Midnight Tour (23 June, Enmore Theatre @ 7.00pm)

We are looking forward to this one. After the successful headline tours in the UK and US, the Paper Kites bring their indie-folk sounds to the Enmore Theatre. As lead vocalist Sam Bentley describes, their ‘Midnight’ tour is something special:

It’s an immersive theatre experience that journeys through the midnight hours, we perform the music and behind us are a group of apartment windows. Through the windows a series of stories play out in the lives of different people in the space of an evening. We provide the soundtrack to a single night, the audience watching through the dim lit windows and seeing these stories progress through the evening, eventually fading to the complete darkness of the midnight hours.

I can’t think of a better venue than the Enmore Theatre for this one.

 

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