Geelong music lovers are in for a rare treat when one of Australia’s finest live bands returns to town this weekend.
World-class blues, roots and soul outfit Checkerboard Lounge will perform at Beav’s Bar this Sunday, December 8 from 2pm to 4pm.
Drummer, singer and founding member Carl Pannuzzo, recently nominated for the Blues Music Victoria Hall of Fame, leads Checkerboard Lounge with an easy charm.
Bassist Zoe Frater, Hammond organ player Tim Neal and the Bellarine’s own Shannon Bourne on guitar, each considered among the best in Australia on their respective instruments, complete the latest incarnation of a band that has become an underground institution since forming three decades ago.
The quartet have had a busy 2024, with the release of their latest album Roller Coaster in February, tours to New Zealand and across the country and an ARIA nomination.
Pannuzzo said while he was proud of Roller Coaster and all the band’s recordings, the magic of Checkerboard Lounge lay in live performance.
“The main thing as a live band is being able to create that difference every time, that electricity… people really get taken on a ride with us,” he said.
“It seems a little bit banal, but the better a time we have, the better the music is. And the better the music is, the better a time we have.
“So it’s not just about entertaining the audience, it’s really making sure that it counts. No one wants to just turn up and do a job; that’s boring, and there are plenty of other jobs you can do that with.
“We’ve often been described as musicians’ musicians but we still know how to be accessible to the average person, and if you want to have a dance we’ve got plenty of that going on.”
