We had the pleasure of witnessing the final night of Luca Brasi’s ‘Stay’ tour last night! The Tasmanian rockers embarked on a six show run of Australia in celebration of their recently released album Stay (released 22nd June via Cooking Vinyl).
There was plenty of room to spare in The Croxton bandroom when Gold Coast indie rockers Eliza & The Delusionals took to the stage. A small crowd slowly formed, all of us taking in the fact that this band seriously ROCK. Captivated easily by Eliza Klatt’s voice (which was as velvety as it was powerful), the Gold Coasters laid out infectious rock, with the guitarist a pleasure to watch as he threw himself into the experience. With Eliza at the helm, strong ballads poured out, and it felt good to be a part of this set that showcased stellar musicianship and an effortless connection between them all.
This band shared impressive songs with twists and turns, core rumbling drums, and stunning vocal build ups into wailing guitar breakouts. Slowing down into more of a dreamy and intimate vibe, we were witnessing mates having a good time on stage. While the sedate crowd members were mostly bobbing heads along with the set, the band were grateful for those us present with them as they rocked out.
I’d been playing Tiny Moving Parts’ “Caution” on repeat for days, enjoying the tune since it was released. I was excited to get to see this band in the flesh, and the band room was now noticeably noisier and more crowded in anticipation.
Once they began, instant singalongs met the Minnesota three piece of Dylan Mattheisen (guitar and vocals), Matthew Chevalier (bass and vocals), and Billy Chevalier (drums). What was also instantaneous was the realisation that Dylan is one hell of an energiser bunny. The guy seemed tensely contained at times before bursting out at others, like a fizzy drink that has been shaken and you can feel it’s about to blow. He copped the bulk of my attention throughout the set; loving his true-to-recording impressive voice, and this kid-on-his-birthday vibe that meant he never stopped for a moment, and hopped, wriggled, strode around, and joined the crowd in his happiness. I’m a HUGE fan of creatives that go all the way in, and Dylan is one of those. It was a joy to behold.
Sharing songs from throughout the Tiny Moving Parts discography, including Pleasant Living, Celebrate, and the recently released Swell, the Tiny Moving Parts set was full of life and the members were clearly very happy to be here. Drum beats shook all of me as I took in animated facial expressions and soaked up Matthew’s earnest vocal rawness. This set seemed built to sing along to, and the crowd easily obliged, whether in sweet melodic moments, 3/4 breakouts, or feasts of erratic rhythms. Closing with “Caution” in a brilliant live rendition meant that this set was everything I could have hoped for!
With hype high and the 1050 capacity band room thoroughly full, we were all ready for Luca Brasi to take the stage. The four piece of Thomas Busby, Danny Flood, Patrick Marshall, and Tyler Richardson oozed ease and confidence, taking the stage with international band kind of strength and presence, yet with homegrown affection and warmth.
Gorgeous guitar tones, engaging harmonies, and beaming smiles were persistent throughout, as Luca Brasi shared an anthemic compassionate and storytelling sound and vibe. With the setlist fittingly heavy with songs from freshly released Stay, Tyler acknowledged his happiness that the (very passionate) crowd had already learned the words and were shouting them loudly up. Crowd surfers were prevalent over a bouncing and shoving pit, and there may have been a little too much enthusiasm from this rock horns throwing crowd, who were asked to go a little easier for all to enjoy the show safely.
With steady moments of punchy rock bangers, and more tender moments of genuine emotion, the crowd fully embraced what the Tassie band were sharing. Passionate voices, hand claps, and heart-heavy drums set a scene of connection and appreciation. While I’ll admit that some of the sentimentality was lost on me due to unfamiliarity, there was clearly a whole lot of love in The Croxton band room, making for a fitting close to the ‘Stay’ tour.
