Seeing Ball Park Music feels like running into the oldest of friends, no awkward catch-up, just straight back into the rhythm. Timing still perfect. And that comfort kicked in before a single chord at Enmore Theatre last week.
The Brisbane five-piece are on a mammoth, nearly two-month national tour celebrating their eighth studio album ‘Like Love’, a ten-track release that leans more stripped-back and intimate than their previous records, but still rings unmistakably Ball Park. Demand for the night ran so high that they added a second Eora/Sydney show at The Metro not long after tickets dropped. Even the merch stand, featuring a Bunnings Warehouse-style tee, made it feel like a love letter to the fans and the community that’s nestled them into legendary status.
Opening the night were locals Salarymen, bringing polished jangle and easy charm, followed by Queensland’s enigmatic (and slightly chaotic) Bean Magazine.
Then the room dimmed, and Sam Cromack stepped into a lone spotlight. Scott McKenzie’s ‘San Francisco’ poured from the speakers as Cromack, in his Connies and acoustic guitar in hand, opened with ‘Like Love’. It was quiet, a little vulnerable, completely disarming. One by one, the rest of the band – Jen Boyce, Paul Furness, Dean Hanson and Daniel Hanson – joined him on stage, met with shouts of “We love you!” from the front row.
The first stretch of the set stayed gentle. ‘Coming Down’, and ‘All I Want Is You’ threw it back to the indie days of the early 2010s, while ‘Coast Is Clear’, ‘Bad Taste Blues (Part. III)’, ‘Stars In My Eyes’ and recent chart-topper ‘Please Don’t Move to Melbourne’ gave newer fans their moment to yell along. “Has anyone you loved ever abandoned you for Melbourne?” Cromack asked.
Then, halfway through, everything kicked up a gear. ‘It’s Nice To Be Alive’, ‘Cherub’ and just as the room hit full volume, Cromack casually re-announced that they’ll be opening for Oasis in November – apparently one of the Gallagher brothers is a fan of ‘Manny’. No big deal.
From there, it was all swing. ‘Trippin’ The Light Fantastic’ and ‘Spark Up!’ landed like an uppercut. ‘She Only Loves Me When I’m There’ sparked a massive eye-watering sing-along. And the set closed on ‘Struggle Street’, delivering the exact right mix of indie-scruff and sentiment.
But it wasn’t quite over. The band stepped forward again for a magnificent take on ‘Overwhelming Sound’, making Enmore hushed and glowing for the first track of a very generous encore. ‘Exactly How You Are’ and ‘Great Display of Patience’ made for a soft landing – before one last burst of chaos with everyone’s 2011 favourite, ‘Sad Rude Future Dude’.
Ball Park Music made sure the show felt as warm and generous as we’ve all come to expect – like a group of mates throwing a Gatsby-scale party for everyone who’s stuck by them over the years. All that was missing was a few camping chairs and maybe a BBQ. In all, the set pulled from a staggering seven albums across nearly fifteen years. My only regret? Not scoring a ticket to night two.
