Skipping Girl Vinegar, ColleenHixenbaugh @ The StreetTheatre, Canberra (8/7/11)

Sun 10th Jul, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Friday night’s Skipping Girl Vinegar show was nothing short of enchanting. Roughly a month after their latest offering, Keep Calm, Carry The Monkey was released, the lovely lads and lasses of Skipping Girl graced the stage at The Street Theatre in what was a dreamy, glorious set, full of old and new favourites and topped off with some pretty amazing lemon slice, courtesy of SGV’s keyboardist and baker extraordinaire, Amanthi Lynch.

A band that is known for making music that lifts your spirits and warms your heart requires a support act that is equally as beautiful. Enter Colleen Hixenbaugh. As a member of the Canadian indie-rock band By Divine Right, as well as half of breezy duo Paul and Colleen, Hixenbaugh is no stranger to gracing stages and commanding audiences with her soft, lilting voice. True to form, the gorgeous songstress mesmerised The Street with her songs, all the right mix of floaty pop and gutsy powerhouse vocals. Numbers like Please Be Kind and TV Summer were storytelling gems, while on A Home in the Top Boughs she was joined by two amazingly talented little girls, with solemn stage presence well beyond their years. Hixenbaugh left the stage to rapturous applause, having effectively set the tone for the rest of the night.

A short interval afforded those that needed it a chance to slip out of the theatre. However, more than a few choose to stay seated, obviously content to soak up the glorious atmosphere that was created by the newly set up stage, complete with signature Skipping Girl fairy lights, woodland animals and that bright red, vintage phone.

Opening with Hand to Hold, Skipping Girl Vinegar were the perfect performers, complete with onstage banter, gorgeous threads and a sound that doesn’t fail to put a smile on one’s face. As they made their way through a set list of old and new tracks, they endeared themselves to the audience with charming anecdotes and humorous quips. It always makes a difference when a live act makes an effort to really connect with their audience and that’s exactly what Skipping Girl did, making sure every person in attendance felt welcome, appreciated and part of a warm and fuzzy folk family. From the heart-swelling River Road, to the delightful Here She Comes, to the audience participation of crowd favourite Sift the Noise, Skipping Girl left no stone unturned on their quest for the perfect experience. The heart-breaking Heart Does Ache signalled the end of the show, but after calls for an encore the more affirming One Chance brought things home.

As we mingled in the foyer afterward, eating lemon slice and chatting to the band, it was apparent that, despite their recent successes and ‘next big thing’ status, Skipping Girl Vinegar are humbled by their fortune, rather than feeling entitled to it. 
Often a band will be so charming and personable that it really does feel like you’re just hanging out with some of your friends. In this case however, I really don’t think any of my friends are quite as cool as Skipping Girl Vinegar