Live Review: Genesis Owusu

The trajectory of Genesis Owusu has always been skywards. From playing the small clubs in Canberra, to combining with his equally talented brother (Citizen Kay), to winning multiple ARIAs, to Barack Obama's playlist; there is literally no knowing how high his star will go, and a sold-out Enmore Theatre is a logical step on the way to orbit.

Such was the enthusiasm of the crowd, along with an inundation of water, that the Enmore Theatre floor collapsed on the first occasion of Owusu’s Sydney headline show. Although the crowd were understandably disappointed at having to leave just two and a half songs in, they would return for the rescheduled show less than a week later.

The rescheduled show saw the Korean rap crew of 1300 take the stage first. This hype conglomerate have released increasingly popular and killer rap tracks in the last year and seeing them perform them live was almost worth the reschedule alone.

The energy from the five-piece was intense from the very start; bouncing around the stage continuously and smiling and amping up the growing early crowd. The interchange of vocal lines transitioning smoothly over the hectic beats made for a bloody fun start to the night.

“How about we bring the fucking roof down tonight, hey?” asked the group, which was received with a huge cheer. Just don’t mention the floor.

The 'Korean Brockhampton' engaged the hungry crowd, who were lapping up the fast-paced raps. So much so, that when asked to form a mosh pit, they dutifully obeyed, bouncing joyfully and giving the new floor a good test.

“Do we have any K-Pop fans?” asked one member. “We're trying to become Australia's number one K-Pop group!” This is said with only a sprinkle of sarcasm, as there’s every chance they could be. They certainly brought the party and the Enmore was ready for it.

“Where do you think we're from?” we were asked before the final track. “We’re from outer space!” they delivered with a smile. Of course - and they are truly out of this world.

The set-up for the next act was simple. A mic, a chair and an intriguing two-stringed instrument. For the uninitiated, this appeared to be a strange choice of support for one of Australia’s hottest artists, but for those in the know, it makes logical sense. Genesis Owusu is not one to stick to the norm, regularly looking to push boundaries and experiences.

The instrument was a Morin Khuur (Horse Head Fiddle) and the artist was Bukhu Ganburged. This Mongolian-born virtuoso performed just a few tracks but wowed the audience with his ability to sing via Khuumii (Harmonic Overtone Throat Singing).

Whilst Ganburged was catapulted into the national zeitgeist by reality show The Voice, his performance was genuinely appreciated and many watched and listened in awe at his intriguing and masterful skill. It was astonishing that one man could create such a menagerie of beautiful sound.

The second time around for the main act was just as eagerly anticipated as the first, but the drawing of the curtain before the start created an extra layer of mystery. The show began with an ode to his origins. The Canberran artist has rarely been seen without his masked ‘goons’ for live shows, but with the full band experience, the goons had to settle for a mention in the opening track, aptly named CBR ZOO. Before long, Genesis Owusu launched himself to the front of the stage for The Other Black Dog and the Smiling With No Teeth experience was in full flight.

The on-stage persona of Owusu was one of an eclectic antagonist. He transitioned between maniacal master to artful crooner to hype man as easily as his music transitioned from R&B to rap to indie-rock. There is no pigeon hole you can place him into and you get the feeling that’s exactly how he likes it.

The way he spat the lyrics for Whip Cracker was theatrical, precise and purposeful. Songs like that are meant to be performed live and with a full band for the full impact. The Black Dog Band’s brilliance cannot be understated - it is literally a best of the best in the Australian music industry.

Andrew Klippel, Touch Sensitive, Julian Sudek, Jonti, Kirin J Callinan and backing vocalists, KYE and Kobee White make up the group supporting this artist in his endeavours and you would only get such an all-star line-up if they truly believed in his vision and where he’s going. What they add to the performance is tangible, from the soaring distorted guitar (although very low in the mix) of Callinan, the heavy and precise drumming of Sudek and the funky (and loud) bass of Touch Sensitive, it all combined to truly flesh out the vocals of Owusu, who can carry a show himself, but obviously goes to another level with the band.

Back to Whip Cracker and this was the track that the crowd completely went off to - mosh pits, hands in the air, fist pumps, the rock the boat dance (?) and lyric screaming. This was the moment of absolute triumph in the set, one that Owusu can look back on and know that he had that crowd in the palm of his hand. This eventually lead to, probably his most known track, Don’t Need You which felt completely joyful – the floor certainly got a stress test at that point.

It wasn’t just the high paced tracks that had the crowd latched on, however. A throwback a few years to Wit’ Da Team, a down-paced funk track that showcases the sound Owusu was originally known for, proved how adaptable he can be. This flowed into A Song About Fishing with waves of hands in the air and the sing-a-long of No Looking Back. There truly was something for everyone in this set.

After nearly two hours on stage, the band returned for an encore of the triple j Like A Version of Sex Pistols' Anarchy In The UK. The choice of encore seemed a bit incongruous with the rest of the set, but it’s a small gripe for a show that was almost flawless from design to implementation.

Genesis Owusu is about to (finally) head overseas to advance further into the stratosphere and it’s going to be exciting to watch from our perspective. It’s hard not to believe that this show, performed anywhere in the world, will win fans, more accolades and guarantee a massive future for the artist.