Opening to a sold-out crowd at Jive, arguably one of Adelaide’s best kept live music venues, were Sydney two-piece Boo Seeka. Despite acknowledging that they would most likely be the background music to people catching up with friends, the pair’s experimental electronic/hip hop sound still mesmerised those in the front row, beckoning listeners to come closer and sit down on that intimidating dance floor. And as they did, the whole room began to feel like someone’s living room rather than an official venue. Glowing synth consciously married with acoustic guitar carried through the set and gave the crowd a quality taste of the band’s first single, Kingdom Leader, released earlier this year, and Boo Seeka also delivered a shimmering cover of Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game.

Pepa Knight (of Jinja Safari) next took to the stage, which he had thoughtfully decorated with flower wreaths to complement his very spiritual, South Asian theme of the night. Surrounded by and entangled in a range of exotic wood instruments, Knight injected an enlivening energy into listeners. Observing such an engaging character in performance felt like watching a bearded Sufjan Stevens performing on a set of The Darjeeling Limited. Each track, having been recorded in a different part of India, was a glistening window into one of Knight’s worldly adventures, one song in particular featuring a beat created from a recording of fireworks he saw during a music festival.

For those unfamiliar with Kim Churchill, his recently released third album, Silence/Win, is a strong collection of folksy, acoustic storytelling, something that comes naturally to the 24-year-old who has already spent a large portion of his still young adult life travelling the world. As Churchill excitedly ran onto stage and positioned his feet, arms and neck in and around his instruments (in doing so transforming himself into a very impressive one-man band), the crowd were shaken by how explosive his stage presence was. With every part of his body in motion, album favourites Single Spark and Window To The Sky not only had the room moving, but showed off his relentless skill as a multi-instrumentalist. Hearing Churchill’s huge voice, sometimes edgy but always rich with soul, was an entirely different listening experience to the album. With each track dedicated to something of value to Churchill, from the underwhelming funeral for his grandfather or major attitude changes before surfing in the French Polynesian Islands, the passion and vigour refused to be ignored. Churchill’s set was engaging, impulsive and very cheeky; at times the man on stage seemed more like a ten-year-old beside himself to be living the dream.

What perhaps made the evening so special was the undeniable connection and respect each bare-footed performer had for the others. Yes, touring together probably does that, but from band members starting up a quality dance floor for Pepa Knight to covering drum sections for Kim Churchill, the night didn’t feel like three separate performances but a progression of inspiring Australian music in its absolute roots, and promising to further flourish in the near future.