Live Review: Steve Poltz, Kelly Menhennett - The Jade Monkey

On a relatively quiet road in little old Adelaide sits a venue by the name of The Jade Monkey, an intimate venue that was set to play host to the Canadian-born Steve Poltz. The show began with Kelly Menhennett, coming onto stage, beer in hand, and kicking into World Of Mine. It was clear from not only the lyrics but also the passion with which the song was sung, that it has a powerful meaning. She continued with a set filled with mellow tones and harmonies that blended a wealth of emotions. A crowd favourite proved to be Spanish Harlot. As Menhennett explained the story of not knowing what a harlot was when she wrote the song, getting harlem and harlot mixed up, laughter erupted from the enthusiastic crowd. Her last song of the set was Small Dreams, the title track of her last album. It was obvious from the start that Kelly was able to draw the crowd in, immediately connect with them and then take them on a sultry, earthy, rustic journey through her amazing song collection.

After a 45-minute recess Steve Poltz took the stage. Poltz brings mellow and often satirical lyrics to his music, backed up with the smooth notes that emanate from his acoustic guitar. He's also known for his band The Rugburns, which has helped him gain a cult following. The most attention came from co-writing a song for Jewel called You Were Meant For Me and he also appeared in the music clip for the song. He began touring and opening for Jewel. After a warm Adelaide welcome, Poltz launched into an unreleased song due out on his next album called The Rain Came Down. Poltz then talked about touring previously in the original Jade Monkey in its founding year and how far the Jade has come, then talked about his music workshops at Camberwell High School earlier that day. Continuing through his set with soulful, deep and emotional songs, he had the crowd breaking down with laughter during his Super Taco Dilemma, which had been requested on his Facebook, and then his satirical song, Folk Singer.

During his show he really showed his ability to connect with the audience with both satirical and thought-provoking songs. His moody, soulful, smoky and smooth vocals mixed in with acoustic guitar made for a great night. Fans old and new fans alike were brought into the show with social commentary and observations about his time touring. Poltz also incorporated Adelaide into his songs, changing lyrics to introduce icons around the state. Overall the intimate setting really brought everyone together and made this a very memorable show.