Clare Bowditch, Jess McAvoy @Thornbury Theatre, Melbourne(23/10/09)

Wed 28th Oct, 2009 in Gig Reviews

Thornbury Theatre reminds me of where my high school held our Year 12 formal, so I felt an immediate sense of apprehension toward the entire evening. It was not my intention to immerse myself in the reminders of embarrassing moments passed, and I held Thornbury Theatre squarely responsible. I was bound to find out, however, if when all was said and done – with the help of one Miss Bowditch – I could learn to love the exquisite venue, or if I would come to stubbornly associate it with strictly ill-conceived dance floor technique.

It would seem that on any given evening at the Theatre, the goal of an artist would be to swiftly will the audience’s attention way from their candlelit main course. Such was the task first bestowed upon Jess MacAvoy, who initially faltered in stirring anything but chatter amongst keenly social patrons. The addition of violin and keys was prompt, and things began to pick up, as MacAvoy and co. created a delightful dining atmosphere that even the most discerning of wasps would see their way to enjoy. Though it proved a nice enough pop-folk soundtrack, I remain unconvinced that I heard more than two songs from MacAvoy. It was one familiar song after another – which, in the end, is the sole reason it simply blended in with the dinner setting, perhaps a little too well. In short, if you like the kind of music you’d expect to feature in an Australian drama airing on the ABC, this is for you. Me, not so much.

A handy introduction by way of PA announcement and Clare Bowditch had suddenly appeared in amidst the dining tables, at the edge of the dancefloor. Unplugged, enchanting and entirely captivating, Bowditch serenaded the theater with Between The Tea And The Toast, tentatively approaching the stage accompanied by a a trio of choir girls by the name of Luca. Thornbury was rendered suitably awe-struck as Bowditch finally found her way to the microphone to introduce the band. When The Lights Went Down saw the previously placid public instantly summoned into action by way of handclaps, as her commanding, sultry vocals fronted a group in peak form.

An extended nod to the styles of the 1980s established itself as easily the most bizarre and memorable feature of the night, introducing a Casio-keyboard beat, 3D glasses for the entire ensemble, and a singlet-clad runner doing laps of the theater. Having been familiar with the music of Bowditch and her Feeding Set prior to the evening, I can safely say that this wasn’t among the things I expected to see. Longtime friend Libby Chow joined Bowditch on stage, and the pair performed On This Side, as the audience once again lent their percussion and their collective vocals to the performance.

It’s clear that Bowditch has a remarkable ability to render any audience putty in her hands. She’s one part genuine, another part charming, and downright seductive most any given time. A chance for Luca to flex their vocal chords ensued, before a new outfit marked a new song: The Start Of War a promising sign of things to come in the near future. Crowd favorite Lips Like Oranges and its epic outro (reminiscent of Hey Jude) would have sufficed as a fine end to the evening, but as expected, Bowditch and the rest of the band acknowledged the enormous support from Thornbury with the popular Divorcee By 23.

Its always a pleasure to see an audience really buy into a show, and its certainly something I felt glad to be part of. My expectations were to see some great live music, and I feel like I came away with a little more – something oddly distinct and separate from genre of music Bowditch so often professes in. Strange, kooky, and consistently entertaining: it was a wonderful ride that effortlessly solidified itself within my memory. And just like that I already feel better about Thornbury Theatre. Cheers, Clare.