Surf-pop quartet The Good Sports are first to grace the stage for 4ZZZ's Wax Eater fundraiser at Black Bear Lodge, unfortunately playing to a mere splattering of an audience. They've been popping up on stages around our city quite regularly this year, and their accumulated experience shines in this performance. They charm those of us here with refined renditions of their now popular tracks Be Your Man, Disappearing Lover and Early Riser, but one can't help but feel it would be great to hear some new tracks.
Twin Haus are ambitious with their attempt at a first impression – lead guitarist Zach Degnan is creating rushing atmospheric sounds through pedal effects on his guitar, but it sounds disjointed when combined with the other elements occurring on stage. A few songs into the set however, the boys seem settled and are now playing as one, mesmerising the crowd with the serene guitar melodies and lyrical verse of tracks like Lumberjack Lover Part 1 and 2. Frontman Daniel Grima seems to be enjoying himself, taking every opportunity to dance around the stage while playing guitar, which creates a real party vibe.
As Boss Moxi now take the stage, the audience is at its quantitative peak, and it's not hard to see why. These guys are a powerhouse, bringing an energetic, unique and robust sound to proceedings. Grima of Twin Haus joins the band on trumpet duties, which adds an element of funk to their style. Brayden Doig is a charismatic frontman, tossing his beautiful locks around the stage to the beat of tunes including Heart Mother and Esso, yet he seems conscious of not outshining his bandmates, rather embracing each member's contributions at various points along the way – there's a real sense of camaraderie and joy to this set.
An air of determination and professionalism emanates from the stage as Morning Harvey take command of proceedings; it's apparent from the outset that we're in for a treat. Frontman Spencer White is sans guitar for the first few songs, playing around with maracas or striking the Mick Jagger pose – hands on hips, chest puffed out – in the absence of an instrument. The guys are using this performance to premier some of the new material they've been working on, and while it's difficult to decipher song names due to muffled banter, the tracks can be described as adding a drop of sunshine and energy into their droney psychedelic sounds – it's the sound of a band further hitting their stride and a sign of good things to come. They finish off with the familiar sounds of Sundown and Don't Try It, leaving the audience in a grounded state of bliss.
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