Celebrating Different
Written by Ryan Crolla
Perched atop the depths of busy Caxton Street, Lefty’s Music Hall - known for its vibrant old-timey western decor - is home to some of the most crowd pleasing soirées the exponential Meanjin/Brisbane music scene has to offer. Stocked to the walls with the best that Young Henry’s and Red Bull can offer, and a clear goal in mind - to recognise and celebrate different - Lefty’s was in for a treat. With the combined forces of Gabi Rankine at Something Different Project and Khalela Romano at The Flutter Folk, nothing short of incredible was anticipated for the sequel event to ‘Celebrating Small’. Hosting an event with a diverse range of vendors, a lineup of bands and soloists, and live painting is certainly not the easiest to pull off. But when it comes to The Flutter Folk x Something Different Project, anything’s possible - and they pulled it off in spades. And, so, was birthed ‘Celebrating Different’ - a one night only event designed to bring locals from all walks of life into one space to recognise and amplify creatives who are bringing something new to the table.
Through the double doorway and past the roundtable seating was a stage fit for the night ahead. As we all awaited the much anticipated live music lineup, a quick Newtowner from Young Henrys double parked with a vodka Red Bull took us on a journey through the upper mezzanine area of the venue - where we were greeted by a room of vendors specialising in photography, gemstones and crystals, visual arts, and various merchandising. Celebrating Different saw the presence of Kanani Art, Darcy Goss, Indya Pearce, NO.ONE NETWORK, Alleyway Crystals, Charlie&co Baby, and Gigi & Greta Glitter. Meeting such an eclectic group of entrepreneurial business owners and their various stories was a highlight of the event for many. With a powerful potential in the air, the night cracked on. Growing numbers of biodegradable glitter painted faces filled the honky tonk bar (two worlds I’d never expect to collide), and small crowds gathered round to bear witness to an unintentional live masterclass in painting and abstract art.
Not long after doors had opened, with intermingling and networking setting in, Hazel Mei took to the stage bringing a delicate tenderness whilst also capturing and gaining full attention from the audience within seconds. Consisting of a piano and an extremely talented vocalist, Hazel took night goers on a journey with a set of piano ballads- touching on a themes of interrelationships and desperation. We were then treated to a mesmerising performance from star of season eleven of The VoiceAU, Liam Keates-Ryley. With a band cherry picked to impress, and a catalogue of jazzed up bangers, a night spent in the pocket was almost non-negotiable. Rest assured, I spent the entire forty-five minutes gazing in awe at sporadic solos, and questioning my existence on this plane. To make matters worse, a set from seven-piece contemporary music group, The Funny Jims, really made me question what it means to be a creative artist in the modern age. A seven-piece group alone is hard to come by, let alone a seven-piece in Brisbane that performs so regularly that you know their name before even seeing them play live. The Funny Jims truly are a testament to how quickly word of mouth travels, and their name works its way through venues pretty rapidly for all of the right reasons.
To break up the evening, as the dance floor reached its capacity, Khalela and Gabi put their freakishly fast words per minute to the test with a live auction of various art pieces and merchandise from the upper mezzanine stalls. Punters were shocked. This was 100% not something you see everyday - unsurprising, however, from an event titled ‘Celebrating Different’. Up for offer were a plethora of handcrafted abstract canvases and prints. All it took was a quick sight at what was available, and a first bid before hands were shooting up in the air to snatch up and support some local talent. Whisking us into the end of the event was a headlining set from Lost Goat Found- a local four-piece band consisting of vocals, guitars, keyboard and drums - playing a well-crafted set of punchy ballads and original works, the crowds weren’t afraid of dancing to.
After a short and sweet night in a venue unlike any other, Something Different Project in collaboration with The Flutter Folk crafted a beautiful experience for a collective of local artists and musicians to showcase some of their finest creative works in a platform where crowds where able to expand their idea of art and how it should be presented. With two highly successful collaborative events under their belt, Something Different Project and The Flutter Folk are bound to strike the Brisbane music scene again. And good lord are we ready for it!