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On a mild Saturday evening, just before dusk, a grassy slope outside the National Museum of Australia become plump with relaxed folk, lounging in the grass. The event title Holly Throsby by the Water sounds so surreal and intimate – the only way this artist should be seen, and on that night Canberrans were lucky enough to enjoy just that.

In celebration of the exhibition Water:H20, the National Museum hosted this gorgeously intimate show, where local band The Cashews supported Throsby against a back drop of a setting sun, over Lake Burley Griffin.

The Cashews, Alison and Pete, have the capacity to take quaint acoustic sounds and captivate, silence and entrance swarms of Canberrans, all in the space of a song – and tonight was no exception.

Taking to the stage at 7pm sharp, Alison and Pete’s story telling qualities that make their live shows so memorable, were in full swing.

This was a family event, and tartan picnic blankets lined the grassy hill, adorned in gourmet picnic spreads. Children gathered in front of the stage spinning in circles to the music till they fell into the grass.

The Cashews tracks paid homage to Canberra, as they sung up-beat tales of Cotter River, Tuggeranong Parkway and stories of Lake Burley Griffin.

When the sun finally set, it was Holly’s turn to emerge from the trees and step into the blue light. A cruise boat intertwined in ferry lights glided past in the not too distant background as Holly breathed into the mic, hushing the audience to silence. She started with To Begin With from her 2009 released album A Loud Call. Throsby explains that the song makes reference to water, a fitting theme for the evening’s celebration.

Holly’s band The Hello Tigers carry her forward in a very calm and skilful fashion, and their close bond is evident on stage. Canberra native and ANU School of Art graduate, Bree van Reyk, proved her musical flexibility on drums, accordion, glockenspiel and keyboard, while Jens Birchall completed the tight musical trio on cello, bass and mandolins.

Jens also flexed his vocal talents when he filled the gap of Bonnie Prince Billy in the duet Would You. I was sceptical when The Hello Tigers ventured into the first few bars of this song, not being able to imaging anyone else’s voice supporting Holly, but Jens vocals ‘fitted’, proving he’s a musical all rounder.

Holly’s album To Begin With, truly took this artist from folk to a full-bodied alternative musician. Swelling guitar feedback, breathy harmonies, trumpets and even bicycle wheel percussion can be heard across the record, but despite the diversity, there’s no chaos in her sound, just a calm cohesion that brings Holly to the forefront of Australian talent.

The track Things Between People proved to be a crowd stand-out with Holly falling deep into her lyrics, showing the depth of fragility, a characteristic we have come expect from her vocals. Neil Finn fans may remember Holly’s rendition of Not the Girl You Think You Are from She Will Have Her Way – The Songs of Tim & Neil Finn a tribute album released back in 2005. It was nice to hear this song again after so many years, even though the version is unrecognisable to its original routes.

Time flew by and punters sat, lounged and snuggled together on the grass. Wine glasses sat comfortably in hands and the sounds, the setting and that retro smoke machine formed a blanket of stillness over the crowd.

Before long, Holly was belting out the final bars of _A Heart Divided_and saying goodbye. Followed by The Hello Tigers, the trio disappear into the darkness of the trees, with Holly returning for an encore two minutes later.

“I was trying to hide behind a tree so you couldn’t see me,” Holly joked, as she adjusted her guitar strap and announced she’d be singing a song about road kill. The track, Shoulders and Bends was a perfect end to a magical Canberra evening.

Perfect nights like this make me wonder, why don’t we have more events of this nature? Summer is the perfect opportunity to celebrate our nation’s capital and utilise our picturesque lake and similar iconic spaces. The amphitheatre setting of this event is an ideal location for outdoor concerts or even moonlight cinema. My fingers are crossed for more free, family friendly music, arts and culture events before it gets too cold.

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