Dashville State Of Mind

Originally Published July 10, 2017

I don’t know how many times I have had conversations  around local Australian music during this decade where it begins: “So, have you heard any of the musicians who hail from the Dashville Community”? Or maybe I have to bring up the Gumball Festival and the 2 recent Dashville Skyline Cosmic Festivals to maybe see if they have any idea what I am about to ramble about.

What is Dashville? Is it a place? Is it a state of mind? Is it just a cover for the Johnston Family so they can build a solid local empire around music events like the aforementioned ones while playing music and enjoying the company of like-minded souls like William Crighton, James Thomson and Jason Walker to name a few.  Well, it is all of these things and more.

At The Bearded Tit in Redfern (an excellent bar just to hang in) Dashville On The Road was rolled out for a decent sized gathering of music fans and friends of the Dashville tribe.

Having been to the first two Dashville Skyline Festivals and watched a number of these artists play before I was not surprised to hear the growth in their music and a certain confidence and relaxation in their delivery.

Arriving when we did, the gig was in full flight. Magpie Diaries were up and delivering a captivating set of rock and Americana. For the next couple of hours the other Johnston Brother and his outfit Baghead played; Lyle Dennis belted out a few numbers and Melody Pool sang her socks off. There were others on the close to 4-hour hoedown, but alas, there were other things on our plate earlier and apologies for missing out on some!

There always is a surprise when you hook up with the Dashville team. This time around there was a magical addition of a saxophone to the mix. It was an instant recognition of tone and style that caught my ear as I sipped my first Shark Lager. The warmth and ability to connect with whomever she played with was apparent throughout and Cassie Bofinger is someone I want to hear blow some more.

Considering that Cassie played with each and every act  it seems everyone in this little clan of musicians feels the same way about her talent.

What I admire and receive from watching these individuals create music is that they truly enjoy their mission and the people that come along to share the journey are truly lovers of good, homemade music. It is a rare experience….

If you missed this little event, keep your eyes plugged into Dashville on the intertubes, hook up with them on Facebook and don’t forget that Dashville Skyline is on the October Long Weekend.  It is the best little camping festival in Australia because of the music, the venue, the food and most of all, the people. (www.dashville.com.au)

See you there or somewhere down the trail.