Canberra Music Arts thingy compiled by Allan Sko

BMA has lovingly gathered together some of the best and brightest music happenings the fair city of Canberra (and surrounds) has to offer.

Read on below, and get on out!

WHO: Jazida Productions

WHAT: Pop-Up Party – Circus, Dance, Cabaret

WHEN and WHERE: 12 May (Glebe Park) & 2 June (Haig Park), 5pm – 8:30pm

The Jazida Productions Pop-Up Parties will be a recurring event every three weeks on Fridays between 12 April and 14 July running from 5pm – 8:30pm, offering live performances from award winning artists. There will be interactive arts and crafts, play with flow and circus props, fire eating, fire dancing, sideshow performances, circus, drag, cabaret, and fan dancing. Each Pop-Up Party includes a 1.5 hour cabaret show, with a rotating cast of performers for each area. There will also be a DJ Dance Party one hour before and after each show!
See Jazida Productions Pop-Up Parties Facebook page for more info.

WHO: Small Town Alien

WHAT: A dystopian-yet cheerful jaunt through genres

WHEN: Sat, 20 May, 9.30-11.30pm

WHERE: Smith’s Alternative

Aliens are real, and they’re landing in Canberra on 20 May, 2023. Small Town Alien is hard to explain but easy to love. Fresh from the release of their latest album Trigger Warning, Small Town Alien are hitting the Smith’s stage for the first time in over a year. They’re existential yet upbeat, dystopian yet cheerful, and soul destroying whilst miraculously also being soul-nourishing at the same time. But above all, they aim to entertain. No genre is safe.
$10/$15 via smithsalternative.com/events/small-town-alien

WHO: Alter Ego: An Evening Of Other

WHAT: Arts & Show Party

WHEN: Fri, 26 May, 6:30pm – Midnight

WHERE: National Portrait Gallery

Join NPG for Alter Ego: An Evening of Other! This 18+ late-night event is curated and produced by Kat Dopper of Heaps Gay, Queer Agency, and Summer Camp Festival fame. Celebrate and explore all things identity through surprising, inspiring, and challenging acts by talented local and interstate performers; experience creators, and visual artists. Featuring performances from Radha, Betty Grumble, Lupa J, Mowgli May, Marlena Dalí, YOKELUST and more.
$33 – $45 via portrait.gov.au/calendar/alter-ego

WHO: AYA YVES

WHAT: serotonin & forget me nots EP launch

WHEN: Thu, 25 May, 7:30pm

WHERE: UC Hub

Canberran-at-heart AYA YVES has embarked upon her serotonin & forget me nots EP tour, with a stop at the ol’ CBR stomping grounds. YVES is a masterful storyteller and magic weaver, with a unique blend of dark alt-pop and indie electronica that quickly found a receptive audience in the Australian music soundscape. Her latest single white flag (review this ish, see page 36) gives fans a taste of what’s to come, with soaring vocals and complex experimental production that weaves in and out of sharp percussive elements. Tix : $28.38 via Moshtix

WHO: Yothu Yindi

WHAT: Reconciliation Concert Headliner

WHEN: Sun, 28 May, 7pm

WHERE: Canberra Theatre Centre

Canberra Theatre Centre is proud to present legendary band Yothu Yindi as part of this year’s Reconciliation Concert. The multi-award winning band will share the stage with host Tahalianna Soward- Mahanga, and powerful young Canberran First Nations artists Alinta Barlow and Stewart Barton, in a celebration of their voices, stories, and music. The theme for National Reconciliation Week 2023, Be A Voice For Generations, urges all Australians to use their power, their words, and their vote to create a more just Australia for all of us. Tix $59 + bf via venue

WHO: Jack Biilmann

WHAT: Launch for new LP Divided Mind

WHEN: Fri 16 June, 7pm

WHERE: The Basement

Following the great success of 2021’s Full Circle LP, Biilmann is back with his fourth and by far the most unique album, Divided Mind. Biilmann’s career has always been a wrestling match between his solo blues/roots/country sound against his ‘90s, blues-inspired rock‘n’ roll band guise. Divided Mind neatly melts these together onto a neat Side A/Side B LP, showcasing the best of both worlds with a compelling story to boot. Supported by Hope Wilkins, The Burley Griffin, and Toby Morwitch. Tix: $15 earlybird, $25 GA via Oztix