Canberra Locality brought to you by Ruth O’Brien

Hey fabulous people! How’s it going out there in the big wide world? I feel like I’ve finally accepted that things are BACK! 

Dunno about you, but this year’s been a weird one for me. Mental health-wise, I’ve struggled, and I know I’m not the only one. The last few years were an absolute shit show for the arts and music industries and, now that things have returned, it’s great and all, but also feels slightly surreal? 

Just thought I’d share that with you in case you have felt the same 🙂 

The sector is still in recovery mode and it will probably take a while to regain confidence, which segues nicely into me saying “support live music and the arts!”. 

However, if you’re reading this mag, there’s a good chance you’re doing that already. Regardless, here’s a few gigs to mark in your calendar for Oct-early Nov.

Come Together in Braidwood

On the Saturday, 8 October, there’ll be a fun night of music out at the Braidwood National Theatre from 6pm. Come — Together will be hosted by local musician, Michael Simic, and will feature an eclectic range of musicians including Gordon Pritchard, Kelly Sturgiss, Johnny Huckle, James Luke, Rachel Johnston, Keith Potger (Seekers, anyone?) and many more. 

The concert is part of the 2-day cultural event of the same name, celebrating and exploring Braidwood’s local history. This is a free event, is BYO drinks, and will have food available to buy from Chez Mey. For more info email cometogetherbraidwood@gmail.com

Throughout October, Rebus Theatre will be performing their Playback Theatre show, At The End Of Our Street. Playback Theatre is a form of improvisational theatre in which audience members tell stories from their own lives, then watch as actors and musicians enact them on the spot using movement, music, and words, but without script or rehearsal. 

It can be moving or funny according to the stories shared. This show is a cross disciplinary arts project to build resilience across south-east Australia. Rebus has recently taken this show on the road, heading out to the Bega Valley, Eurobodalla, and East Gippsland, before wrapping up the last shows over the next week. 

The show will be happening at three different locations – Friday, 7 October from 7pm – 8:30pm will be at The Hive, Crawford St, Queanbeyan; Sunday, 9 October from 2-4pm it will be at the Braidwood National Theatre (popular venue this month!); and on Saturday, 15 October from 2-4pm, the show will finish at The Street Theatre. 

To book and to find out more, head to rebustheatre.com/performances/project-alchemy-tour/  or book a ticket here.

TRANSITion into your weekend with a fiesta!

Over at Transit Bar on Friday, 14 October from 6:30pm, there’ll be a whole lot of exciting music to have a boogie to. Yup, Friday Fiesta will feature Bobby James, Black Cypress, Moondog, DJ Dede da Cruz and DJ Rafa Chango. It brings a whole range of genres to your Friday evening, including reggae, ska, Latin, folk, and roots music. Tickets are just $20 and can be purchased via TryBooking. 

Also that night, Flowermarket will be performing over at Smith’s Alternative. The indie-rock band will be supported by Wagga’s indie-pop outfit Frostbite, and dreamy rock five-piece Never Speak Her Name, with things kicking off at 9:30pm. Flowermarket are a four-piece that navigate psychedelica, summery riffs, and catchy vibes. Tickets are only $15 and can be bought directly from Smith’s here.  

Time for a breather

On Sunday, 16 October at 6:30pm, the Luminescence Chamber Singers will be performing their most recent work, Drawing Breath, at the National Museum of Australia. In this show the singers will explore first breaths, last breaths, and music as diverse as the vast compass of human life and feeling in between: from Machaut and Gesualdo, to Pink Floyd and Florence and the Machine. Add to this newly commissioned works by Brenda Gifford, Connor D’Netto, and Dan Walker. Tickets can be purchased for $32.74 from the Luminescence website at luminescence.org.au/drawing-breath 

It wouldn’t be October without Oktoberfest

If you feel like heading out to Tumut on Saturday, 29 October, Lucy Ridge and the Derby Widows will be performing at Tumut River Brewing Co. for Oktoberfest. The band are an energetic nine-piece “horn-powered supergroup” of Canberra musicians. Influenced by Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and Tower of Power, Lucy has an amazing, soulful voice and a fantastic onstage presence. 

Oktoberfest tickets are $29, the day kicks off from 2pm, and the band will be on from 8pm – 11pm. You can getcha tickets from trbc.com.au

Queen Bees at Queenies

If you’re looking to hear and see some of Canberra’s best female singer-songwriters, make sure you head along to Queenies in Kingston on Sunday afternoons from 2-5pm for The Queen Bee Sessions. 

These free, all-ages gigs are a fabulous way to wrap up your weekend and get to know more of our local artists, hear their work and some covers, and support live music. The line-up changes every week so, if you head along regularly, you’ll get to know many of the skilled and talented musicians who call the ACT home. To find out more, head to facebook.com/queeniesatkingston

Come mingle at Belco Arts

And finally, a reminder about Mid-Week Mingle at Belco Arts on Wednesday, 19 October from 5:30pm – 7pm. If you’re a performing artist or arts worker in the Canberra region, this is an excellent opportunity to meet with others, talk about projects you’re working on, find collaborators, and learn about new opportunities. 

This event is totally FREE but registrations are essential via belcoarts.com.au/performing-arts-networking/

Hope you have a fantastic October and manage to get to some of these great events! 

Remember that purchasing tickets early is SOOO helpful to event organisers, so if there’s something you see in the mag that sparks your interest, buy a ticket STAT! 

Hopefully see you out at something soon.