Nothing evokes a level of pride about being a Brisbanite quite like the annual Brisbane Festival. It keeps getting bigger and better, and this year there are an array of impressive artists and entertainers on board with an action-packed program. If the line-up for the opening night is any indication, Brisfest 2018 is going to be a big one. Kicking things off at Riverstage, on the banks of the brown snake, are San Cisco and Ball Park Music. With the support of Tia Gostelow and Ruby Fields, the night is set to be one big party. Ticket holders line up, ponchos at the ready - prepared to battle the rain and bring in Brisfest in a glory of mud and dance.

Tia Gostelow opens the night with a gentle show, showing off the power in her vocals while still managing to display a sense of softness in her performance. Gostelow takes a few songs to warm up to being on the stage, seemingly uneasy or nervous. By the later stage of her set, Gostelow appears far more natural and finishes off her show with one of her heavier tracks, Strangers. Tia Gostelow does a sound job battling the factors that take away from her set, but with only a half-hour at the very early stage of the festivities, coupled with a blast of rain, crowds aren't that involved in the music, and many ticket holders are still yet to arrive. Regardless, Tia Gostelow was a great pick to open the first night of the Brisbane Festival. 

Ruby Fields is next on the bill and starts her show with the very rock'n'roll track Ritalin. Fields shows off her cool, down to earth personality as she very casually addresses the crowd. Making jokes and giving off those IDGAF vibes, there is no denying that Ruby Fields is a modern-day rock star. Tracks like Fairly Lame Fairly Tame and Libby’s Pink Car see crowds rocking out, now completely unfazed by the rain. They continue to rock out till the end of the set with the heaviest song yet, I Want, wrapping things up. Fields puts on a great performance, not just in sound but in presence. If Ruby Field’s set is to be defined as anything, entertaining would be top of the list. Her cheekiness, banter and The Bachelor references provide the crowd with good vibes, just in time for San Cisco.

They take to the stage with crowds already overwhelmed with excitement. Getting straight into it, The Distance plays with such purity in sound it’s almost like listening to a studio version. Beach follows, then SloMo. Things have now begun to get seriously funky. The set is fun, light and bouncy. Magic and About You are next. San Cisco play with soul and flavour, sharing the moment with each other and the crowd. Lead vocalist Jordi Davieson takes a moment to introduce the band. He is friendly and humorous, evidently comfortable with the crowd.

The good times keep coming with tracks Golden Revolver and Hey, Did I Do You Wrong?. As a delightful surprise, Cisco plays their newest track, When I Dream, released the day before and unfamiliar to the majority of the crowd. A welcome addition to a setlist of gold. Awkward is played next and is the new highlight of the night. This track is nothing short of genuinely groovy. The audience enjoys every second of the show and with a few more songs to go, they aren’t slowing down. Too Much Time Together is the right track to end the set on, and San Cisco manage to do so in pure style. With arguably one of the best live performances that have graced the Bris Fest program, San Cisco knock it out of the park.

Which brings us to Ball Park Music, feature headliner of the night. The crowd is hyped up and ready to go. The rain has retreated just in time for the local five-piece to put on their show. The End Times is first on the setlist, followed by Everything Is Shit Except My Friendship With You. There’s an unmeasurable energy from the crowd, with everybody on their feet and dancing along. The mosh pit area expands further and further as the set goes on with fans getting increasingly more excited. The Perfect Life Does Not Exist seems to captivate the crowd. With a rainbow of colour included in the lighting production, the show looks as creative and beautiful as it sounds, exactly what you would expect from Brisfest. Frontman Sam Cromack provides touching sentiments about the crowd, appreciative of their attendance, before getting back into the music. Surrender proves to be the ultimate singalong before a change of pace from an intimate performance of Coming Down.

After sharing a light-hearted anecdote about being recorded in the Brisbane suburb of Yeronga many years ago, Ball Park Music play an older track called Bad Taste Blues, Pt II, not typically a part of their live shows but still well known among the fields of fans. With another change of pace, we receive a stripped-back rendition of It’s Nice To Be Alive, which resonates throughout the crowd, evoking emotion from all while also providing an opportunity for another singalong. There is a great speech from Cromack about Ball Park Music’s history with Brisbane and relationship with its venues, as well as some sentiments on their ten-year anniversary as a band. All I Want Is You and Exactly How You Are keep the party going. With an incredible lighting display, there is no limit to the production value of this show. It has boosted the crowds energy to new heights and perfectly accompanied every track played by the band. Ball Park Music wound things up some of their better-known hits, including Trippin’ The Light Fantastic and Sad Rude Future Dude. 

Tonight's efforts have made for the best opening night Brisbane Festival has ever seen. The biggest highlights of the night come from San Cisco’s funky, groovy, psychedelic show. Ball Park Music show off what Brisbane bands can do and support from Tia Gostelow and Ruby Fields make for a ripper of a night. Brisbane Festival has struck gold with a phenomenal opening night. It’s looking like a spectacular week for Brisfest 2018.