Melbourne-based quintet Hollow Everdaze opened the evening with a sound that teeters on the edge of haunting. One of the high points of this ensemble is the fabulous sound of the violin, subtle, yet noticeable and strangely complementary to their indie-rock sound. Another track had Baulch dancing around while soloing on guitar and the whole experience was topped off with a perfect violin finish.
Mike Kinsella, whose solo project is Owen, entered the stage as the bandroom at the Newtown Social Club began to fill. The crowd became silent as Owen made his start, announcing that they could just “raise their hands” if they had any questions. The Chicago-based musician took us through the journey of his songs, mixing complex acoustic guitar with lyrical storytelling delivered as a half-sung/half-spoken jumble of sound. A Bird In Hand, a track that was clearly recognised by many, had the punters singing along. Kinsella played for 30 minutes over his allocated time and towards the end of his set the whole thing became a bit of a shambles as he asked the crowd for requests and insisted that they were to be led by a member of the audience on vocals. After no one stepped up to the challenge Kinsella reluctantly sang his own thrown-together version of The Cure’s Boys Don’t Cry and followed with an equally messy performance of Oasis’ Hello.
Owen had his audience plainly captivated as he led them through each song and story, and when all is said and done, it was an intimate and personal evening with a talented performer.
