Jo Stone Concert

Holden Street Theatres
Fri 23 March
season ended


Ceremoniously sent through to the back for entrance so that Jo Stone could enter through the front on a motorcycle, the modest audience huddled near the front and were with Stone from the start.

Riding in with classical guitar, she commenced with a heartfelt, ironic ballad recalling her days being tutored in medieval dancing. Stone's vocal was half parody half heartfelt. Her side splitting oratory style is that of a rock star recounting a very significant anecdote in a hagiographic interview, so at odds with what she is talking about that Stone. The audience delighted in her sending up what pop culture is so invested in - mundane minutiae of the celebrity, which is not to say that she doesn't love it or participate in it to her own advantage. Indeed the whole conception of the show is her name being mistaken for young soul singer Joss Stone when performing in Berlin. Covering the hit I'm Digging On You in a bizarre and minimal style - accompanied by a backing track and boy booty dancer Julian Crotti - turned into an hilarious pastiche.

The first and last tunes performed were original compositions, but in between was a mind bending display of from the belly of pop culture. Amongst this Stone was also able to show some of the tender moments (indie) rock can provides by doing The Smiths and a Steve Malkmus song, where she gently strummed to a minimal guitar backing track. She made a meal of a karaoke Torn, embellished beautifully by Crotti's ribbon dance.

This one off show was as exciting as local fringe music theatre gets - smartly crossing genres, embracing parody and absurdist conventions in a rough around the edges DIY style. Removing the veneer of performance, Stone directed herself from the spotlight, moving through her repertoire from her trusty Macintosh. She occasionally threw to projectionist Paolo Castro, the tiny sidekick who descended with a drum for the off the wall Icelandic (Mum? Sigur Ros?) instrumental, where Crotti shook a tray of rice in nonchalant fashion to Castro's occasional beat. Stone comes out with the saxophone, undermining the usual drama of the instrument as she struggles to make a sound. Edgy and wacky, a real treat!

Narelle Walker