Warren and I spoiled ourselves at the top restaurant ARIA overlooking the harbour, before catching the legendary Cassandra Wilson in concert.

Our drinks waiter, Brett, and our food waitress, Melanie, were friendly, courteous and great to talk to. We spoke with Brett about critiques and how everyone in the age of social media has an opinion. He even shook our hands when we left, saying how much he enjoyed chatting with us.

Behind me, Warren noticed a table of ten take their seats. They were the more snootier clientèle, who didn’t take any notice of Brett or Melanie. No hellos or thank-yous. To them, these were their own personal (and invisible) staff. A table of money but no breeding.

Later we ‘kinda’ enjoyed Cassandra Wilson in concert, but our jazz diva seemed a little distracted. Her vocals were impeccable, and the way she shared the spotlight with her band was to be admired. But she was confused about the set list, and the concert felt short. As we left the Concert Hall, people around us were wondering if she was jet-lagged or just an old hippie. Even Warren and I debated her performance on the drive home.

In the end it would have been a show more suited to a small club than a large venue.
 

Blog by Kevin Klehr, author of the Drama Queens novels. READ THE REVIEWS