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Melbourne loves its music, and three noteworthy performances popped up in the span of less than a week: the Taylor Swift concert, the St. Kilda Festival, and a night of Puccini at the Sidney Myer Bowl. Of course, a few non-music things happened that are worth highlighting too. Shall we begin? A one, a two, a one two three… The global sensation that is the Eras Tour arrived in Melbourne for a series of three concerts, just a few days after Taylor Swift was in Las Vegas celebrating the Chiefs’ Superbowl victory. The performances were held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (the “MCG”) on the Yarra River, not far from where the Australian Open was held a month earlier. Many people had traveled to Melbourne specifically for the concert, and Taylor Mania was the talk of the town. The city’s most famous landmark, Flinders Station, had a projected welcome message for the visiting Swifties. I didn’t have a ticket but given the concerts’ reputation for having a fun atmosphere, I thought it was worth checking out the scene. On Friday night, I went on a walking tour, starting down Cardigan Street (fitting for a Swift concert!) It was the pre-concert migration and the trams were packed with sequins and colorful dresses. Along the Yarra, I merged into the masses of cowboy boots, hats, and Travis Kelce jerseys. Bike-drawn rickshaws were carting passengers through the crowds, playing Swift songs on wireless speakers. Outside the MCG, fans were exchanging friendship bracelets (including with security staff) and complimenting other outfits. Plenty of people were there to “Taylorgate” and listen as the music wafted over the concrete walls. Outside, there were merchandise tents, food trucks, and plenty of places to sit. Since the concert's official start was still an hour or two away, I checked out a free rugby match that was in progress across the street. It was the Melbourne Rebels vs. the Fiji Drua, and the first rugby match I’d ever seen. The frequent lateral throws kept the game moving faster than American football, but the dogpiles and tackles certainly reminded me of it. There was no scoreboard, but I gathered that Fiji won, as the field was lined with spectators and one side appeared to be the Fijian fanbase. Back to Taylor Mania. The Age, a local newspaper, was posting live updates on the concert experience like it was a major sporting event. I followed along with the updates from a scenic spot by the Yarra. I returned to the MCG closer to the official start time, and was close enough to hear the cheers as Taylor took the stage. The Taylorgaters all flocked to the entrances, trying to catch a glimpse through the open breezeways. The audience of 96,000 was the largest show that Taylor had performed, which says a lot about Melbourne’s ability to organize events. I texted my Swiftie friends, joking that Taylor came to visit me in Australia. Saturday morning, I rolled out of bed earlier than usual to join a community running event called Parkrun. There are Parkrun events held all over Melbourne (and Australia) every Saturday morning at a variety of locations – I chose the one at Princes Park. I recently acquired a new pair of running shoes, my usual Mizunos this time in black, and was eager to continue breaking them in. The Parkrun “vollies” (volunteers) explained the course, two loops around the perimeter, 5km total. Everyone lined up according to their estimated pace, and the run began. The event was much larger than I expected, with 536 runners taking over the footpath. My understanding is that running groups in general became extremely popular in Melbourne during the pandemic. The Parkrun system was extremely well organized. When signing up for the first time, each runner gets a personal barcode that’s scanned at the completion of the run. Similar to an organized race, the results are electronically processed and posted online. But unlike a one-off event, the Parkrun model offers the ability to see progress over time – it tracks your personal best time, and “anniversaries” like a 50th or 100th event. Not to mention it was totally free! After the run I chatted with a friendly Kiwi named Ben, sought out a water fountain, and took the tram back to my place. Someone had left a pack of free croissants in the kitchen, so I made breakfast sandwiches. While I’m not usually into mornings, it was a pretty great morning. Sunday afternoon, I headed down to the beach suburb of St. Kilda for the (free!) music festival. The weather was perfect – sunny and warm. Several major streets were closed to cars and trams. In their place, performance stages, market stalls, and food trucks had taken over. There were around 7-8 different stages with acts running in parallel, each with a slightly different character. The one I spent the most time at was the O’Donnell Gardens stage, which had several excellent rock bands, including The Heights and Hard No. They played a mix of covers that I recognized and original songs. The audience seemed to be enjoying it, as many people also stayed for a while. I also checked out the Locals stage and caught an act with more relaxed folk music, John Wayne Parsons. The songs were inspired by the singer’s ancestors, and included one about the Stolen Generation (indigenous children forcibly separated from their families due to government policies). Walking past Luna Park, I stumbled across a lively pep band playing pop covers and dancing in the street. It was extremely fun and energizing! They were good performers, both musically and hyping the crowd. The main stage was right next to the beach, but it was between acts when I walked past. The festival was alcohol-free apart from a dedicated zone, the Cointreau stage. I listened to a performance from a grassy hill while the sun filtered through the palm trees. For dinner, I got a plate of chicken, peanut sauce, and jollof rice from a Senegalese food truck. It tasted great, but the highlight was the beverage – fruit juice from the baobab tree, called bouye. It reminded me a bit of guava, and was very refreshing. It amazes me that there’s enough public funding to have free festivals like these in just about every Melbourne suburb. On the same day I was in St. Kilda, there was a parallel festival in the suburb of Northcote, also free and sponsored by the local government. And a week later, I stumbled across the Johnston Street Fiesta – a Latin American food and music festival, with a giant stage just two blocks from my doorstep. With so many festivals to keep track of, I found myself learning about upcoming events through Public Transit Victoria (PTV) posters about tram/bus route disruptions! On Tuesday, I went over to Gail’s to help with a special home improvement project. There’s a narrow courtyard between her house and the neighboring one that she’s converting into an outdoor space for her cat, Katie. The goal was install a long net across the gap, to prevent Katie from escaping via the roof. We managed to squeeze a ladder through the window, unfold it, and use a plank of wood to create a stable base. I spent the afternoon on the ladder, using cable ties to attach one side of the netting to a pipe, and nails to attach the other side to a wood border. It was a bit of a tight spot, and pretty high up, but we had the right tools (and right team!) to get the job done. Also part of the “working bee” were some of Gail’s family members – her sister Mandy, brother-in-law Darren, and father Ken, still sharp in his 90s. I had fun getting to know everyone over the tasty Greek food that Gail provided for lunch. The whole family exuded that Aussie charm – a mix of cheerfulness, cleverness, and camaraderie. It was a hot day, and after completing the job, a cold “stubbie” of beer was the perfect reward. On Wednesday night, I headed to the Botanical Gardens for a free outdoor concert at the Sidney Myer Bowl. The free outdoor concerts have a long history, going back to 1929, well before the permanent bowl was constructed in 1959. The bowl’s design was inspired by the Hollywood Bowl and named after one of the patrons of the original concert series. A great recommendation from Zeah the guitar teacher! I arrived when the gates opened at 5:30pm, and the lawn was roasting in the sun. I survived the 2-hour wait thanks to copious amounts of sunscreen. Though I made the mistake of bringing chocolate Tim Tams, which promptly melted. My fellow audience members were in good spirits, with many enjoying wine and charcuterie boards as they caught up with friends. The sun set behind the Melbourne skyline, and colorful lights were projected on the underside of the bowl. The concert was performed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Benjamin Northey. It was a Puccini-themed evening, with pieces from Tosca, La Boheme, and Madama Butterfly. Two opera singers, a tenor and a soprano, played a prominent role. I thought the tenor was especially good and absolutely nailed the famous aria “nessun dorma” from Turandot. The whole concert was being broadcast on the radio and internet. Between pieces, an ABC radio host interviewed the opera singers about their characters and careers. Two video screens provided closeup views of the singers and instruments, which was helpful for seeing the back rows of the orchestra. I wasn't familiar with Puccini's music but it was a wonderful concert, especially with the warm summer breeze. After the Sidney Myer concert, I walked through the Botanical Gardens and over the Yarra river, enjoying the city lights. The Taylor Swift projections were no longer adorning Flinders Station, but Melbourne still felt just as vibrant and musical. A good note to end this chapter on.
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