On the stage in Brisbane's The Old Museum, Sahara Beck is seated on a stool.
Her eyes closed, microphone cable delicately hanging between her fingers, she nodded to the pillowing piano chords of her brother, Ocean. What most of the crowd may not have noticed is the slight change in the piano chords of opening song 'Like You'.The new chords rang above a bed of atmospheric synths and muted electronic percussion, Sahara's voice floating over the music. It's when the chorus of 'How Many Days' bloomed from the verse the realisation dawned we were into the next song.
It was an imperceptible transition; a light touch that, in one, small moment demonstrated Sahara's craftsmanship and how much she has matured in her artistry. The Sahara Beck that performed at The Old Museum (10 February) is a very different creature to the one who first appeared on the music scene.
The Sunshine Coast-raised performer showed a precocious talent, releasing her first album at age 15. However, Sahara's award-winning folk-pop is a distant memory, having brought in a new art-pop era with her 2018 single, 'Here We Go Again'.
The culmination of Sahara's maturing is her third album, 2023's 'All Attention On Your Emotions'. Supporting it with live performances, Sahara showed a Brisbane audience that along with her songwriting, she has also grown into an incredible performer.
"Have any of you ever seen a Sahara Beck show? She's incredible," support act Ayla told the crowd. "Anyways, back to me," she laughed.
Also from the Sunshine Coast, Ayla opened the show with a set of stripped-down acoustic balladry. As her fingers spun a web on the steel strings of her guitar, her voice sighed and echoed over the crowd.
"You have a beautiful voice," one impressed fan called out. "My name is Tony. All the best." With a bashful smile, Ayla had the crowd reply in chorus a thank you to Tony.
After a quiet suite of opening songs, Sahara strapped on her lipstick-red electric guitar for a rocking take on her EP track 'Stillness', and solid grooves from drummer Damon Joel and bassist George Reed.
There was a skip in Sahara's gait when it came to the soulful track 'Mr Breezy', and her vocals became a smoky wail. Her brother, Ocean, closed his eyes and grooved with the peppy groove, his feet dancing beneath his keyboard.
She reminded fans this song would've sounded familiar to those who saw her in 'Bite Club', her live collaboration with the performance collective Briefs Factory. Notably, she told the crowd, it was the song she sang when a naked man joined her. "My little brother will be keeping his clothes on," she joked.
Sahara's time performing 'Bite Club' must have had some influence on her current show. The entire set flowed smoothly, and often Sahara and her band seamlessly transitioned from one song into the next, keeping the groove intact so the crowd could bob their heads in their seats.
One fan couldn't contain themselves to their seat. Instead, she found a wide space in the aisles to let loose for much of the set. Later, that fan informed everyone: "The vibrations in this room are – and excuse my French – f...ing excellent!"
The smile that beamed from Sahara Beck's face showed great pleasure at this approval, and the eruption of applause that greeted the succinct approval showed the excellent vibrations were felt by all.
