Meg Mac + Jarryd James – Enmore Theatre, Sydney, 4/12/15

Friday night at the Enmore Theatre kicked off what is to set to be a killer tour by Aussie trailblazers Meg Mac and Jarryd James.

Port Macquarie punter Kita Alexander got the Friday night off to a cracking start with her sun-soaked brand of indie pop. Churning out tunes from her debut EP Like You Want To, Kita and her mermaid-length hair swayed with effortless cool in a sea of rainbow lights. Propelled by her buttery smooth vocals, Kit’s set, capped off with her EP’s stellar title track, was more than enough to amplify the atmosphere.

Jarryd James had the crowd in the palm of his hand as the first note-rupturing croon reverberated off the walls of the Enmore. Only a few songs in, Jarryd couldn’t help but stare into the crowd in disbelief. “There’s certain moments when I think ‘this is the coolest moment of my life’ – then stuff like this happens”, he said with a humble grin.

Not short of a single banger, the Brissie boy’s set comprised mostly of his new album, Thirty One. Jarryd even had the help of the crowd when singing Do You Remember and Give Me Something. However, this was nothing compared to the cheers that erupted when Aus rock royalty Julia Stone sauntered onto the stage to join him for Rendition towards the end of the set.

The house lights went down again and soon Meg Mac’s signature vocal force pierced the darkness and immediately bewitched everyone in the theatre. Looking out into the sold out Enmore theatre, Meg gushed and admitted that this was the largest crowd she’d ever performed to on her own tour.

But without taking too much time to talk, the raven-haired siren threw herself into a new one by the name of Cages. Starting off with nothing but her voice and a stripped back piano melody, the song evolved into a patchwork of the Melbourne local’s signature soulful pop. Midway through the set, Meg bid farewell to her band and backup singers to take the stage solo. Singing into the mic, recording her own croons, playing it back and then layering raw melodies on top, Meg managed to pull off a one-woman medley that showcased both her vocal talent and creative flare.

As the show roared to a close, it was smash hit Known Better that really brought out the crowd’s wild side. Stamping feet and twirling bodies caused the floor of the Enmore to shake as Meg’s huge voice belted out her anthem of a woman scorned. Followed by crowd-favourite Grandma’s Hands, it was almost shocking to hear a voice that powerful burst out of such a tiny frame. When you thought Meg couldn’t captivate the crowd any more, Every Lie even had her usually unwavering voice drowned out by the chorus of the crowd singing along to every word. While the absence of her stunning cover of Broods’ Bridges was a pang to some, her performance presented almost nothing to fault.

After the obligatory faux final goodbye that signals the forthcoming encore, Meg soon returned to the stage with none other than Jarryd. As the crowd went nuts at the promise of a duet, they belted out a haunting rendition of Ray Charles’ Down By The River. Bringing a modern twist to this old classic, the duo shared a few secret grins that proved that even they knew they were killing it.

As the massive crowd ambled out onto the streets of Enmore, a sense of absolute awe shared by this group of strangers proved that Meg Mac, Jarryd James and Kita Alexander had scored a trifecta.

Gallery: Meg Mac + Jarryd James – Enmore Theatre, Sydney 2015 / Photos By Joelle Miller