ARTISTS: JACK JOHNSON with ZIGGY ALBERTS and EMILY WURRAMARA
DATE: DECEMBER 3RD 2022
VENUE: RIVERSTAGE, BRISBANE
REVIEWER: HAYLEY TREADWELL
PHOTOGRAPHER: ANDREW TREADWELL PHOTOGRAPHY

I love going to a gig at Brisbane’s Riverstage. Our city is so pretty as you wander through the gardens on the way into the venue. We arrived a little early and could hear the crew sound checking, which was pretty cool. 

As we came through the gates, we added ours to the sea of picnic blankets taking over the grassy hillside. This really is the best venue for an afternoon and evening of chill music and singing and dancing with roughly 9000 other fans. 

As everyone found their patch of grass, the stunning Emily Wurramara took the stage. We have seen Emily open for a few people in the last few years and I think each performance I fall in love with her a little more. She experienced an issue with her guitar, and then delivered us the most beautiful song with nothing to accompany her, just her voice. It was a really beautiful moment and one I think we all appreciated. Emily’s set was beautiful, I look forward to the next time we see this talented young lady.

Ziggy Alberts took the stage next and I couldn’t think of a more perfect person to open for Jack. And there was a huge crowd in front of the stage waiting with the same eagerness as they did later for our headliner. The 2018 Aria chart topper wooed us with his smooth tunes and really got us pumped up and ready for Jack Johnson. 

I have been a fan of Jack for a long time, so I was very excited to see him live for the first time, and absolutely thrilled when he took to the stage and opened with ‘Taylor’ and then ‘Sitting, Waiting, Wishing’. What a way to open! The entire crowd at Riverstage was on their feet dancing and we didn’t sit for the rest of the night! The first time I have ever been to a show a Riverstage where that happened. It was special. You could see the whole crowd swaying in time to the music. 

Jack played songs from throughout his career, talked to us about life, laughed with us about kids and shared his heart with Brisbane. 

I always love when the headliner brings the opening act onto stage and Jack did this for both openers through the night. Firstly with Emily Wurramara who wrote a beautiful song called Lady Blue which she performed with Jack and they gave it a bit of a mash up with Jack’s ‘Breakdown’. With the production behind her, Emily really came into her own and once again wowed us with her talents. 

A bit later, Jack got Ziggy on stage and they performed a mash up again of Ziggy’s ‘Heaven’ and Jack’s ‘Traffic in the Sky’. What an unbelievably cool moment! These 2 jamming on stage together was pretty awesome to see. 

A few more songs including my favourite ‘Banana Pancakes’ before Jack closed out the main set with ‘Good People’. 

He came back from a mostly acoustic 7 song encore which began with ‘Do You Remember’ and ‘Home’ before asking for some requests. Jack ended up singing a quick version of

Willie Nelsons ‘Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die’, so we could understand more about his lyrics when he sang ‘Willie Got Me Stoned and Took All My Money’. Meeting more requests, Jack sang ‘I Got You’ and ‘Angel’ before actually bringing the night to a close with ‘Better Together’. 

All in all, we had a wonderful night in Brisbane with Jack Johnson. His laid back vibe, beautiful tunes and heartwarming, often funny stories, accompanied by the perfect weather, made Jack Johnson one of my favourite gigs of the year! Thanks for bringing your Meet The Moonlight Tour to Australia Jack, and thanks for having us along. Today the songs from last night are still playing in my head and the smile still lingers on my face. 

Until the next Gig 

Hayley 

SETLIST:

Taylor 
Sitting, Waiting, Wishing 
One Step Ahead 
Flake 
You and Your Heart 
Upside Down / Time is the Master / Bad Fish / You Can’t Control It (John holt cover) Inaudible Melodies
Lady Blue / Breakdown ~ with Emily Wurrumara 
Bubbles Toes 
Who Do You Love? / Mudfootball 
Wasting Time 
Costume Party 
Heaven / Traffic In the Sky ~ with Ziggy Alberts 
Don’t Look Now / Shot Reverse Shot 
Banana Pancakes 
Rodeo Clowns / Soul Shakedown Party / Good People 

ENCORE:
 
Do You Remember 
Home 
Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die ( Willie Nelson cover ) 
Willie Got Me Stoned and Took All My Money 
I Got You 
Angel 
Better Together