The opening night of Brisbane Festival 2022 may have been cold and damp (2 September), however inside the reimagined South Bank Piazza, audience members basked in an oasis of warmth and effervescence as multiple ARIA Award-winning RnB pop artist, songwriter and actress, Jessica Mauboy, kicked off the event’s programme.
Walking through the packed amphitheatre to take the stage, flawless in a smock dress and knee-high boots, Mauboy kicked off proceedings by launching into her dance-pop song ‘Saturday Night’, and her vivacious energy remained a tour de force for the rest of the show.
One of the most joyous performers I’ve had the pleasure of seeing, Mauboy – along with a four-piece band and two backup singers - worked the crowd with unbridled enthusiasm as she belted out her catalogue of global smash hits.
While slower tracks ‘Little Things’ and ‘Glow’ had onlookers lapping up Mauboy’s soulful vocals, it was her upbeat pop hits that saw many up out of their seats and flocking to the piazza’s floor space. From one of her earliest hits ‘Up/Down’, her cover of Robin S.’s dance floor hit ‘Show Me Love’ (intermixed with a delightful sprinkle of Whitney Houston’s ‘I’m Every Woman’) to ‘Pop a Bottle (Fill Me Up)’, Mauboy engaged with the audience effortlessly, grabbing the hands of those closest to the stage, and shouting out enthusiastically to those in the stands.
Regaling her fans with humorous and heartfelt stories in between songs, Mauboy showcased her irresistible girl next door persona that has seen her continue to win the hearts of a nation since reaching the finals of TV's ‘Australian Idol’ in 2006.
Closing her set with her chart-topping single ‘Inescapable’, Mauboy received a resounding standing ovation before returning for a powerful encore performance of her Eurovision 2018 hit ‘We Got Love’.
Emerging from the sanctuary of the piazza with the promise of new material in 2023, the drizzling rain did little to dampen the spirits of all those who had just witnessed Mauboy’s irrefutable star power.
