City Recital Hall Presents: 02 | 23

Overview

One of Sydney's most visually and sonically impressive venues, the City Recital Hall is always looking to complement its stunning acoustics with an equally exciting program. While its bread and butter are orchestral performances, the venue will often go on a streak of booking more contemporary performers, pushing the boundaries of the type of music you might expect to see in such a classy environment.

That's exactly the case with the hall's new contemporary music series 02 | 23, which is not only pulling together a diverse group of musicians ranging from hip hop legends to upcoming singer-songwriters, but will also include the venue's first-ever standing gigs. Following the installation of removable seating in the hall, the inner-city music hub can now accommodate general-admission standing gigs for those that need to move their feet when they're catching live music.

Keith Saunders

The three performances that will claim the title of the prestigious venue's first standing shows come from three very different musical worlds. On Thursday, June 8, you can catch French disco pioneer Cerrone bringing the inaugural dance floor to the hall. The next night, Friday, June 9, one of the most influential hip hop duos in the history of the genre, The Pharcyde, will be taking to the stage with Masta Ace and Marco Polo in support. And, on Saturday, June 10, local legends Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever will be arriving with their signature indie-rock tunes.

They'll all be joining an eclectic cast of characters on the 02 | 23 program that runs throughout June. The lineup includes breathtaking Icelandic folk singer Ásgeir, breakout Nigerian pop musician Obongjayar, plus Cash Savage and The Last Drinks, Ichiko Aoba, Laura Jean, Yazmin Lacey and Amanda Brown.

If you're looking to grab a bite to eat after the show, you're also in luck, with the hall sitting directly next to one of the best restaurants in Sydney, Ragazzi.

Top image: Destination NSW.