Live Review: Sarah Blasko, Luluc

Opening act Luluc is a delightful way to begin this evening at the Zoo, and Zoë Randell’s deep voice is soothing as they perform their melancholic indie-folk. They play songs mostly from their latest release, their highly acclaimed second album Passerby, with such grace and they are a pleasure to watch.

The gates for Zoo Twilights open at 5.30pm and the music doesn’t start until 7pm, but consider getting here as early as possible if you want a prime position. It also pays to come prepared, so don’t forget a picnic rug or low camping chairs and get cash out before you go HAM on the many food and drink options available.

Sarah Blasko opens with Down On Love, with frantic violins and gentle piano tinkling underneath as her voice soars through the outdoor amphitheatre. The drums kick in for I Awake, taking a slightly more dramatic turn, but it’s no less impressive. Hold On My Heart followed by All I Want provide another example of strong contrast between songs, demonstrating Blasko’s ability in moving from the light and whimsical to the heavier and emotional.

Blasko chats to the crowd in a slightly raspy voice, explaining this is her first show in quite a while as she’s been busy writing new songs. While we’re not privy to any tasters of Blasko’s new material, we thoroughly enjoy going through her exquisite back catalogue this evening. Blasko keeps reminding us how quiet or shy the crowd is (in a playful way), but also lets us know how much she appreciates the turnout. It’s a beautiful, balmy Friday night and the audience is completely content lying comfortably in the grass, listening to beautiful music as the sun fades – we’re not sure if life gets much more blissful than this.

Blasko makes a rare trip down memory lane to perform Always Worth It from her first record The Overture & The Underscore. While it makes our hearts brim over with nostalgia, we seem to remember that the high notes in the chorus were sustained, where tonight they’re deliberately cut short. We’re going to put this down to a potentially sore throat. We Won’t Run floors us with its conviction, as does the soulful and somber I Never Knew. {Explain} is a particularly strong note to end on, but there’s no way Blasko’s not getting an encore. She returns for her gorgeous cover of Cold Chisel’s Flame Trees, which has the crowd audibly sigh their approval as the opening guitar strums gently echo over us. What a perfect night.