After sell-out runs across the country, the acclaimed concert tribute ‘Songs From The Canyon’ is set to bring its dreamy West Coast harmonies to Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens for one night only on Sunday, November 30th.
Celebrating the golden era of Laurel Canyon, the legendary bohemian enclave in the Hollywood Hills that birthed a generation’s soundtrack, the show features a rotating cast of local artists covering classics by Joni Mitchell, The Byrds, Carole King, The Mamas & The Papas, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, The Doors, and more.
This latest lineup includes Husky Gawenda, Charm of Finches, Hannah Cameron, Stephen Grady, Dan Challis, and You Am I guitarist Davey Lane, who joins the ensemble for the first time. Rising alt-country star Freya Josephine Hollick will open the show.
The series, curated by artist manager Rick Chazan and first performed at Chapel Off Chapel in 2022, has become something of a grassroots phenomenon. Chazan says it was inspired by hearing a Crosby, Stills & Nash cover at Brisbane’s Troubadour nearly two decades ago. Since then, the concept has evolved into a full-scale production that’s toured the country to critical acclaim.
Musical director and performer Husky Gawenda says the appeal of Laurel Canyon’s music endures. “Laurel Canyon was a wellspring of near-perfect songs and golden harmonies that still resonate today. Bringing this to life with Melbourne’s best folk artists is like the fulfilment of a dream,” he says. “It feels magical and I can tell the audiences feel that magic too – it really is a transcendent experience.”
It’s fitting, then, that the show lands in one of Melbourne’s most picturesque locations, as part of the Live At The Gardens concert series at the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Hollick — whose latest album The Real World was recorded in Joshua Tree with Lucinda Williams’ band — brings her signature blend of cosmic country, desert blues and psych-folk to the evening. Described by Double J as one of the “50 best albums of 2022,” her work has earned widespread critical praise and chart success on both AIR and ARIA lists.
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Tickets go on sale to the general public at 11am AEST on Tuesday, July 22nd via Ticketmaster, with pre-sales for Live At The Gardens and Roundhouse members opening the day prior at 10am.
