live review by Ben Nicol
December 02, 2019
The rain bucketing down outside of Wollongong’s Uni Bar couldn’t dampen the mood of the young Northern Territory upstart, Stevie Jean.
Her infectious laughter and bubbly personality were a delight to behold. All she needed was her astounding vocals and a fuzz-filled guitar to cast a reverent silence over the early arrivals.
Her opening song was titled Nervous, but she exuded nothing but confidence. Her music was soulful at its core but would also pack a mean punch.
Jean’s dynamic vocals could scream and fill up the room one moment but then be subdued enough to bring us in closer, something tonight’s headlining act would also prove to be an aficionado at.
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Montaigne is one of the most animated live performers going. Anyone who has seen her will know exactly what I mean when I say you simply cannot take your eyes off her for a moment.
When she sang, she wasn’t just reciting lyrics, she was passionately embodying the emotions they detail. If it was an upbeat track like the set opener Change, then she’d be posing and dancing with limitless energy. If it was a serious and personal track, like the emotionally charged Stockholm Syndrome, she’d be subdued, still, and seemingly quite sad.
The Sydney artist did away with forced banter and would instead let out a stream of consciousness between songs. We heard some interesting and incredibly personal stories regarding self-doubt, gaslighting (look it up) and Nick Cave, among many other topics.
These stories drew a lot of love from the crowd and made for a very interactive show where the singer would express some troubling thoughts or feelings and punters would provide reassurances and reaffirmations. It’s wholesome and endearing and felt like one big group therapy session.
The vibrant performer did away with encore formalities and immediately transitioned from Ready into the would-be encore track, I’m A Fantastic Wreck. This didn’t stop the crowd from knowingly cheering for an encore they knew they were getting anyway, which proved to be a fun and hilarious way to finish off what was an emotional whirlwind of a show.
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