Spotlight: Hahko Presents A Night With BEING.

Tāmaki-based podcaster and electronic producer Hahko aka Isaac McFarlane is presenting and hosting the three-part, weekly A Night With . . series from Thursday 17th March at Karangahape Road's iconic Whammy Bar. Starring BEING., Kane Strang and Lévyne in a seated, spaced-out setting, these events will showcase intimate performances by and conversations with each respective artist, including audience Q&A sessions. As an appetiser, Hahko asked BEING.'s Jasmine Balmer to share their formative musical memories and provided the raison d’etre for the innovative new project. Read BEING. and Hahko's own words below, plus wrap your ears around the latest edition of the Hahko Meets Humans podcast, chatting with Leaping Tiger HERE...

BEING. Musical Memories

As a young person, I didn’t really have access to much music other than the lime wire downloads my sister and her friends would trade between themselves & the music education of a latchkey kid via TV & movie soundtracks.

The first musical memory that comes to mind (other than road trips with the family listening to the same Van Morrison album on repeat) is being 7 years old watching the Saturday night film on TV where the opening scene of Billy Elliot plays T. Rex's 'Cosmic Dancer'.

Writing music has always been a very visual process for me. Being immersed in nature and writing lyrics that feel they personify emotion into mental images that I then try to illustrate through words. Seeing that dreamy '70s scene of Billy jumping in slow motion to the warm and warbling vocal of Marc Bolan. I was entranced.

There must've been about 10 of us kids in the TV room that night, most of whom were jumping around and yelling with no interest in the film at hand. But I was sitting 2 feet away with my head as close to the tiny TV speakers as I could be. I was at peace, with Bolan, Billy & I, in our own little cosmic world. — Jasmine Balmer / BEING.

A Night With BEING.
Thursday 17th March - Whammy Bar, Auckland
Tickets available HERE via UTR

A Night With Kane Strang
Thursday 24th March - Whammy Bar, Auckland
Tickets available HERE via UTR

A Night With Lévyne
Thursday 31st March - Whammy Bar, Auckland
Tickets available HERE via UTR

Doors - 7.30pm
Artist & Hahko on stage - 8pm sharp
Audience Q&A - 9.30pm
These events are Red Alert safe, seated and socially distanced and as such only limited tickets are available.

'A Night With . .' raison d’etre

The through-line in my work for the last few years seems to be my attempt to highlight the voices and ideas of musicians in a way I think they are traditionally limited.

In a culture where the tools for making music have been democratised and simplified, I believe that the intention behind music has become far more interesting than the ability to execute the music creation itself.

When we lurched back into the Red Alert setting I was acutely aware of the crisis music venues would face. I believe the importance of physical spaces for music is not only the performances, but also allowing musicians to mix, mingle and interact. Things that are integral to any kind of cultural scene growing sustainably.

In an effort to help keep people continuing through the doors of Whammy Bar I combined my existing love of music and conversations and developed the idea of ‘A Night with . . ‘ as not only an exciting enjoyable event but one that works extremely well in the intimate seated and socially distanced setting we are existing within.

‘A Night with . . ‘ is the kind of show I’ve always wanted to see. A combination of live music, alternate versions, interviews and insights that allows a multi-dimensional view of some of NZ’s best music, and for the artists behind it to speak to their experiences on the other end.

Ultimately, I am a giant music fan and that is the energy I bring to everything I do, from the podcast to the Mt Noise community to these new events. I also understand how valuable it can be to allow musicians the time and space to articulate themselves beyond the tiny boxes they are usually kept in.

I am incredibly grateful to Whammy Bar and the amazing experiences i’ve had in their space, from performing myself to watching all-time favourites like King Gizzard, Wax Chattels, The Nae Nae Express and many many more on that stage. This is my attempt to show love and support for this wonderful venue, the tireless people that facilitate it and also teams like Undertheradar who do so much to support the functioning of a healthy grassroots music scene here in New Zealand. — Hahko