I’m sure you’re all aware it’s Winter. It’s cold, dark, and at night the city lights up with the animations and artworks of Vivid. The creativity and colour is enough to cajole even the most cold-sensitive into an evening stroll. Imagine having the opportunity to witness Vivid Sydney — all of it (literally all of it) from above. That’s exactly what we had the opportunity to do over the weekend, with DJ Samrai and Thandi Phoenix playing as part of The Eye Live Project.
After an ear-popping 45 seconds, during which we ascended 76 stories, we stepped out into The Eye. Though DJ Samrai was already feeding dance hits into the sound system, it was the view of the cityscape icons lit up that stole the show. As the room gradually filled with people sipping drinks and dancing, my plus one and myself took the opportunity to shanghai the powerful binoculars stationed around the room. If you’ve ever wanted to see the vastness of Sydney by night (spy on the empty desks of the Westpac building), this is your chance.
In the meantime, the crowd had gathered in front of the stage, a murmur of impatience for the star of the night beginning to form.
Enter Thandi Phoenix. If you haven’t already heard of her, you’ll be seeing her name a lot more soon. A neo-soul local songstress with infectious energy, she melds soul, pop, and electronic to create a party-ready package. Performing a mix of originals and covers from R&B heavyweights, the crowd was soon tightly gathered in front of the stage. Her voice filled the space easily as she moved through a varied repertoire including dance anthems, sensually crooned R&B, and heartfelt belt-it-out soul. Her vocal range and stage presence are propelling her to the forefront of Sydney’s busy soul scene — keep an eye on this one!
– Liv
Liv S. is a creature of warm weather and negronis. Her interests include breakfast, trying new things, and triple utterances. Follow her frolics on @callmememphisjones.
