Epicure @ Jive, Adelaide(02/10/09)

Tue 6th Oct, 2009 in Gig Reviews

CHECK OUT ALL THE PHOTOS HERE.

Stepping into Jive, the split level sanctuary of music that I hold so dear, I prepared myself for what was promised to be a night of fine Aussie talent. Not as familiar to Epicure as I would like to be, I took the advantage to experience their set through innocent eyes with no preconceptions of grandeur or discrimination.

Kicking off the night, we were enchanted by the voices and sweet sounds of Joelie Croser with her electroacoustic, folk ensemble. Croser managed to warm up the crowd with, what was for me a first time experience, and left me wanting more. Following Joelie Croser were the ever popular Special Patrol, fresh from their support role with the Whitlams these guys know how to get a crowd going. With Myles Mayo donning his trademark hat, the group launched into a selection of tracks old and new, with Changin Emily instigating a mass sing-along. This band has the ability to unconsciously slap a big grin across your face, and before long you’ve got your arm around the stranger next to you and you are singing along with the rest of the crowd.

A loyal, albeit undersized, crowd made the journey to catch Juan Alben and his band Epicure on their last tour for what could be a while. The boys are planning on hibernating away for a while as they begin work on their new album for 2010. They have set out on their Sick Hearts Parade tour coinciding with the release of their single Sick Hearts Parade, which is their third single released from their acclaimed album Postcards From a Ghost. Alben’s performace entailed the heaviness and depth of their new album, yet combined this with their characteristic melancholic and thoughtful sounds throughout the set. There seemed to be a certain solitude between each of the band members as they intensley absorbed each meticulous note, yet still played flawlessly as one at the same time. With their confidence evidently growing as the gig went on, they unleashed their single Sick Hearts Parade, and not even the wailing of the emergency exit siren could deter the enthusiasm the loyal crowd expelled at that moment. The peak of their performance came as they belted out Soft Place to Fall, and then finishing their set on a somewhat nostalgic note with a request for Rainy Day from their 2004 album The Goodbye Girl, These guys defintiely left the crowd thoroughly satisfied, with a performance that would keep their fans going until their triumphant return.

Epicure clearly knows how to capture the audience and sweep them along with their lyrical journeys. They attracted a small but dedicated crowd in Adelaide, and I anticipate the unveiling of something special when they return to the live music scene in the coming year.

CHECK OUT ALL THE PHOTOS HERE.