Sara Bareilles @ The Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne (20/09/2014)
As the crowd made its way towards the venue, the first thing that would’ve caught anyone’s eye was the brightly lit signs for upcoming performances of various genres plastered outside the building.
The Athenaeum theatre has three levels of seated rows and a very antique yet upbeat vibe produced by the finer details, such as the lighting and carvings on the walls. It was the perfect location for Sara Bareilles' show and really emphasised Melbourne’s strong multiculturalism and class. Having recently only been to rock or house events in modern venues, my initial reaction was curiosity with a touch of negativity due to the unfamiliar environment. However, this perception quickly changed as soon as Sara walked on stage to introduce the first act. Her personal approach created an intimate atmosphere making it a very relaxing start to the night. |
Melbourne solo artist Ben Abraham has a powerful ability to make everyone’s spine tingle with his soulful yet raspy voice. Along with his distinctive Australian accent, Ben really is one to look out for. He performed his entire set on guitar, playing songs that he wrote himself – impressive, right? About half way through his set Ben welcomed his two sisters, who are also singers, onto the stage to be his backup during the song ‘Acquired Prayer’. The three voices were in perfect harmony and teamed up with emotionally charged lyrics, it really pulled at the audience’s heartstrings.
Apart from Ben’s jaw dropping musical talent, he is also a comedian, telling stories and one liners in between songs that caused everyone laugh uncontrollably, even long after the joke was made. Combining a flawless intimate musical performance along with comedic entertainment, Ben was the perfect artist to kick start the show.
Originating from USA, Sara Bareilles last visited Australia four years ago when she accompanied Maroon 5 and it’s not surprising that her first headlining Australian tour was met with sold out shows. This is quite an accomplishment for any artist, let alone a 21 year old with such a promising future.
Starting off her set with 'Let the Rain', Sara jumped straight into performance mode and blew away the crowd with her impressive vocal range as well as her ability to play many instruments including various guitars as well as the piano. It’s hard enough for anyone to sing perfectly in key, let alone play a musical instrument impeccably as well.
She performed a stellar set with old and new songs, including her most famous tracks 'Love Song' and 'Brave'. Inspired by Sia, Sara sang her own version of 'Chandelier' which made the audience tear up as they felt the deep emotion portrayed through Sara’s performance.
Close to the end of the set, Ben reappeared and joined Sara to perform a duet that they both wrote, which has unfortunately not yet been released to the public, but it’s definitely a song that will strike a chord in everyone. Sara’s honest songs allowed the audience to get to know her in an authentic environment while relating to the intense lyrics covering topics such as love, loss and strength.
Monica Winczura
Apart from Ben’s jaw dropping musical talent, he is also a comedian, telling stories and one liners in between songs that caused everyone laugh uncontrollably, even long after the joke was made. Combining a flawless intimate musical performance along with comedic entertainment, Ben was the perfect artist to kick start the show.
Originating from USA, Sara Bareilles last visited Australia four years ago when she accompanied Maroon 5 and it’s not surprising that her first headlining Australian tour was met with sold out shows. This is quite an accomplishment for any artist, let alone a 21 year old with such a promising future.
Starting off her set with 'Let the Rain', Sara jumped straight into performance mode and blew away the crowd with her impressive vocal range as well as her ability to play many instruments including various guitars as well as the piano. It’s hard enough for anyone to sing perfectly in key, let alone play a musical instrument impeccably as well.
She performed a stellar set with old and new songs, including her most famous tracks 'Love Song' and 'Brave'. Inspired by Sia, Sara sang her own version of 'Chandelier' which made the audience tear up as they felt the deep emotion portrayed through Sara’s performance.
Close to the end of the set, Ben reappeared and joined Sara to perform a duet that they both wrote, which has unfortunately not yet been released to the public, but it’s definitely a song that will strike a chord in everyone. Sara’s honest songs allowed the audience to get to know her in an authentic environment while relating to the intense lyrics covering topics such as love, loss and strength.
Monica Winczura