Live Review: Caiti Baker, Tasman Keith, Stevie Jean

On a wet Sydney Thursday night at The Bank, three distinct and powerful voices provided a sanctuary for our wet bodies and musical souls.

Stevie Jean may have brought the rainy season down early from Darwin, but we were completely appeased by her warm voice and dry wit. Performing a selection of tracks, mostly unreleased, she sang beautifully, her acoustic guitar providing a background for her delicate solo performance. Judging by the quiet respect from the audience, she is sure to have picked up a swathe of new fans on this support tour. Keep her and her cheeky banter on your release radar.

Tasman Keith is on the cusp of releasing an EP that is going to launch him into the stratosphere. The Bowraville local and Gumbaynggirr man, who now calls Sydney home, brought stories from his hometown and his family history to the forefront through personal and pronounced lyrical raps. Layered over booming beats provided by Nooky and James Mangohig, the crowd pushed forward as Keith started with his single, Might Snap, before jumping into tracks from the aforementioned EP, Mission Famous. 

He was joined on stage by Stevie Jean during a powerful rendition of Divided, and then by local artist Kobie Dee for a collaborative track. Kobie also stuck around to perform Right Now, a fire track from the youngster. Keith finished with My Pelopolees, encouraging the crowd to yell the chorus back at him. The small but vocal group did their best, safe in the knowledge they’re witnessing a young artist on the verge of something big.

It’s been a big week for Caiti Baker, not only being nominated for four National Live Music Awards, but also for an ARIA for designing the cover of Dr G’s Djarimirri album. On this big high, she hit the small stage at Waywards and launched into Different. Although the tour is labelled as the B6 tour, Baker performed tracks from her album of last year, Zinc. Different, Rough Old Town and Could It Be Nerves all showcased Baker's mighty ability for blues along with her father’s guitar samples. 

Baker’s voice never faltered, flicking between soaring falsettos and falling to lower octaves effortlessly. Baker was supported by two amazing musician brothers. John (keyboard) and Paul Bartlett (drums), formally of the band Lowrider, were solid as a rock, showcasing their individual talents within tracks, changing it up as they went and keeping it fresh for singer and crowd alike. In between tracks, we were treated to Baker’s relaxed and humorous banter, discussing her hometown, the origin of her tracks and confessing her love of comedy.

Baker threw in a couple of covers from Tom Waits and Irma Thomas, and then highlighted her versatility by finishing the set with a mix of gospel (Believer), big band (Heavy On My Heart) and swing (Make Your Own Mistakes). There is little wonder that Caiti Baker has been nominated for ‘Live Voice of the Year’; her talents are worthy of multiple accolades and her passion for music and performing were evident in every track. It was a joy to watch her in full dancing flight as she prepares to finish up the tour and head into her next musical chapter.