Live Review: Jack Johnson @ Sidney Myer Music Bowl

When Jack Johnson envisioned the Australian leg of his Meet The Moonlight tour, he must have imagined balmy summer nights under the stars, instead, he was greeted at Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl by icy winds and a crowd rugged up in beanies and parkers. In fact, it was so cold the Hawaiian native and ex-pro-surfer almost considered wearing shoes… almost. This comes days after one of his Sydney shows was cancelled mid-way due to a freak lightning storm. But while the Melbourne air was bitterly cold, Jack and his support acts, APRA award-winning singer-songwriter Ziggy Alberts and ARIA-nominated artist Emily Wurramara, all received a very warm welcome.

Lines snaked through Kings Domain on Thursday night as crowds slowly made their way into Melbourne’s iconic Sidney Myer Music Bowl before quickly dispersing among the many food trucks in the Village Green. Those who ventured beyond the hot jam donuts discovered Jack Johnson’s passion for environmentalism and sustainability with the All At Once Campaign. Fans were encouraged to engage with local community groups, including Surfrider Foundation Australia, Cultivating Community, Beach Patrol and Love Our Street.

Voicing her bittersweet sentiments on the last night of the tour, Emily Wurramara opened the show and quickly charmed the audience with her commanding and beautifully understated voice. Singing in both English and Anindilyakwa, the traditional language of her home on Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory, the proud indigenous singer-songwriter performed a poignant set and even teared up as she shared the story of the discrimination and physical abuse her mother faced at school before breaking into the heartbreaking song Hey Love.

Following Emily, Ziggy Alberts took the stage barefoot and bearing a sunny smile, and it wasn’t long before the Queenslander had the crowd in his pocket, creating what he called “a safe space, but not in a culty way.” His laid-back performance skilfully balanced emotional vulnerability and genuine optimism with songs including Love Me Now, Runaway, and Getting Low, where he showcased his lap-tapping guitar skills. Changing things up, Ziggy performed the title track from his fifth studio album, Dancing in the Dark, with nothing but a simple backing track, dedicating the song to mothers and grandmothers.

In the dwindling daylight, Jack Johnson took to the stage without any fuss, and as his voice washed over the audience, an air of calm followed. Jack was accompanied by Merlo Podlewski, Adam Topol, and multi-instrumentalist Zach Gill who impressed the crowd not only on the piano but with standout moments on accordion and melodica. Behind the troop stood undulating panels which together gave the impression of rippled sand left behind as the tide rolls out, as well as screens displaying imagery of surf breaks and palm trees. The set pieces added to the carefree, salty-shore ambience that Jack effortlessly carries with him wherever he goes.

With his guitar in hand, Jack breezed through fan favourites, including Flake, Upside Down, Taylor, Banana Pancakes and Bubble Toes, albeit not without admitting to a forgotten lyric here and there. Jack filled out the set with songs from his latest studio album, Meet the Moonlight, including One Step Ahead and Costume Party, where he delighted the audience by playing with beer bottles. A masterstroke of the evening was when Jack separately invited Emily Wurramara and Ziggy Alberts back to the stage, generously elevating both of his support acts, allowing them not only to pair with him on his own songs but to champion theirs. Complimenting his voice, Emily joined Jack to perform his song Breakdown and her song Lady Blue. Later on, Jack and Ziggy performed Ziggy’s Heaven and Jack’s Traffic in the Sky.

After taking a couple of requests from the audience and insisting on songs that keep to the easier “G, C, and D chords,” Jack ended the night with his feel-good hit Better Together, leaving the crowd with a yearning for serene, sun-drenched days.