Uni and Her Ukulele Cross St Studios

Uni and Her Ukulele with Wildwood Lights
June 10th 2009, Cross Street Studios, Auckland

I managed to annoy a friend earlier this year by going to see the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra without him.

I was tagging along with some other people, and to be honest, I didn’t know whether it would even be something I’d be into, let alone him.

I was wrong on both accounts. It was a great show. And it turned out that my friend had recently (for some bizarre reason) ditched his slide blues guitar and taken up the ukulele, and he was also a big fan of the uke orchestra, and owned both their EPs.

And he was outraged to not get an invite. And he gave me shit about it each time I saw him.

So in an attempt to redeem myself, I’d been trying to find another ukulele concert to take him to.

I finally got my chance with Uni and her Ukulele, visiting from the United States.

She’s performed with the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra before. Is known for quirkilicious indy pop gems like La La Happy Too, I’m On My Way, and My Favourite Letter is U.
On a ukulele.
Perfect.

Then my friend called up at the 11th hour, saying he was too sick to go.

So fuck it. I tried. I’m absolved of my sins.

And so I went anyway.

She was performing at the Cross St Studios in the city, which was an experience in itself, what with being nestled amongst brothels, where ladies and cross-dressers of the night wait as cars crawl past with their lights switched off.

I think I scared one of the hookers off as I was standing around waiting for the doors to open. Maybe I look like a cop or something.

Then, ha, I saw Uni herself walking towards the gig, filming the street with a portable camera. I think I managed to scare her as well when she looked up and saw me grinning at her. I tried not to take it too personally. I actually met myself in a dark alley once and it scared the shit out of me, too.

Anyway. This gig was serving as the warm up for her New Zealand tour. About 50 people were there to watch her plug in her semi-electric ukulele and do her thing.

She’s got great stage presence and it was impressive how she could belt out those little well-crafted songs with just her and her uke.

The audience was relaxed, but initially resistant to indulging her craving for a good old fashioned crowd sing-along. But she persevered and was eventually rewarded with one near the end.

So yeah. Brilliant. Was impressed enough to buy a couple of her CDs.

And now I get to annoy my friend by telling him how much fun I had at yet another ukulele concert that he didn’t go to.

Cos I’m a prick like that.

Brilliant.

(The opening act, Wildwood Lights, also deserves a mention. A trio of Auckland chicks who took turns sharing lead vocal duties with their folksy country tunes. I think there’s some potential there. The drummer also did all the drumming standing up. You don’t see that very often.)

Review thanks to: http://buriedbeneathfloorboards.wordpress.com