90s Nostalgia
Break out the brown lip liner and dust off the dungarees! Darwin Symphony Orchestra (DSO) presents Rhythm of the 90s, the annual amphitheatre spectacular back for a time travellin’ celebration to the decade that brought boy bands, girl bands, pop princesses and grunge.
By Kate Conway
Following last year's 80s extravaganza, the next decade in line was an obvious choice. Jon Tooby, DSO Artistic Director and Chief Conductor, says it was the plethora of bangers that excited DSO the most.
“There’s such extraordinary music from that time. When we write these programs, we start with 150-200 songs that we have to narrow down to 20, and it always sparks really lively debates, they’re all classics!” he says.
The whole shebang opens with a goose-bump inducing performance of The Verve’s ‘Bittersweet Symphony’, and the performance builds from there.
“We’ve shaped it in a way that it has a beginning and end and it just gets bigger and bigger as we go,” Tooby says.
“We’ve divided it up into different sets, we’ve got an RnB set, we’re doing some Australian hits and we’re doing a whole lot of really fun dance numbers at the end, so everyone can get up and have a dance.”
The orchestra is joined by a talented front band of local musicians and vocalists, including songstress Natalie Pellegrino, who returns to lend her well-pitched pipes to the varied program.
“This year, it’s such a huge range – we’re not just doing pop songs, we’re doing metal and we’re doing hip hop … I’m doing a big power ballad, I don’t want to give too much away but it’s from a movie, and it’s going to be a huge song,” she says.
The outdoor location of Darwin Amphitheatre has all the right ingredients for a fabulous Dry season outing, with food trucks and bars on site, plus a dedicated dance floor so the audience can get jiggy with it and soak up the festive atmosphere.
“It’s just a really fun, family event,” Tooby says.
“It’s ageless, and it really taps into that Darwin community spirit which is intoxicating and it’s something I’ve never really experienced anywhere else.”
Pack your picnic blanket for a trip down memory lane and head along for a night of 90s nostalgia under the stars.
Rhythm of the 90s
WHEN SAT 24 JUN | 5.30PM
AT DARWIN AMPHITHEATRE
COST GOLD COIN | $80 VIP
INFO dso.org.au
Photos: Tim Nicol Photography
