As I walked through Alexandra Gardens towards the gates of Chill City, the entire scene appeared a tad ominous: an overcast Melbourne day with dark skies forming, an unusually scarce crowd (even given that it was the start of the day) and patches of dirt amongst the sea green made me wish I’d have had the foresight to pack a picnic rug. Remaining hopeful, I set myself down close and to the side of stage, and strapped myself in for – well, the most chilled concert of my life.

Introduced as the ‘king of pop-folk’, Whitley – sporting a Mexican-wrestler-style-mask – took to the stage, and I won’t pretend I didn’t have questions. The subdued I Remember kicked off proceedings, in a tremendously unexciting fashion. Though, to be fair, its always going to seem that way when you’re one guy with an electric guitar and everyone’s still wondering about the mask. The rest of the band, dressed equally as flamboyantly, were welcomed to an equally flat response from the crowd. I found it generally uninspiring stuff, and I couldn’t help but think the ‘Halloween’ get-ups were needlessly strange, as if to compensate for something. Perhaps the most bizarre aspect of the set came in the inexplicable presence of two men, sitting almost centre, stage simply conversing inaudibly over a drink or two. I know what you’re thinking, and sure: I wish I’d talk about the music too. But unfortunately for Whitley, the obvious non sequitur distracted from a set that wasn’t overly profound anyway.

Next up, Brooklyn’s own Mamie Minch, an accomplished blues artist set to whisk us away on a brief history of blues throughout the 1900s. Her set, as a result, was mainly comprised of covers, playing a guitar that dates back to 1937 – let me be the first one to say ‘wow’. I felt Mamie Minch was a little more suited to the vibe of the event, and she also demonstrated perfectly well how to work an entire stage, and a building crowd, completely solo. Her most memorable song came in a ditty about Mermaids, with just about every cringe-worthy nautical and sea-creature pun you could imagine (‘Life has no porpoise’). But it was for this reason that the Chill City crowd were soon endeared to her, and enjoyed the remainder of her bluesy stylings, as one big tour through history came to a close.

Dan Sultan was the first to make use of the entire stage space, accompanied by eight other musicians. Brass, woodwind, keys, drums and guitars: one big musical family gathered together to welcome the afternoon.Sultan professed in soul, roots and reggae grooves, with a heavy emphasis on smooth basslines, as he played both old material and new, including a ballad, Never Let You Down, from his upcoming record. At times, I felt the entire band was a little under-used, and each song was a bit predictable in its direction and unfortunately formulaic, but it was a fun set nonetheless. Not only that, the bigger sound, combined with the on-stage energy of all nine members, gave Sultan the best set of the day to that point. Sultan left us on a high with the rollicking rock number Money, a definite fan favourite.

One thing I had picked up on was the complete lack of crowd enthusiasm a good two hours into the event. Ben Kweller changed all of that, prompting punters to rush to the stage barriers (much to the annoyance of deck-chaired punters). He launched straight into Walk On Me, a country-tinged pop gem, the lyrics loud and clear, proving Kweller both masterful with the microphone and an impressive musician. The boppy Sawdust Man delighted the standing crowd, in its shifting time-signatures, soon to be followed by Falling Down. It was a truly upbeat, enjoyable performance, and the perfect soundtrack as the sun defied the gloomy Good Friday skies and emerged at last. Kweller darted back and forth between guitar and keys, illustrating his versatility, as he showed to be enjoying the set as much as those he played to. The undeniable joy of Penny On A Train Track closed the entertaining set, and it was easy to see why Ben Kweller consistently sells out shows each time he swings by Australia. Highly recommended.

The Easy Star All Stars appeared, and the time had finally come to lose any sense of inhibition and simply kick back and groove the day away. Needless to say, the band were happy to help out, sliding into a cover of Pink Floyd’s Breathe, before indulging in a re-imagination of Sgt.Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. Their rendition of With A Little Help From My Friends was truly amazing, as the band made the song their own, as if it were always intended for reggae stylings. The Beatles covers continued, but the highlight for me was their interpretation of Karma Police. It was good to see, although long overdue, the entire venue finally getting into proceedings. After all, with charisma from each performer so overwhelming, you couldn’t help but get up and have a bit of a groove. The Easy Star All Stars aren’t just musicians, they’re entertainers, and that’s what makes them great.

What can be said about Paul Kelly that hasn’t already been covered? He is, without doubt, an Australian icon. To that end, I knew, as I moved closer toward the stage, that I was never going to be disappointed. And, true to my expectations, I wasn’t. Kelly was basically faultless, pulling out all stops to enchant an adoring (and surprisingly young) legion of fans. The jagged rock of Dumb Things had everyone singing along, as Kelly took us all back and forward through time with classic To Her Door, and his latest single (and a personal favourite) God Told Me To. In short, there was not enough time to hear everything that has made Paul Kelly a household name, but let that be indicative of just how talented the man is. A lasting impression left on everyone.

Betty Harris And The Bamboos were the penultimate act of Chill City, and were set to funk us all the way into the evening. Harris pulled out all stops, including one song she’d not performed since 1967, giving a confident and commanding performance that was enough to see the rest of those still unconvinced wandering toward the stage. Local funk-soul band The Bamboos provided the backing track for Harris to get everyone grooving and warmed up for the final act of the night, as Chill City began to live up to its name.

Finally, there was the John Butler Trio. Let me just say this: if you know anything about John Butler, you probably know what to expect from one of his shows. Just this once, I’ll forgive him of being overly-indulgent, with solos aplenty, and a showcase of just how crazily awesome he is at guitar. After all, its was the trio’s only Melbourne show, and one of their last as ‘the’ trio that have won so many fans nationally, as well as internationally, over the years. But, back to the set: JB impressed punters as always, from flurried-snare-beginnings of general world-weary piece Used To Get High, to the swirling, sliding guitars of Betterman. The good thing about seeing the trio in action is that there’s always plenty to watch, as they are without doubt truly gifted musicians. Butler is one of the best guitarists I’ve had the privilige of seeing live, and a provided a great end to a great day.

Amazingly, I left Chill City, not only dry, but maybe even a little mellow myself. I guess that’s when I knew that the day had been a resounding success. A Good Friday indeed.

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