New live music series coming to Samford

Published 4:00pm 9 March 2023

Words by Ashleigh Howarth

Above: John Hogan will join Indigenous singer Toni Janke at the first Samford Live music event on Saturday, March 25.

A number of talented performers from here and beyond will be taking to the stage in Samford as part of a new live music series.

Launching on Saturday, March 25, Samford Live will provide locals and music aficionados the opportunity to enjoy live music by top performers without the need to travel.

The gigs will be performed at Little Tree Bake and Brewhouse on the last Saturday of every month.

Headlining the first event is Indigenous singer/songwriter Toni Janke, who lives in Brisbane.

Toni has been writing and performing her own songs since her early 20s, and is just about to start recording her fifth album.

“Over the years I have written hundreds and hundreds of songs – it will take me the rest of my life to record everything,” Toni says, laughing.

Speaking to Moreton Daily, Toni says she is looking forward to performing at the first Samford Live event.

“I am so excited and feel very privileged to be the opening act at the first ever Samford Live event,” Toni says.

“I think this is going to be a great event for the community, and a fantastic opportunity to showcase local musicians and singers because there are a lot of talented people out there.

“As a First Nations artist, I think it’s wonderful the creators of Samford Live have asked me to open the show, which is a real credit to them – it’s very respectful.”

Having worked in the music industry for so long and running her own Indigenous own consultancy firm which helps people achieve their goals through consultancy, music, coaching and mentoring services, Toni says music has an “unbelievable power to bring people together”.

“Music is a powerful tool because it has the power to transform people and the world we live in,” Toni explains.

“It can really bring people together and can bring about a real sense of harmony.”

In saying that, she hopes to see a good turnout for the inaugural event, as well as the following events thereafter.

“We want people to come out and enjoy these kinds of events and support their local artists,” Toni says.

“Our musicians have really struggled throughout COVID because for a lot of them, music is their livelihood.

“We are glad to be back performing and need people to come along and support us.”

Toni will be joined on stage by John Hogan who will play his guitar for the special acoustic performance.

You can find Toni’s music on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon and Youtube.

You can also stay up to date with her music and upcoming album by following her on Facebook and Instagram.

Following Toni will be a quartet from Cedar Creek named Feed Lucy. The group write and perform original songs that feature pop, rock and folk motifs from the 1970’s to the 2020s.

Above: Cedar Creek quartet Feed Lucy will also be part of the inaugural event.

Dream becomes a reality

The idea for Samford Live has been in the works for some time, with local musicians Kate Barzdo, Wendy Murray, John Hogan, Zoe Quinn and orchestra/producer Chris Bowen working behind the scenes to make this series a reality.

To celebrate the first event, an opening night special offer on tickets will be offered, priced at $15 each (normally $20).

Doors will open at 6pm with the show beginning at 7pm at Little Tree Bake and Brewhouse, located at 52 Main St, Samford Village.

For more information about Samford Live, visit the website, like the Facebook page or join the mailing list by sending an email to [email protected]