Live Review: Jack River, Jess Kent

Her light and dreamy hooks were a perfect primer, slowly getting the crowd grooving.

Before closing on her song Girl, Kent mused on the difficulties and pleasures of being a woman in the music industry, solidly deciding it’s "awesome" before hinting towards a future release.

Jack River’s Adelaide Uni Bar performance opened with Ballroom, immediately ensnaring her sold-out audience. Having already played in Adelaide earlier in the year (apparently the rowdiest show of the tour), recognition was high in the room for earlier single Palo Alto, which had the hint of grittiness you hope for from a live show.

Shimmering in the lights, River embodied a beachy Stevie Nicks, almost seeming to float during the dreamier tracks of the set. The sweetness of the album was apparent throughout the room, with couples littering the room squeezing each other through the more heartfelt songs. 

River’s positivity shone through her performance, making it clear the audience were her top priority, checking in between songs. The all ages crowd was a testament to the universality of the album she had spent the last six years working on.

After ending the set somewhat abruptly, River and her band took the stage back following a chant for one more song, promising, "I’ll give you two."

The start of the encore was a huge cover of Tal Bachman’s She’s So High and the crowd were giving as much energy back. Closing out the entire set was Fool’s Gold, one of the biggest songs from the album, which was apparent as the crowd continued to sing along. The downtempo banger was a perfect close to a pop performer who clearly still has bigger things to come.