Review: Music in Parks Monte Cecilia, with Albi and the Wolves, South for Winter, Aro, and Marmalade, at Monte Cecilia Park, Hillsborough, February 2.
The music and venue were ideally suited – old scenic grounds with earthly music sounding in the trees.
Music in Parks fully delivered on its mandate yesterday, as the sun roasted a few thousand happy fans in the stunning historic park of Monte Cecilia.
Auckland Council’s annual feel-good-factor programme of concerts from January to April has now been running for the good part of three decades, and Sunday’s show in an old-tree lined park – with a folk-pop-roots and world music theme – was as good as it gets.
There has been a threat – talk – of Music in Parks being cut to save costs, but there has been overwhelming supportive feedback to the council decision-makers that keeping it is the only way forward, a point acknowledged by Albi and the Wolves with a big “thank you” to the residents and ratepayers in the audience.
Cutting to the end of Music in Parks Monte Cecilia, it was a special moment when members of three of the four bands – Albi and the Wolves, South for Winter, and Marmalade, played and sung together Dolly Parton’s Jolene to the crowd’s full approval.
The encore came after Albi and the Wolves always’ uplifting and dynamic set, which had everyone dancing, singing, clapping and feeling pretty darn good.
Pascal Roggen is a sublime and exciting violin player – active, animated and funny; Chris “Albi” Dent the good-humoured, sincere and gifted director of the show who sings powerfully and just as much on acoustic guitar; and Michael Young, with his narrow electric upright bass, keeps them in time and tone.
And when the three harmonise, they produce that unmistakably accomplished Albi and the Wolves (https://www.albiandthewolves.com/) sound. It’s always a pleasure to see the boys.
South for Winter (https://www.southforwintermusic.com/) were a wonderful discovery, a Kiwi-American trio playing Americana-style songs, self-describing it as “happy, dreamy music and murder ballads”.
Guitar player Nick Stone is from Christchurch, his wife Danni Stone originally from Colorado, and cello/guitar player Alex Stradal, of Michigan. They’re based in Nashville, Tennessee, originally formed in Peru, and are touring New Zealand until early next month.
They’re outstanding songwriters, vocalists and musicians, and quality harmonising and dark humour is a quality feature of what they’re about.
Aro (https://www.aromusic.co.nz/) – husband and wife Charles and Emily Looker – delighted with their set of te reo Maori language songs that have a soulful reggae groove and formidable harmonies.
And the outdoor show opened with Marmalade (https://marmaladenz.bandcamp.com/), a five-piece Auckland indie folk-pop band who have very catchy upbeat songs with a fresh feel.
They’ve just performed at the Auckland Folk Festival and have a show with Wellington band Skram at the Tuning Fork, in downtown Auckland, this Friday, February 7.
Marmalade have been regularly releasing recordings over the past year, the most recent being their bright debut five-song EP, Sober.
Compliments to the Rock Factory for the excellent sound and production, and Auckland Council’s Music in Parks team for making the Monte Cecilia concert as memorable as any of the great events down the decades. Such a perfect day. Bravo! – PJ
