Sunshine Coast's The Dawn Light launched their new album 'Because Of Love' at The House With No Walls on Sunday evening (5 June).
Supported by Will Sargisson, Andrea Kirwin, and the Peter Hunt Trio, The Dawn Light was in fine form and featured an all-star line-up who placed a well-calculated spell on a captivated audience. The evening was nothing short of magic.The venue is one of Sunshine Coast's best-kept secrets and is literally a house with no walls situated among a pulsating rainforest. Entry tonight is invitation only, and its location is revealed at the 11th hour.
First up was Will Sargisson, a jazz pianist of international renown. He performed a set of jazz standards on Rhodes piano and was spellbinding with his unrelenting swing and harmonically-rich improvisations.
The music was perfect as the eager crowd jostled for couch and floor space or any nook and cranny within the open-plan house, built with meticulous care and craftsmanship.
Andrea Kirwin performed music from her extensive discography, including her time with The Andi And George Band. Her set was delightful as she wove her Fijian roots with classic bossa, blues, and soul.
Andrea is a virtuosic guitarist and has a warm voice filled with knowledge and life experience. She finished with Tracey Chapman's 'Give Me One Reason', which demonstrated her deep understanding of the blues and was so vocally virtuosic that the crowd couldn't help but yell out an occasional "yeah" and "right on".
The Peter Hunt Trio featured Hunt on vocals and guitar, Charles Wall on drums, and long-time collaborator Tom Hinchcliffe on bass. Hunt's music has endured as a crowd favourite at many alternative, roots-oriented gatherings over the past 20 years, and it's easy to see why.
The band performed songs from his latest album, 'Vessel', influenced by the cyclic grooves of West African music and nu-soul flavours, and featured tasty harmonies and phat beats performed by three accomplished musicians.
It's easy to see why he's such a celebrated artist with his head-nodding vibes, memorable choruses and thoughtful lyrics.
The Dawn Light took to the stage and were visibly relaxed, focused, and spirited. The band is the creative conception of Angela and OJ Newcomb, who have developed a series of beautifully crafted tunes orchestrated to transport a listener to other worlds.
The band featured Brodie Graham on guitar, Charles Wall on drums, Michael Manikus on keyboard, Gareth Mews on violin, Katie Randall on percussion and Peter Hunt on trumpet.
The Dawn Light is a band of seasoned and highly skilled instrumentalists. Their collective empathy provided a kaleidoscope of shifting textures, solid grooves, bulbous bottom end and precise riffs reminiscent of music from the Stax and Motown recordings of the late '60s and early '70s.
Angela's majestic melodies were jazz-inspired and floated over the sonic tapestry, giving shape to her lyrics inspired by the great mystic writers of the ages.
The music was visceral, and I enjoyed it with my eyes closed and in deep meditation as the starlit night shone through The House With No Walls. The songs travelled through the time/ space condominium seamlessly and served as a dreamy voyage to the nether regions of deep space.
The band worked their way through the album tracks and delivered knock-out renditions of their singles: 'Thousand Stringed Instrument', 'Because Of Love', 'Come To My Door', and 'The Moon Was Low'.
Served with some heavy solos from Graham, beautifully orchestrated unison trumpet/ violin/ guitar figures and stunning harmonic changes, the performance will be felt by those who attended for days to come.
This event was children friendly and a testament to the power of music as a community builder.
Many thanks must go to the venue, which opens its doors in good faith and trust. Their house with no walls is kept immaculately and serves as an inspiration to music lovers on the Sunshine Coast.
Read our recent interview with The Dawn Light.
