CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM THE GIG HERE.
You may not immediately recognise the name Kimya Dawson, but unless you have been living under a rock you will have heard of the movie Juno and have probably unknowingly been exposed to this singer songwriter’s quirky tunes. Taking into account the success of the movie and its subsequent Kimya-dominated soundtrack, it’s not surprising that every date on her first Australian tour sold out, including tonight’s gig at the Factory Theatre.
Starting off the night was Sui Zhen who played to a small crowd of punters that had sprawled out on the floor of the theatre. The laidback vibe was perfectly in sync with Sui’s pop folk style and angelic, bordering on childlike, voice. Sui started her set with a solo performance before she was joined by the band consisting of bass, drums and back-up vocals. The beautiful sadness of songs such as Big and Small contrasted with slightly rockier tracks like No Disko, keeping the crowd’s attention even through a few slight guitar tuning issues.
Kimya loves to tour with her family including daughter Panda and husband Angelo Spencer, who was the second support for the night. To describe Angelo as one of a kind would be putting it lightly. He played his crazy, random, mish-mash of sounds as a one-man band, with his kick drum, guitar and a hi-hat with a tambourine balanced on top. While the crowd appeared a little unsure of his music he had a cute quirkiness that seemed to endear him to the audience.
And then it was time. As soon as she appeared on stage all eyes were transfixed on the unassuming Dawson who sat with her guitar in the middle of the large stage with only a few coloured lights to illuminate her. Kimya presents a contradictory style of music which on face value seems simple and silly yet on closer reflection is laced with deep, thought-provoking and honest lyrics. During the show she admitted that she was suffering from tendonitis and that this may be one of the last shows where she is able to play guitar. Joking that she could start playing the auto-harp, you get a sense that Kimya has the rare ability to see the humour in sadness.
The set list included the obligatory Juno tracks such as Loose Lips and Tire Swing alongside songs from her previous albums including The Beer and I Like Giants which Kimya confessed has been popular with Aussie fans after receiving airplay on Triple J. Witty crowd banter punctuated the performance with attentive punters hanging on her every word. At one point a handful of the audience actually accepted Kimya’s offer to sit down, even after staff had told everyone to stand due to higher than expected ticket sales. I get the feeling she has never had a problem poking her tongue out at authority figures. Although it would always be with a cheeky smile on her face.
