Photos by Lucas Armstrong, Words by Mike Gregory

Australian icon, Xavier Rudd hit the music scene in 2002. Growing up in Tourquay, Victoria, Australia, he developed a love for nature through surfing. His music reflects themes of compassion, peace, and consciousness, most recently on his seventh album, Spirit Bird (2012). He has amassed quite a following in his homeland as well as Canada and is currently touring the United States through mid July. Joining him for part of the tour is fellow Australian, Ash Grunwald, whose style rides the line of roots, blues, and groove.

Fans crowded the stage in anticipation of what was about to unfold. Across the top of the stage were three flags representing Xavier’s native origins. The stage itself was littered with instruments—yidakis (didgeridoos), a stomp box, harmonicas, bass, drums, and an assortment of guitars. The drums had two slender wooden tubes attached to the front of it. Among the instruments was another flag displaying his support of the Sea Shepard whose goal is to stop whaling.  A modest stage show kept the focus on the band and by the end of the night they would radiate a glow all on their own.

Shortly after 10pm, Xavier and his band humbly took the stage with warm and gracious smiles. Outfitted in black sweatpants and a black tank top with the Egyptian Pharaoh, King Tutankhamen image on it, Xavier sat down and his band proceeded to get down to business. As if on cue, the entranced audience started to sway back and forth like a thriving ocean reef. Halfway through the first song, it became crystal clear those in attendance were in for something special. Songs of change and consciousness set the mood and Xavier further engaged the audience by altering lyrics to include “Atlanta rising up.” Simultaneously, he slowly raised and shook his hand above his head, which the crowd mimicked back. At one point, he grabbed the base of his guitar, hoisting it up it into the air while hollering and made whooping sounds that conjured up images of the Australian Outback. When Xavier set his guitar down, he began dancing barefoot to the beat of the drums at the edge of the stage, eventually introducing the band while they played softly in the background. The drummer and bassist had smiles on their faces all night, but were intently focused on the task at hand.

The overall energy started pretty high to begin with, but that didn’t stop Xavier from kicking it up a notch—all night long! He brought out a monstrous 6-foot yidaki, which he played while hovering it above crowd’s head. The sound was truly mesmerizing and added yet another layer of authenticity to this cultural experience. As the last song trailed off, the band thanked each other and the audience. For about a minute, the crowd proudly expressed its gratitude with the Tomahawk Chant to a surprised band. When the chanting stopped, Xavier exclaimed how sexy the crowd was which, of course, brought cheers of agreement! He went into a happy little tune on the harmonica until briefly leaving the stage.

While the band was backstage, people stood their ground as if wearing cement shoes. No one wanted to lose their place for the encore! The most memorable part of the encore came when he breathed new life into a song that has not seen the light of day since the 1980’s, Cyndi Lauper’s, “Time After Time.” Three or four songs followed before the band bid farewell to Atlanta.

Music is a wonderful thing to share and experience; it transcends cultures all over the world and can be spoken without uttering a word. Xavier Rudd manages to harness the powerful nature of music and casts a much-needed spell of happiness into the world. Seeing him live is an inspirational celebration of life and a reminder that there are still good things in the world.  Be sure to check out http://www.xavierrudd.com/ for more tour dates and news.