Billed as a hometown ‘going away party’ of sorts, Friday night’s Owl Eyes gig at the unique – and relatively new – venue Howler in Melbourne’s Brunswick certainly felt like a celebration. The night’s headliner was performing her last show in Australia before heading stateside for a run of dates, which includes SXSW.
There were plenty of friends in attendance, giving the night an informal feel and injecting a sense of fun into proceedings. Supported by Indian Summer and Eliza Hull, the venue was unfortunately close to empty right up until ten or so minutes before Owl Eyes, or Brooke Addamo as she was known to her many friends who were present, graced the stage.
Bubbly, constantly smiling, and looking nothing like her album cover, the night’s headliner (and now very blonde) Addamo burst onto the softly lit stage with a drummer and keyboardist in tow. The trio wasted no time launching into the brilliant first number, ‘Golden Lies’. One of the strongest songs off her album Nightswim, it proved a perfect choice to kick things off. The atmospheric synth, soaring vocals, and punchy drums were even more pronounced and potent live.
The next song ‘Open Up’, which is a little more lo-fi and introverted than it is in its recorded capacity, came to life with the performer’s vocals taking the song beyond its usual contained feel.
‘Hurricane’ was a deadset highlight and as such, was the first song to really get people moving. The entranced audience echoed the catchy, repetitive chorus around the room. Bonus track ‘Love Run Dry’ was something of an acid trip moment in that live, it sounded like the soundtrack to an extremely messed up, drink-induced night full of memory gaps. The lighting design of the stage, bathing the three-piece in soft pink and blue lights, only amplified this feeling.
Addamo’s stage presence is rather impressive, yet at the same time strange – in a good way. It’s unique, strong, and demands that she be taken notice of. Her confidence is mixed with a charming humbleness that couples with her infectious and luminous smile. The singer’s stage act, which seems to be more of a sweet yet confident personality than an ‘act’ per se, is one of dancing, pointing, and lots of audience interaction, even if it’s just by way of her movements.
The Melbourne artist loves to have intimate moments with members of the audience, and a venue like Howler encouraged this. Her body language, which would see her pointing at an audience member at any given moment, again made it feel less formal and the crowd feel more connected to the music.
Her debut album’s title track ‘Nightswim’ was the best moment of the evening, and it garnered the strongest response from the adoring crowd. After it wrapped up, Addamo announced that she didn’t really believe in encores, and instead of disappearing and appearing again, she would just keep rolling on.
When the musician revealed that the last song would be Daft Punk’s ‘Something About Us’, there was a collection of confused looks in the audience. However, the song went down a treat and even had several people mouthing along to the slow vocals. It was great hearing a “live” version of the song, with people singing the lyrics instead of spoken and without the obvious vocal effects so present on the recording.
While some of her friends up the front were perhaps a bit too loud and talked through songs, the vibe of the show was a relaxed and enjoyable one that made for a great performance. Heading overseas now to play some massive gigs, the exposure will no doubt make sure that 2014 is a big year for Owl Eyes.
