CW StonekingAlmost an hour before the headliner took up his instrument, the main room of Mojo's was packed shoulder to shoulder with eager patrons vying for the best vantage points. Thankfully DJ Holly Doll was spinning some of the finest rockabilly to keep the vibe high and warmed the floor for the main act.
Soon thereafter the solo chair and microphone in the room were occupied by the man of the hour, CW Stoneking. Wrapped around his roughed-up steel resonator guitar, the bush troubadour spellbound all under the stern sways of How Long.
Stoneking's unique style has a life all its own; his gravel-soaked vocal that warmly resonates in Goin' The Country, his stiff-wristed finger plucking and the vivid storytelling each song evokes. His performance was sublime from start to finish. He stared at the setlist at his feet during between-song breaks but improvised his choices throughout, taking requests from the crowd and wonderfully reworking everything from his most recent album Gon' Boogaloo back to his debut, King Hokum.
Stoneking's powerful voice filled out any gaps left by his absent band or his recently acquired distaste for harmonica and banjo, neither of which could diminish the songs at heart. Many of the smiles from the crowd came from his unrestrained wit and charm as relaxed between tracks, delivering anecdotes about the inspiration for certain songs, or just joking with the audience with his trademark Australiana humour. It would be a difficult task to walk away from a Stoneking show without a favourite moment, and tonight certainly further justifies why he's guaranteed a sell-out show every time he hits the town.
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