Joan Sutherland Theatre, May 31One of the more interesting double bills to come along in a while pairs Welsh art-pop musician and producer Cate Le Bon with Bay Area-born singer-songwriter Cass McCombs, the artists sharing little in common beyond both being gifted, idiosyncratic world builders.McCombs’ landscape is full of finely drawn oddballs, such as the titular protagonists of A Girl Named Dogie and Priestess, or the macho trucker in Big Wheel. These character portraits, often laced with dark humour, are delivered with patient, precise detail, pulling you in closer to people you should probably be keeping a safe distance from.Cate Le Bon’s musical universe feels ephemeral, and can be hard to latch on to.Ravyna Jassani In contrast, Le Bon’s musical universe feels far more ephemeral, like hearing a song in a dream and half-remembering it upon waking. The cloud-like bunches of white netting that adorn the stage during her set are apt, as many of the tunes from recent album Michelangelo Dying feel weightless and form-shifting – always slightly out of reach and harder to connect with as a result.
Vivid double bill creates very different musical journeys, plus reviews of other big shows this week
Our critics take a look at what’s hot – and what’s not – on stages across Sydney.
TL;DRAI
Cate Le Bon and Cass McCombs shared a double bill at Sydney's Joan Sutherland Theatre on May 31. McCombs' precise, darkly humorous character portraits contrasted Le Bon's elusive, form-shifting art-pop from Michelangelo Dying, which proved the harder emotional connection.
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