As a seasoned Long Island, New York concert goer, a night at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl was like a taste of home.
The grass under our feet, street-food style cuisine, chilly evening air and booming tunes late into the night felt familiar to the countless country concerts I’ve seen at the Bald Hill Amphitheater or from the open-air seats at Jones Beach.
What made my experience unique at American singer-songwriter Leon Bridges’ January show, was the metaphor that the Sidney Myer Music Bowl was, for Melbourne itself.
Just as I’ve seen in my few weeks in this city, the grounds of the venue were a melting pot for music lovers, entertainment seekers and summer evening celebrators alike.
Doors opened at 6pm, and our early arrival was ideal to get settled with some dinner and drinks. Options included burgers, pizza, sausage and schnitzel among others.
We laid out a blanket we brought on the general admission lawn area and listened to Los Bitchos open the show while attendees filed in.
The London-based group set the tone for the night. Their music, featuring minimal lyrics and garb from across decades made for a vibey, but calm performance.
As the sun began to set over the city skyline surrounding the venue, Glass Beams took the stage, putting on a futuristic show. The local band wore full face masks, adding an unexpected element to their appeal and played a mix of psychedelic-sounding rock-and-roll pieces.
By the end of the openers’ sets, the lawn was the place to be. Blankets lined nearly every plot of grass, with couples, families, friends and solo attendees awaiting Leon’s first notes.
At 9.20pm, after some slight rain, Leon’s start brought people to their feet.
The sway to high slower songs, and bop to the 35 year old, indie, soul, R&B style artist’s faster paced pieces was unanimous across the crowd.
His nonchalant but charming stage presence made me feel like we were all involved in the show, despite how far back we were on the hill. His style, including his tan fringe jacket spoke to his folk touches in some songs.
Leon played music from across his discography including songs from his 2024 album Leon, Texas Sun from 2020, his 2018 release Good Thing and plenty of tracks from Coming Home dating back to 2015.
Each had its own character but felt so uniquely Leon with emotional touches, lots of instrumentals, a story behind lyrics and groovy beats.
River, one of Leon’s most popular tracks, sent anyone who had taken a seat back standing. The gospel style song made for an audience wide singalong that felt spiritual.
As someone who is getting familiar with Melbourne, taking walks along the Yarra daily, this one hit me, eliciting a mix of sentimental and appreciative feelings for the city that I’ve felt so warmly welcomed to.
Soon after, he left the stage and returned for a two track encore, making his mark on the crowd. Leon closed the show with his song Beyond, galavanting around the stage while singing this upbeat love song to a crowd echoing it back.
It was the perfect mix of relaxation and inspiration.
For more on the artist, visit LeonBridges.com.
Image credit: Mikki Gomez