One man singer/songwriter Archer kicked off proceedings. Archer’s troubadour persona, slicked back hair, dark wooded guitar and dusty voice all worked together to complement his rambling tales of criminals and crooked personalities. When he wasn’t focused on plucking his instrument, he nonchalantly held the audience in the palm of his hand; carrying confidence whilst both performing and joking around with the crowd.
After playing hide-and-seek behind the stage curtain, Jess Ribeiro unveiled her four-piece setup. There’s been buzz surrounding Ribeiro since the release of her latest album Kill It Yourself, and this performance outlined the reasons why. The band managed to drive home several different emotions across the course of the set. From the very beginning, Ribeiro wore the emotion on her face, guarding a coy smile behind the microphone, either one of shyness or pride. The band laid out a smooth groove before shifting into something more evolved. Led by Ribeiro’s storytelling, the tracks brought a sense of spaciousness; there were several pace changes as the band mixed in elements of grunge and desert rock, sloping melodies and passionate solos. A clever performer keeps an audience eager to listen by changing tone and mood, thus heightening expectations. Ribeiro probably knows this, as that’s exactly the kind of performance she delivered.
Mick Thomas should’ve been a good match to the other acts on the bill. He fronted a three-man band, featuring two guitars and an accordion, and purveyed a similar troubadour songwriting style to Archer. Yet everything about his presence seemed mismatched.
BY THOMAS BRAND
Loved: Ribeiro. I came in with no expectations and came out amazed.
Hated: The crowd talking during performances
Drank: Overpriced beer. Yay.
