Ziggy Alberts at Fine Line (May 29, 2025)

Tour Dates

May 30, 2025 Vivarium Milwaukee, WI
May 31, 2025 Thalia Hall Chicago, IL
Jun 2, 2025 The Danforth Music Hall Toronto, ON
Jun 5, 2025 MTELUS Montreal, QC
Jun 6, 2025 The Bronson Centre Ottawa, ON
Jun 7, 2025 Théâtre Capitole Québec City, QC
Jun 8, 2025 Théâtre Capitole Québec City, QC
Jun 10, 2025 Royale Boston, MA
Jun 11, 2025 Warsaw Brooklyn, NY
Jun 12, 2025 The Stone Pony Asbury Park, NJ
Jun 14, 2025 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival Manchester, TN
Jun 17, 2025 Visulite Theatre Charlotte, NC
Jun 18, 2025 Greenfield Lake Amphitheater Wilmington, NC
Jun 19, 2025 The Windjammer Isle of Palms, SC
Jun 21, 2025 Jannus Live St. Petersburg, FL
Jun 22, 2025 Miami Beach Bandshell Miami Beach, FL

On a rainy night the Fine Line welcomed two singer-songwriters from sunny shores of Australia.

Steph Strings stepped on stage and started tuning her acoustic guitar while the last notes of Matt Ducan’s “Beacon” faded from the main speakers.

From Melbourne and only 24, Strings showed an impressive light touch with her first song “Antigone” her strings traveling from Spain to the Arabian desert to the Mississippi Delta to the western sands of the Sahara.

“First ever tour in the U.S.,” Strings said while continuing to tune. “What am I doing here?”

Based on the first song, it was good that she made it for there was a zestful deftness to her playing as if she and the guitar were meant to be. In an interview with Mixdown she confessed: “The guitar is my best friend, my lover and my teacher. I truly believe I wouldn’t be a happy person if I didn’t have my guitar as it’s my biggest form of flow, therapy, adventure and joy!”

The joy was apparent as Strings played a cover of “Follow the Sun” by Xaiver Rudd, followed by her own song “Blood and Bone” which laments leaving her family to follow her dream of being a traveling musician.

After a brief interlude, Ziggy Alberts sauntered on stage with no shoes and a bright smile. After his first song, he said he had three rules that should be followed throughout the evening.

Despite the length of his mullet, he asked to be taken seriously.
The audience should take care of each other.
If anyone in the crowd knew the lyrics to his music, they were strongly encouraged to sing along.

After playing “Stronger” on piano, Ziggy said it was good to be back at the Fine Line. “Was here last year,” He added. “Very intimate setting where you are accountable for your singing.”

Both Steph and Ziggy said they liked the smaller venues where they could see the faces in the crowd. Being in the crowd was a bonus to see these musicians radiate as they played.

Throughout the evening Ziggy handed out pre-recorded aphorisms between songs and offered bits of his life while strumming the guitar. For example, he studies Buddhism and loves barbecue, which he admitted was contradictory. He grew up in Sunshine Coast, Queensland, and was given a guitar as a graduation gift. He has a grandmother with a thick Hungarian accent who presently is recovering in a hospital. (He had the audience help send a “Get Well” video.) Then he sang a brand new song, “Cyclones” before moving to the first song he wrote “Gone (The Pocahontas Song)”.

There was a great cover of Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated”, but mostly there were songs that Atwood Magazine described as “… a bright beacon of light and love.” Songs like “Heartbeat”, “Together” and “Blessings”. Then, “I’m With You” from his latest album New Love, a song unabashed in its simplicity as the audience sang along:

Aren’t you sick of being lonely
just to make a little art?
Say yes! (yeah yeah)
Aren’t you sick and tired of always
choosing head over the heart?
Say I am! (I am)