It's a soggier Saturday than anticipated for the inaugural LoJo Jive Festival. Billed as a '70s-inspired day of music, art and market stalls split between Bendigo Hotel, The Tote, and FeeFee's Bar, attendees are greeted with grey skies and rain, but the promise of a good time is enough to coax this writer out of bed.
What is immediately obvious is that no one seems to know exactly what is going on, where it is going on and what time it is going on.
Heading into Bendigo Hotel first up, punters are greeted by tunes spun by DJ Tiny Dancer. As the petite blonde beauty drops a Prince tune, it is almost tempting to stay and dance the afternoon away in the front bar, but the rumblings from the bandroom lead us onward.
Redro Redriguez & His Inner Demons treat early-comers to a blistering, stoner-rock set. All wailing guitars and crashing cymbals, they sound hotter than a muscle car on a desert highway. Frontman Dave "Red" Whip's vocals are sounding better than ever, enveloping the entire room. Closer What Have You Done To Me with its ear-busting, wall-of-noise crescendo is a standout.
Ducking into FeeFee's Bar, we are just in time to watch local legends Clea Freeland, Mareya Watling and Lockie Knight sing the hell out of some Fleetwood Mac tunes. The bar seems to be the only venue to wholeheartedly embrace the '70s theme, offering tarot-card readings along with musical entertainment. The courtyard is packed and the bar is the busiest of the three venues. The newest kid on the Lojo strip, FeeFee's Bar struts the line between upscale rock'n'roll bar and glam cocktail spot, all the while never taking itself too seriously. The cocktails are divine and the room is buzzing.
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There's just enough time between tarot readings to run up to The Tote to catch Cookin' On 3 Burners who are joined by the brilliant soul queen Stella Angelico. The Tote is quiet, but the band liven things up and all those in the room are on their feet. Angelico is a sensation and never a dull watch. It is a shame that there are not more eyes to witness what is a fun, well-played set.
Kylie Auldist faces the same issue of sparse attendance during her wonderful, upbeat set. Resplendent in a leopard-print kaftan, she is a joy. "I'm glad I wore 100% nylon," she cracks to those bouncing about the muggy room. In true Melbourne fashion, the sun decides that 5pm is the time when the rain and wind will pack up, leaving things nice and steamy for an afternoon in the beer garden. Auldist's set is more disco than a glomesh dress and her cover of Pointer Sisters' Automatic is a spot-on slice of perfection. Body is a slinky, synth-infused gem and a hip-shaking good time.
LoJo Jive Festival is a fantastic idea, in theory, and a great opportunity to showcase some of Collingwood's most unique venues and artists. However, should the festival return next year (and honestly, it should), there are many lessons to be learned. Small things such as a lack of signage between venues, difficult to find/changing set times and confusion about where to get wristbands are all teething problems that are easily fixed. From all accounts, the market was great, but the lack of signage anywhere made it difficult to find for those who knew about it, and forgotten by those who didn't. The format itself requires a closer look, too, with a twilight start time possibly bringing with it a bigger audience. In its infancy, a lower ticket price should also have been considered.
But for all of its shortcomings, however, the festival in its purest form is a success. Walking into each venue and running into friends, both new and old, and being greeted by laughter and warm hugs is a beautiful way to spend the afternoon. In all, LoJo Jive Festival has legs, and with the right amount of preparation and planning next year it has the potential to grow into a beloved mainstay.
