Posts in category: Sunset MusicDish

Always the underdog and sometimes suppressed, Brisbane’s music scene continues to “prove the bastards wrong” with a crop of new talent and a thriving live circuit.

From humble and humid beginnings, big acts have grown — from The Go-Betweens, Powderfinger, the Jungle Giants and now Sycco and Hope-D.

Streets of Your Town may forever evoke open-windowed Queenslanders but it wasn’t until the 90s that bands could “break it in Brisbane”.

Back in the 70s and 80s the city’s punk gigs were infiltrated by undercover officers in safari suits, and bands like The Go-Betweens and The Saints had to go south to get big.

From punk crackdowns to freedom

The long reign of Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s National Party put alternative music and punk rock under threat.

“They speak about police raiding their shows, shutting them down, undercover officers coming along in safari suits, dogs being brought to shows, and kids basically being chased down the street,” said Professor Ben Green from Griffith University, who has researched the Brisbane music scene.

Community radio station 4ZZZ and independent record stores like Rocking Horse Records helped keep the scene going.

“Brisbane has a history of bands doing things themselves independently, like The Saints in the 1970s and The Go-Betweens after that, but those bands left Brisbane to pursue their careers,” he said.

With the end of the Bjelke-Petersen era in the late 80s, and triple j going national soon after, Brissie bands had the chance to make a name for themselves, without leaving home.

In 1991, the musical minds of John Collins, Darren Middleton, Ian Haug, John Coghill and Bernard Fanning formed Powderfinger.

John Collins, known as JC, is still on the Brisbane scene as the proprietor of Fortitude Music Hall and the Triffid.

“Straight away, our music and our band became our full-time job,” JC said.

Regurgitator, Custard and Screamfeeder also made the then-radical decision to stay in Brisbane.

“One thing that changed in the 1990s was more of our big bands staying in Brisbane and pulling the spotlight to Brisbane, with their music and succeeding from there,” Professor Green said.

“We decided that we would spend two days in a crappy van driving home after a tour, to hang out with mates in a share house, have barbecues, and live the Brisbane lifestyle.”

A new age

Tucked away in a storage unit on the city’s south side, Brisbane’s music scene looks to be entering a new heyday.

Platonic Sex, an alt-rock band, rehearses in a double storage unit, fitted with fairy lights, a pride flag and walls lined with amplifiers.

“I love sharing this rehearsal space with our friends and their bands, like VOIID, Melaleuca, Dog God and Hope D,” Bridget Brandolini, the lead guitarist and vocalist, said.

Just as in decades past, the Brisbane scene is almost incestuously interconnected.

Brandolini used to be the guitarist in Hope D. The drummer is also the drummer for Hallie.

Jane, on guitar, can be seen fronting Melaleuca. Brandolini’s old house mate, Kate, is the lead singer of VOIID. And bassist, Mikki Hain, is the singer-guitarist in Perve Endings.

Back in the 90s, Powderfinger, Regurgitator and Custard used to share a rehearsal space in the TC Beirne Building in Fortitude Valley.

“With bands sharing rehearsal spaces, playing at each other’s shows, and having these networks at a local grassroots level, it really created the roots of the scene that then flourished into the national level in the ’90s,” Professor Green said.

Nowadays a punter can wander around the Valley or through West End and find a local band gigging. 

An origin story not dissimilar to the legends of the city.

“We started by playing bad gigs, midnight until 5am,” JC said.

“I love seeing a band, like The Jungle Giants for example, go from playing a show at the Triffid until a few years later, booking out three sold-out shows at the musical hall in a row.”

Cultural underdog

Brisbane has always felt pitted against the southern capitals.

Some didn’t care if Powderfinger were playing to 1,000 in Brisbane, if they couldn’t pull the same in Sydney.

“I think that sort of spawned a little bit of a chip on the shoulder,” JC said.

“It gave us a bit of motivation to really prove the bastards wrong down in Sydney.”

Brandolini said Brisbane is still underrated.

“Sometimes they’re caught off guard by the energy of the audience and the other bands, that always makes me feel special being from Brisbane,” they said.

“Most touring artists that come through Brisbane comment on the energy in the room and they often say Brisbane is one of their favourite places to come to.”

Could Powderfinger make it on TikTok?

Live venues continue to drive the city’s creativity, but artists face new challenges, expected to build a multi-platform brand before they’re even in sight of a record deal.

Professor Green said labels nowadays take fewer risks, so it’s harder to get signed.

“There’s an expectation that artists will develop their own audience, profile, image, and art under their own steam before they progress to that level, and one of the ways they’re expected to do that is through social media,” he said.

“I think that’s a really dangerous path to take with some really horrible music, in my opinion,” JC said.

Great news this week. This is because I came across two absolutely enchanting songs from two exciting Pinoy bands, Cup Of Joe and Dilaw. Coincidentally, both of them originated from Baguio. Given the way these two groups sound, it looks like the North is shaping up as a future pop-music capital.

Well, Cup of Joe and Dilaw have been around for quite some time and have both established a reputation for solid musicianship and versatility. No garage bands these guys. They go from pop to alt and even hip-hop with ease. They have also consistently come up with well-produced sounds and have these past years developed quite a fan following.

That does not mean though that they cannot get any better. Fact is, both of their latest releases are their best, so far. I say thanks to the feel-good vibes these songs provide, they come across like harbingers of a fun-filled summer, which I can feel is almost upon us.

Tataya by Cup of Joe (COJ). This is the band formed by high school classmates in Baguio and who named themselves after the American term for a cup of coffee. Cup of Joe, as in the drink, coffee, of the common man, often referred to as Joe. From the start though, there was nothing common about the sound of COJ. In fact, the band made quite a splash with Nag-iisang Muli, its debut single from 2019.

The COVID-19 pandemic happened soon after but that did not stop COJ from creating more music. Sinderella, Alas Dose, Sagada, Hayaan, Bukod Tangi, Ikaw Pa Rin ang Pipiliin Ko, Mananatili, and Estranghero. My favorite of the batch though, is the sweet Christmas song titled Alas Dose, which I hope will become a holiday staple in the years to come.

The catchy new single Tataya deviates from the band’s norm in that it is a happy song. These guys have a tendency to be swoony and moony with emotions. Not this time though. This is rooted in “taya”, Filipino for “bet.” I am putting my bet on you. It is a surefire bet. The result is like a perky cup of coffee, blended out of beans from the fields of Sagada, brewed in Baguio and is now served smelling great and smoking hot.

Cup of Joe is made up of Gian Bernardino and Raphaell Rida, lead singers; Xen Gareza, keyboards; CJ Fernandez, rhythm guitar; Gab Fernandez, lead guitar; and Sevii Severino, bass guitar.

Uhaw Tayong Lahat by Dilaw. I do not know if the parents of Dilaw Obero really did name their baby boy, Dilaw, as in Filipino for the color yellow. Was this a political statement? Did their son look yellow? Whatever. But that is how this band got its name. Dilaw after the lead vocalist and chief writer.

Dilaw started out as a hip-hop duo composed of Obero, the rapper, and his friend guitarist Vie de la Rosa, who provided the music. They were into serious commentary about the ills of society. Most notable among their releases was the powerful 3019. This one took on the law with that number and the rampant spread of corruption and injustice in this country.

Dilaw could have stayed with the genre and solidified their reputation as musicians with a voice for the oppressed but then Uhaw came along. One day, they were shooting the breeze when a guitar chord or two from De la Rosa yielded a melody which Obero thought fitted a lyric he had been thinking about. It was a love song about longing, which means thirst and which when put into Filipino translates as Uhaw. And once again the magic happened, that age-old mystery that keeps repeating itself but still remains unsolved, a hit song was born.

Uhaw Tayong Lahat made a steady rise to the top. The song is now the toast of social media and is taking Dilaw to stardom. The duo has grown into a band, which opens itself to other types of music and because of the success of Uhaw, there is now the possibility of more love songs. No need for Obero to worry about his advocacies though. Dilaw made good rap before and can return to that anytime.

Meanwhile, enjoy Uhaw and Tataya along with Pasilyo, Mahika, Umaasa, Fallen and others in your all-Pinoy playlist.

With this win, Fairfield Warde Dance Team, led by Coach Jennifer Kealey, earned a chance to compete in New England Regionals on March 11 in Bellingham, Mass.

In addition, senior Ishita Kumar was chosen for this year’s All State, where winners were selected based on a professionally choreographed routine, and All State Academic, which considers the students’ academic and extracurricular activities.

The Southport School’s summer programs

The Southport School, a private day school for neurodiverse children who have language-based learning differences and/or ADHD, is accepting applications for its 2023 Summer Programs. Open to students entering first through ninth grades, the summer programs provide research-based academic support in an individualized, grade-appropriate and positive learning environment. 

A comprehensive multi-week remedial program for students entering first through sixth grades includes tutorial, literature, writing and mathematics classes. The program runs 8 a.m. to noon, June 29 through July 28. 

For learners entering sixth through ninth grades, the school offers workshops designed to help students learn strategies and tools to be successful in school. Offered in two, two-week sessions, the workshops focus on math, reading strategies, study strategies, and writing. The first session runs from July 3 through July 14 and the second session runs from July 17 through July 28. Families can choose two workshops per session. The program runs from 8:50 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. each day. 

Families can apply online at SouthportSchool.org. To learn more about the Summer Programs please contact the admissions office at Admissions@SouthportSchool.org or 203-254-2044. 

SHU to perform spring concert

The Sacred Heart University Academic Music Program presents Professor Joe Carter and the Brazilian Jazz All Stars in an annual tribute concert celebrating the music of Brazilian music composer, Antonio Carlos Jobim (aka “Tom” Jobim), considered by many to be the most important Brazilian composer of the 20th century.

The concert will be at 7 p.m. on March 29 at the Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts at Sacred Heart University, 5151 Park Ave. in Fairfield.

The concert is free and open to the public.

Camp Invention at Stratfield Elementary

Camp Invention, a nationally recognized, nonprofit summer enrichment camp, is coming to Stratfield Elementary School the week of June 26.

The camp uses hands-on activities to teach students in kindergarten through sixth grade about STEM.

For more information or to register, visit invent.org/camp.

Faifield U. celebrates book release

Fairfield University’s College of Arts and Sciences is celebrating the publication of “Orienting Italy: China through the Lens of Italian Filmmakers,” written by Mary Ann Carolan, professor of modern languages and literatures and founding director of the Italian Studies program.

The event will be from 4 to 6 p.m. on March 27 in the Kelley Center Presentation Room. It is free and open to the public. No registration is required.
 
This book was published by SUNY Press in September 2022 and won the 2022 Book Award for Performance and Visual Culture from the American Association of Teachers of Italian. It explores contemporary Italian filmmakers’ fascination with China and the Chinese in both documentary and fictional films.

Pequot Library hosts student debate

Bridgeport Public Schools Debate League will be holding the Women’s History Month Debate from 5 to 7 p.m. on March 31 at Pequot Library, 720 Pequot Ave. in Southport.

The middle school teams will debate idea that there are “jobs for men” and “jobs for women.” The high school teams will debate whether the glass ceiling no longer exists.

Town participating in Neighborhood Assistance Act

The town is again soliciting program proposals from municipal agencies and community nonprofit organizations for funding consideration under the state’s Neighborhood Assistance Act program.

This program allows businesses to claim a state tax credit for cash contributions made to qualifying community programs by tax-exempt or municipal
agencies. There are no town funds involved in the program.

Qualifying programs include energy conservation; employment and training; child care services; neighborhood assistance; substance abuse; open space acquisition; crime prevention programs and affordable housing development.

The minimum contribution for a tax credit is $250 and the maximum contribution for one program is $150,000.

For more information or to receive an application packet, contact the town Office of Community and Economic Development at 203-256-3120 or go to the DRS website at www.ct.gov/drs.

All applications must be received by close of business on April 21 to be considered. 

Preventing falls for older adults

Fairfield Health Department recently sponsored and trained 14 individuals from the Aspetuck Health District, Cheshire Community YMCA, New Canaan Health Department, Norwalk Health Department, Stratford Health Department and Trumbull Health Department on the Matter of Balance Program. 

Matter of Balance is an evidence-based program that was developed by the Partnership for Healthy Aging. This program is designed to reduce the fear of falling and increase activity levels among older adults. Comprised of eight two-hour sessions, participants learn how to view falls as controllable, set goals for increasing activity, make changes to reduce fall risk at home, and exercise to increase strength and balance.

For more information or to see a list of upcoming classes, locations, and times, please visit: www.fairfieldct.org/HealthEd. For more information on the Matter of Balance program, please visit: www.mainehealth.org/mob. 

Fairfield poet launches new book

Poet Jack Powers, of Fairfield, has announced the publication of his second book of poetry, “Still Love.” A fellow of the Connecticut Writing Project, he is the winner of several prestigious poetry contests and poetry prizes, was named Poet of the Year by the New England Association of Teachers of English.
 
He will be presenting readings of his work in several locations in upcoming months, including the Wilton Writers Salon on April 22, Eco Evolution in South Norwalk on May 19, the Fairfield University Bookstore on June 4 and the Norwalk Art Festival on June 24. 
 
Powers taught writing at Joel Barlow High School in Redding for many years, where he was co- director of Barlow’s writing center.
 
He studied writing at Bard’s Institute of Writing and Thinking, Fairfield University, and the Hudson Valley Writers Center, and earned three master’s degrees in fiction writing, poetry and special education.

March is Women’s History Month. We may only have one week left, but SoFlo is definitely not done celebrating. There’s a special series happening at one of our local landmarks that’s honoring the women who helped shape our community.

Brittany Graham’s got a voice, and she’s not afraid to use it to tell the story of South Florida historian and founder of the Black Archives, Dr. Dorothy Jenkins Fields.

Brittany Graham: “It’s really a special time, and you can tell how special it is to everyone that’s involved.”

Brittany is one of three soloists performing in “Through the Storm: Women Walking in Greatness.”

It’s a three-part musical series happening at the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, in partnership with Hued Songs and Illuminarts.

Amanda Crider: “Illuminarts is a concert series here in Miami, Florida. We partner with museums and galleries to present curated programs of music.”

… that honors local leaders as part of Women’s History Month.

Brittany Graham: “We’re just celebrating the lives of these women who have been trailblazers in the community and in the arts. and we’re just honoring them with music and our songs, and there’s narration, and it’s just a really wonderful program.”

No two shows are the same because a different woman is highlighted each week.

Amanda Crider: “The second week we’re highlighting Betty Mae Tiger Jumper. She was the first female chief of the Seminole Tribe here in South Florida. And then the third week we’re highlighting Sandrell Rivers, who was a tireless arts advocate.”

But they do all feature music and spoken word, as a narrator guides audiences through the stories.

Rosie Gordon-Wallace narrating on stage: “Until the lions tell their story, tales of the hunt will continue to glorify the hunter.”

Rosie Gordon-Wallace: “I know the story, I know the narrative of Dr. Dorothy Fields. I’ve seen her work. And so it’s an honor.”

The shows may be about women’s history, but their ultimate goal is to inspire the future.

Brittany Graham: “You walk through the storm. It’s happening. But you make your way through it and you feel triumphant afterwards because it wasn’t easy, but I made it. And if I can make it through this storm, I can make it through any storm.”

Dr. Dorothy Jenkins Fields: “Miami’s story cannot be told until your story is a part of it. Thank you so much.”

For tickets, click here.

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