Deb Pelser

2 weeks ago | backseatmafia.com | Deb Pelser

It’s a crisp winter night in Sydney and the crowd is filing into Carriageworks — the industrial heart of Redfern turned cultural powerhouse — for a rare appearance by Kamasi Washington. Once a railway workshop, now a cavernous arts precinct, the venue hums with anticipation as part of this year’s Vivid Sydney program. Kamasi Washington isn’t just a saxophonist — he’s a force who has redefined what jazz can be in the 21st century.

3 weeks ago | backseatmafia.com | Deb Pelser

They’ve played in a Porta Potty. They’ve spoken in spectrograms. And tonight, they’ve landed at Sydney’s Metro Theatre. Clown Core — the anonymous Nevada duo who sound like free jazz being tasered by industrial noise — are in town.. The pair are cult figures, known as much for their cryptic transmissions as their chaotic blend of jazz, grindcore, gabber and absolute nonsense.

3 weeks ago | backseatmafia.com | Deb Pelser

British guitar revivalists Wunderhorse have dropped new single “The Rope,” a searing cut born in the white heat of spontaneity just weeks before the band launched their biggest UK tour to date—a run that ended in triumph at Alexandra Palace and a televised debut on Later… with Jools Holland this past weekend.

3 weeks ago | backseatmafia.com | Deb Pelser

Following its record-breaking 2024 edition, Melt Festival returns to Brisbane in 2025 with a packed program of queer arts, theatre, music, and unmissable events. Leading the charge is Reuben Kaye, who brings his explosive new show enGORGEd to QPAC in its Queensland premiere, backed by Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra – and musical director Shanon D Whitelock. Expect lavish cabaret, biting wit and unapologetic spectacle.

3 weeks ago | backseatmafia.com | Deb Pelser

There’s a hush before the lights shift tonight at the Sydney Opera House. Then Michelle Zauner appears — radiant, composed, completely in her element. As Japanese Breakfast, her presence feels at once celestial and grounded, like she’s offering up the weight of memory wrapped in melody. Zauner’s journey is one marked by reinvention and resilience.