Live Review: Timberwolf, Stone Fox, SKIES

Returning home for the sell-out final leg of his Flux EP tour, Chris Panousakis aka Timberwolf, took the stage to an already jiving crowd. He had local band SKIES to thank for this who blew the patriotic crowd away with their fiery drum-heavy finish which saw keys player Micha Cearns, vocalist Dusty Lee Stephensen and bassist Michael Zabolocki battle it out on three separate kits. Their set also included a host of their own rock-based songs and a groovy rendition of Limit To Your Love by Feist.

They were followed by Melbourne band Stone Fox, who seemed flat, possibly because the singer's vocals were too low in mix and they had a slightly awkward stage presence.

When the time came, the man of the hour Timberwolf faced his home crowd. Without pause to warm the crowd, who'd been sitting stagnant for the 40-minute interval after Stone Fox, Timberwolf demanded audience participation from the very first song, but he wasn't left hanging, facing as he did a swooning groove pit.

For an artist that plays lot of slow, bluesy music, Timberwolf still afforded the crowd lots of opportunity to dance. Whiskey Jar from the Flux EP was a particular standout, with Timberwolf offering a particularly aggressive rendition that saw beers flying across the crowd. The crowd got jumping for Into The Cold and were all too ready to help out with the "Hey"s when called upon. In his characteristic down-to-earth style, Timberwolf laughed that the song was "about the one time I went to the gym".

The love in the air was tangible, and bidirectional. The crowd danced, sang and yelled at Timberwolf's command while he doted on them, continually thanking them for their support and ending the night with an emotive spiel about supporting the burgeoning Adelaide music scene.

The thing that makes Timberwolf more than just another guy with a guitar and a smooth voice is his incredibly talented band, with each of his cronies offering something truly special to the set. A particular standout was Maggie Rutjens, whose back-up soprano that perforated the tracks was invariably the element that lifted them from potential monotony.

An encore was called for and Timberwolf, seemingly unprepared and overwhelmed by the demand, after a healthy speech thanking his mum and dad, dug deep into his back catalogue to finish the night in style. With a reworked lived set, Timberwolf has come into his own and refined his performance to be every bit of the head-swinging, soulful croon party that he promises.