Time To Rock: Our Top Picks for Under 30s At This Year’s Adelaide Guitar Festival 2024
Adelaide Guitar Festival arrives next month with $30 tickets for those under 30. Here’s what events the young guns in our office have pencilled in their calendars...
Image by Glenn Skuthorpe
Zara Richards: 26
Blak Country
What: Curated by Barkindji songwoman Nancy Bates, Blak Country connects country music with First Nations culture through guitar.
Why: Powerful doesn’t even begin to describe the stories of love, life and land from these First Nations musicians.
When: September 13 | Dunstan Playhouse
ANTOINE BOYER & YEORE KIM + JOSH MEADER TRIO
What: A boundary-pushing collaboration between three globally-renowned guitarists that skips between genres of jazz, rock, pop and hip-hop.
Why: There’s an undeniable musical chemistry between this trio of virtuosic talents Adelaide gets to experience live for the very first time.
When: September 14 | Dunstan Playhouse
TALK SESSIONS
What: Interviews, discussions and film screenings for anyone remotely interested in anything to do with the guitar (i.e. everyone). We’re very excited for the showing of Buried Country (2000).
Why: Technically, it’s not a 30 under 30 show but it’s FREE and very worth your time. Get your brain juices flowing!
When: September 12–15 | Various
Image by Henrik Meng
HANNAH LOUISE AGE: 24
TRAVEL GUIDE – A GLOBAL GATHERING
What: Be transported around the globe as artists from different paths bring their distinctive, virtuosic talents to the stage.
Why: The ultimate cure to travel FOMO. Buckle up as renowned guitarists play guide and deliver unparalleled
music adventures.
When: September 13 | Her Majesty’s Theatre
DUSTYN
What: Artistic vulnerability at its finest, Dusty Lee Stephensen strips away the tarnish of adulthood to rediscover his essence in his debut solo project.
Why: Enjoy Dusty through a new lens after many nights dancing to him at Memphis Slims. Bonus: Ross Irwin and a 10-piece band!
When: September 15 | Dunstan Playhouse
JEFF LANG – MORE LIFE
What: Rolling Stone described Jeff Lang as ‘Australia’s Best Roots Musician’. Hear his talents live when he performs his forthcoming album, More Life.
Why: After decades spent constructing gutsy guitar sounds and winning three ARIA awards, Jeff is someone to take damn seriously.
When: September 12 | Dunstan Playhouse
Image supplied
JACK PAECH AGE: 25
XUEFEI YANG & DEION CHO
What: Award-winning guitarists play two distinct recitals, showcasing an understanding of how to utilise the classical guitar’s unique timbre.
Why: It’s a night of classical guitar numbers that illustrate how delicate and complex the instrument can be when placed in the right hands.
When: September 14 | Dunstan Playhouse.
BLAK COUNTRY
What: Soulful Barkindji songstress Nancy Bates curates a host of First Nations songwriters in a night focused on Indigenous country music.
Why: It’s a multi-faceted exploration of how the guitar is used by First Nations people to enhance traditional modes of storytelling.
When: September 13 | Dunstan Playhouse
CARL ORR’S LONDON UNDERGROUND
What: Jazz marvel Carl Orr returns to Adelaide after decades abroad with a hearty melting pot of guitar styles stuffed in his suitcase.
Why: Orr’s playing is always deft and effortlessly shapeshifting. ‘London Underground’ proves he has earned his wealth of accolades.
When: September 15 | Space Theatre
Adelaide Guitar Festival takes place from September 12–29. Check out the full program here.
