Fire through the Window & Cito – Zack’s Windermere, 08.09.07

My friends and I had been eagerly anticipating this gig for what seemed like aeons and finally we could stop counting the sleeps. A restaurant may not seem like the ideal venue for a gig but given that Cito’s solo act is not really Burn material, and given the lack of other venues in the city, it was pretty cool that the owners of Zack’s came to the party and hosted Cito for two shows. Given that it was also a good friend’s birthday celebration, the evening was bound to be a heap of fun!

First up was Fire through the Window, once again playing with full band, although they have a new drummer since Adam went back to the UK. The sound seemed a lot crisper this time compared to when I saw them at Vacca Matta, and it was much easier to hear Sinead’s vocals even during their rockier songs. This show cemented my earlier thoughts that this band is really one to watch out for. Sinead’s confidence seems to be growing and her vocals are simply beautiful, and well complimented by Marc’s harmonies. They are releasing their debut album later this month, and I think it will definitely be one to add to the wishlist. For those who enjoy pretty love songs with a rock twist, Fire through the Window comes highly recommended.

In case you’ve been living under a rock somewhere in a far flung land, let me explain why we were so excited to see Cito solo. An incredibly talented musician who has also started to make a name for himself in the world of theatre, Cito has been a force to be reckoned with in the local music scene for well over a decade. He is most renowned for his role as the frontman of SA supergroup Wonderboom – we all know how I feel about them so it really should come as no surprise that I was as excited as I was for this show. I’d also been lucky enough to see Cito perform solo last year, so I knew we were in for a treat. Cito’s solo show is not the adrenalin-raising rollercoaster rock of Wonderboom, it is a far smoother, more languorous ride – ‘dark chocolate and red wine’ as he describes it. His set consisted of some of his own original material, including a heart rending song written for one of his sons, some Wonderboom classics pared down to beautiful simplicity, and a number of his favourite covers such as Radiohead’s High and Dry, and an absolutely spine-tingling version of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. The essence of what makes Cito’s solo show so good is not simply his accomplishment as a vocalist and guitarist, as impressive as this is. It is the emotional depth of his performance which captures the attention of his audience and gives you goose bumps – you feel as if he is laying his soul bare when he steps up on stage. It must take a lot of courage to do this without the backing of a band, and I found it endearing that such a talent would admit to being incredibly nervous when he opened up the show. The crowd responded with evident enjoyment and everyone I spoke to afterwards said they absolutely loved it.

The next day Cito played at another of the Zack’s restaurants, this time on Wilson’s Wharf. Unfortunately the timing wasn’t ideal since he was timed to go on as the Springboks kicked off their opening World Cup match against Samoa. He took all this in his stride and opted to play the bulk of his set after the match was over. It may not have been the perfect situation, but the people who stuck around after the match were once again transfixed by a magical performance. And I of course was in heaven because I got to hear my all time favourite Wonderboom song, Bang, not once, but twice in a weekend. What more can a girl ask for.