What do you do when you visit Adelaide for the first time? You treat your adoring crowd to a night they will never ever forget, that’s what! And what a powerful and sensational Saturday night it was inside walls of the Thebarton Theatre.

Stella Donnelly opened the stage with her cheeky smile and poignant important messages. Donnelly’s set up itself was rather stripped back with simply her guitar and microphone accompanied with “my friend Jenny” on keys, guitar, and the occasional back up vocals. Jenny of course being Jennifer Aslett – who is the bassist from San Cisco.

After taunting those in attendance over the Hawks win Donnelly powers through songs like ‘Grey’, ‘You Owe Me’, and ‘Mosquito’ among others before finishing with her latest single ‘Tricks’.  The in between song banter and stories were on point as always and she seemed to genuinely enjoy being on tour with Maggie Rogers also introducing her to Aussie sweets like Pavlova.

After a short intermission the lights dimmed whilst a four-piece band held position with a soft backlight behind teasing the crowd that the night was about to kick up another notch. Rogers leapt onto the stage with her hair and red scarf streaming behind her and kicked straight into ‘Give A Little’. There is no gentle easing into her set, instead, from the get go she spins, struts and powers her way through.

Rogers is currently touring Australia off the back of Heard It In A Past Life, her debut studio release under Capital Records. On Saturday night, she made her way through the entire album mixing up the order here and there and adding a beautiful rendition of ‘Dog Years’ from an earlier independent release.   

Unlike Donnelly, there is very little talking between songs, instead Rogers seems to pause ever so briefly enabling her to relish in the crowd beaming back at her. The exception to this was an almost teary homage speech to the way her life changed three years ago which has brought her to this point.

It’s clear the audience knew the tracks well and were lavishing in the live experience, dancing, bopping and responding with massive cheers and rolling feet stomping. Looking around I could see a sea of smiling people including those up in the seats embracing each other in long hugs – it was such a heartwarming, beautiful sight. A special mention needs to go out to the light and sound production which was perfectly on point all night.

Rogers closed with an absolute jaw dropping a cappella version of ‘Color Song’ as an encore, at one point the microphone resting near her thigh, yet her voice filled and rolled around the theatre. If there was ever any doubt in her mind, the standing ovation by those in the seats up top would have eradicated those thoughts.

Check out the full photo gallery by Kay Cann HERE.

More tour info HERE.

By Kay Cann