Umbria Jazz Festival Melbourne
Today I used up a daily ticket... ouch. I thought of going somewhere but in the end couldn't make the time, so I had to come out with a program to use the tram to the maximum for today. I did some shopping in the afternoon, and I came home for a while. I thought it would be a good day for photography at the Shrine, but the skies wer overcast... What to do with a full day ticket? So I decided to go to Federation Square to take photos of the interiors of the National Gallery of Victoria.
The banner for the festival at the main atrium, Fed Sq.
I knew about the Jazz festival and the free performances since last Sunday, and I wanted to attend a performance. See Ming says, 'try once' and not worry about the cost too much. I mean it is better to have experienced something than return to Malaysia like a 'sua-too' who went overseas but did not experience anything.
The crowd gathering at the square.
I went snapping shots of the gallery's architecture and came back out later that afternoon. A crowd had formed around the stage and someone was singing James Brown! YeaH!! I feel good!
People were just glued to the performance, sitting through the whole hour or so.
The crowd wasn't large but the music was good. Some people were sitting and some were standing. Unfortunately we don't find this very often in KL, but here is Jazz at Federation Squeare Melbourne- free performances for the entire week! Of course there are paid ones at different venues in the city, but these ones aren't bad at all.
The band members here clearly having fun, enjoying the sweet music they were making.
The band members are clearly thoroughly enjoying themselves. The band playing was Rockin' Dopsie Jr. & The Zydeco Twisters from New Orleans. I found their website here.
The sporting schoolgirl comes on stage to dance.
The students came to the square after school to watch the band play, they were so enthusiastic and were really enjoying the music that one of them got pulled up on stage. She even got a kiss for dancing... hehe.
Rockie Dopsie Jr. entertaining us
The lead singer was Rockie Dopsie Jr. who was so energetic from beginning to end, entertaining the late afternoon audience....
It was so enjoyable, people started dancing to the music.
Most people were just listening quietly, but some were rather participative like this group here. Hehe. BTW, Mr cameraman was also moving around to the beat and rhythm.
BTW... ever noticed that the word 'rhythm' has no vowels?
Hero in Melbourne?
Lastly, please take a look at this 'brader' here. While I was wearing a jumper AND a wind-breaker, and everyone else is wearing a jacket, this hero is dancing in front of me with his bare legs and cheap T-shirt. Walaueh! =P