Live Review: Umbrella: Winter City Sounds

Winter is here — that time of year when Radelaide turns into Brrrrrrrrradelaide.

Tonight, the "who's who" of the South Australian music scene came together to farewell autumn and celebrate the 2017 launch of the Umbrella: Winter City Sounds live music program, now in its second year.

For those who missed the inaugural event last year (possibly because they were at home snuggled up under a blanket at the time), Umbrella is a two-and-a-bit week mid-winter showcase of mostly local musicians performing across a wide range of venues, from the conventional (think your favourite live spot) to the not-so-ordinary (trams, laneways and even former lunatic asylums).

And what an impressive line-up it is this year. For details, head to the official website at umbrellaadelaide.com.au (or if you're a fan of the printed word like me, check out the glossy 56-page program around town, wherever free glossy mags are found).

With such a diverse offering to be had under Umbrella this year (complemented of course by the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and Adelaide Guitar Festival), there really is no excuse for hibernating during the colder months. Adelaide well and truly deserves its formal designation as a UNESCO City of Music.

Jack Snelling MP, Minister for the Arts, kicked off the event launch by reminding us of the importance of live music to the state, announcing that "a 2014 report tells us that live music contributed $264m to the South Australian economy and provided over 4,000 jobs".

The SA government, via its live music events fund, has graciously invested in this worthwhile program as a strategy to use live music to activate the city during the cooler months.

Building on the success of last year's inaugural event, this year's program is jam-packed with a great selection of local gig ideas to warm your soul this July.

As those gathered enjoyed some fine South Australian beverages, brilliant local muso Tara Carragher serenaded us with her acoustic guitar and a batch of aptly chosen cover songs. For those who chose to linger longer, a further taste of what's to come was on offer inside, via Donnarumma, Hana & Jessie-Lee, Battlehounds and Young Muscle DJs.

Umbrella: Winter City Sounds runs from 14 - 30 Jul, 2017.