Uuuum, uuuum, uuuum. The live music here is so incredible!!! I LOVE it. Tonight I heard two bands at a swank bar in the CBD, Manchester Lane. Not just bands, really GREAT bands. I saw two bands and left with three CDs - I rarely buy CDs so that's actually an amazing compliment to their talent. The first was called Ginja Roe (second picture) and the second band, CWQ (first picture), had their EP launch (CD release) tonight. The lead singer's name is Chris. He and his girlfriend Pip were at our party a couple weeks ago and were two of my favorite guests. Sweet people. CWQ's music is self described as "drawing on a varied palette of instruments and influences to create a style that is very much their own twisted, dirty, and dusted up blues folk. It's an always changing instrumentation of guitars, mandolin, sax, harmonica, drums, piano accordion, banjo, slide, fiddle, vocal harmonies and more." It was an incredible performance. Truly. The music is powerful, complex, and interesting and the performance was the highest energy workout I've seen. It's Wednesday night and the place was packed - more than 100 people. I talked to the lead singer from Ginja Roe for 5-10 minutes when I bought her CD. She's hoping to make it in Austin someday. I think they will. I don't think I've seen a band yet in Melbourne and not met the band. They have all been so friendly and humble and interesting to talk to.
Phill and Cassie and I met for dinner before the show in Chinatown, my first trip! I have no pictures because it was pouring rain. What drought??? I feel like it's been rainy/misty most of the days I've been here. They need the water so badly that it's hard to complain, but I'm definitely ready for sunny warm days. Seems I'll be waiting a while. The rain cleared by the time we left Manchester Lane, so Phill and I took the tram to St Kilda, then went for a walk along the beach and on St Kilda Pier before returning home. It will feel like an early morning tomorrow. I'm off to bed.
