Live Review: Art Of Sleeping, Jesse Davison, Sunbeam Sound Machine

Something really cool happens when it turns out that a band’s taste in music is even more top-notch than your own. While Art Of Sleeping put on a solid performance at Jive last night, it was the support acts that really stepped up to the plate. 

Arriving early, there were a surprising number of people hanging casually at the back of the venue to catch Sunbeam Sound Machine, whose laid-back grooves were semi-mesmerising. They managed to set the mood for the rest of the night with a sophistication rarely seen in an opening band. Vocals could have definitely been a little louder, but it wasn’t too much of a big deal.

The thing about Adelaide is that everyone is basically two degrees of separation away from everyone else, so it’s no surprise that a gathering the size of a small colony packed the venue for local-boy Jesse Davidson’s set. Despite breaking his guitar during soundcheck, he still managed to pump out a perfect lil’ blend of on-stage banter and quality tunes. As he closed out the set with recent single, Laika, it was obvious the audience was well and truly warmed up and settled in for a night of musigasmic bliss.

Art Of Sleeping then brought their beautiful-rugged-indie-man-goodness to the stage, opening with Empty Hands. Their music literally wove through the pulsating crowd (try that mental image) and the band did their best to pump up a slightly unresponsive crowd. Any band who can get people excited about live music is worthy of every praise they get, and let it be known that these guys deserve all the forms of applause and cheers and whistles available under the sun.

Singles Voodoo and Above The Water made for some epic crowd singalongs and the kind of arm-around-shoulders camaraderie that only really good music can provide. Working their way through epic build-ups and some goddamn beautiful falsetto, the band had the crowd chanting for an encore after closing out their set with Crazy. 

Yes, we do think you’re crazy... for injecting our lives with your gorgeous beards and pretty music and ace support acts as if it was no big deal. For shame.