Merri Bar's weekends are about to get a whole lot more strum-heavy, with 10 gigs lined up for October.
Merri Bar Trivia keeps rolling every Tuesday from 7.30pm, while Open Mic Night takes over the front bar every Thursday from 7pm.
The first Thursday of the month is Women’s Open Mic Night, hosted by NEGOMi (Imogen), and it lands on Thursday 1 this month.
On the weekend stage, October kicks off with a Naarm songwriter wrapping up the story of her debut album. From there it winds through fingerpicked folk, electric blues, banjo-powered storytelling and a 12-string mash-up of roots and grunge, before a jazz trio finishes things off on 1 November.
Free entry for all shows. Dogs welcome in the beer garden.
Check out our gig guide, our festival guide, our live music venue guide and our nightclub guide. Follow us on Instagram here.
Thornback
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- Saturday 3 October, 7pm
Naarm-based songwriter Thornback is closing out the story of her debut album with Blur, her third single.
Thornback stacks layered harmonies and lush arrangements under her vulnerable lyrics, and she lists Radiohead, Hayley Williams, The Cure, dodie and Angus & Julia Stone as influences. The album runs to 10 tracks that dig into mental health, love, loss and identity, and she’s aiming to tell stories that stay true to her own experience.
Floyd Thursby
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- Sunday 4 October, 4pm
Melbourne singer-songwriter Floyd Thursby is a contemporary folk artist who keeps things stripped back and acoustic, built around his voice and guitar.
His songs wander between love and death, wild nights and quiet days, and the sacred and the everyday. Close harmonies and a dry sense of humour pop up along the way.
Karlo Arcinue
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- Saturday 10 October, 7pm
Melbourne folk singer-songwriter Karlo Arcinue pairs intricate fingerstyle guitar with a warm baritone, channelling the sound of 1970s folk greats.
He’s a regular on the live circuit across Melbourne and regional Victoria, mixing his own songs with hand-picked covers from James Taylor, Jim Croce and Cat Stevens.
His story-driven, intimate sets have taken him to the Maldon Folk Festival, Newport Folk Festival and Newstead Live Music Festival.
Redback Blues
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- Sunday 11 October, 4pm
Redback Blues are a Melbourne band dishing up electric blues, played with plenty of passion and style.
They’re on the Sunday afternoon slot at 4pm, so it’s an easy way to ease into the week with some loud guitars.
Tim Woodz
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- Saturday 17 October, 7pm
Tim Woodz is an Australian folk musician and jazz-influenced crooner with a reputation for funny storytelling.
He switches between guitar, banjo, ukulele and harmonica, so expect a few different sounds across the set.
Come ready for yarns between the songs.
Nina Rose
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- Sunday 18 October, 4pm
Melbourne singer-songwriter Nina Rose writes poetic, playful songs rooted in folk.
Her Sunday afternoon set at 4pm is a good one for anyone who likes their lyrics a bit lyrical and a bit cheeky.
Brett Franke
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- Saturday 24 October, 7pm
Melbourne singer-songwriter and frontman Brett Franke mixes acoustic blues, roots, rock and grunge into high-energy arrangements.
He’s driven by a distinctive 12-string acoustic guitar, his vocals and foot percussion.
Fawkner Walking Society
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- Sunday 25 October, 4pm
Fawkner Walking Society come from Melbourne’s inner north, weaving melodic guitar lines through evocative lyrics.
Their songs take in the ups and downs of city life, with a splash of noise and a bit of humour thrown in for good measure.
Jay Mothman
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- Saturday 31 October, 7pm
Jay Mothman is a Melbourne/Naarm-based indie rock guitarist and self-described bedroom rocker.
He writes songs that swing between the funny and the sad, and he’s here to close out the month on Halloween night.
Southern Duck
- Sunday 1 November, 4pm
Southern Duck formed in Melbourne in 2024 and are a trio made up of Roger Evans on guitar, Adam Fforde on fretless bass and Sala Kord on drums.
They play jazz-leaning takes on other artists’ songs alongside their own compositions, and they wrap up the run on Sunday afternoon.
For more information, head here.
This article was made in partnership with Merri Bar.
