“I really like you guys,” said Cale Chronister, one-half of dynamic synth-pop duo Sports, as he grinned at his twinkling surroundings. The band was settling into their sold-out show at Fitzroy’s The Night Cat on Thursday 9 July and were gazing down at us from atop the groovy 360 stage. We’d been coaxed into a gorgeous melodic dream and I felt like I was floating amongst the stars in intergalactic space. The good vibes had been waving all night, everything about the evening was absolutely wondrous.

The show ushered in a lot of firsts. The band's first time in Australia, their first gig here and the first night of their three-show highly anticipated East-Coast tour. Their latest album, Sports, is also their first self-produced and self-titled work. Released in February this year, the swerve of a record redefines their artistic voice and wriggles back to their roots after the band’s  four year hiatus. Their fifth studio album is a masterfully produced and refined effort displaying their unique sound that carefully blends dream-pop and electronic tunes with indie-rock riffs and bridges. The pair have cultivated a name for themselves through their immaculate discography, namely; Get A Good Look (2022) and delectable debut Naked All The Time (2015). Two flawless listening experiences, the latter highlighted by their euphoric biggest-hit “You Are The Right One”. A honey-dipped track with a layered and sunny composition reminiscent of Her’s “What Once Was” and its own spiritual predecessor, Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight”. All songs that honour the otherworldly cries of electric guitars when wielded by true musical geniuses.  

Opener, trip-hop artist Effe (Hannah Brydon) lulled the audience into the first chapter of the night. Originating from Brisbane/Meanjin, the now locally-based performer crafts a sound that is more than just sad-girl music, it is something quite elusive. Her whirring shoe-gazey instrumentals and siren-vocals resembling the delicateness of Lana del Rey made for a sensuous and otherworldly experience. This wistfully integrated with the rhythms offered by her drummer, Cam Tonkin. The night seemed to honour the tranquility of compatible and enduring musical partnerships. The transcendental powers of their shared art. 

Sports entered the stage like two mischievous pixies. Chronister was dressed in a matching tracksuit that was Liam Gallagher meets Buzz Aldrin meets Vector from the 2010 hit movie Despicable Me. Guitarist Christian Theriot joined his collaborator with a sanguine grin gliding through his facial features. The two childhood friends took the stage like that's where they’re always meant to be. 

Their set churned into motion with the bubbly and experimental dance tune “Nice 2 Meet Myself (Bang Bang Bang)” defined by its distinct refrain warping the repeated words “Bang Bang Bang”. The song is the second track off of Sports, produced in their own self-built studio and without the aid of their long-term collaborator Chad Copellin. The album as a whole solidifies a sense of creative freedom and originality, allowing them to maintain control over their own dreamy sound. Their music harkens the tender melodies of Cigarettes After Sex with the fizzy sounds of other electro-pop performers such as MGMT. 

Setting the groovy tone from the get-go, the ideal spirit raiser rolled itself out on a crunchy synth carpet, swiftly fading into a breathtaking personal favourite “Baby Baby”. The idyllic song laughs at you with its utterly perfect arrangement and production quality, every note following after one another in incandescent harmony. “Baby Baby” is one of those songs undeniably laced with pure serotonin, sounding consistently better with every progression, every re-listen. 

“Magic Trick”, a stand-out track from Sports, came along next. The song features a sitar adjacent melody which seamlessly faded into the funky “Tell You Something” off Get A Good Look. This pairing offered another song combo from their two latest records, Aussie fans needed to be caught up to speed having not heard them live before. This performance gave us the first spoonful of Theriot’s musical prowess, reeling us in with effortless and tender riffs. 

The radiant “Panama” played next. An addictive song that feels like a summer breeze and encapsulates the band's well ripened sound in its gripping hook, exquisitely layered production and tune that makes you wanna kick back and ride through the waves of melodic pleasure. “Drama King” followed suit with its more contemplative tone and lyricism, a nicely rounded track from the latter end of Sports’ track-list. It allowed for some crowd engagement as we sang back and waved our arms in unison.

In between songs, the band took a breath to welcome us all in. I began to observe how lovely their stage presence was. Chronister has just the right dose of ego, confidence and charisma balanced by his humorous, genuine and light attitude. He thanked us for coming out to see “just two boys from Oklahoma” and by this point we had all slipped into a wonderful day-dream. 

“Dalton's Wish” live was just lush. The song is encased in sumptuous electric guitar riff whimsy allowing Theriot to surrender with a wondrous solo. The song’s magic synths drifted into “Gravestone” which was another lovely offering with its soft vocals re-energising us for “If You Want Me”. Another earlier track, “Someone You’d Rather Be Dating” roused the chill vibes with its ridiculously groovy baseline and sultry yearning lyrics. Theriot's guitar calls back to Chronister’s gentle voice. I could’ve sworn they played “My Superstar” around this point too, a much invited treat with its twinkly hip-hop edge. The exhilarating yet clarified “Jelly” raised spirits and encouraged some joyous cavorting amongst the audience.

The adorably romantic “Keep Falling in Love” signalled the concert's downward slope, luring us into our luxurious death beds. The lead single from Sports has a genuine and sun-kissed feel, resonating with their earlier work. The glorious chart-dominating tune drew out more from the duette’s illustrious instrumental tool box before the beloved “You Are The Right One” made its obligatory appearance. “I Can't Cry” and “Whatever You Want” laid us to rest. The former encouraged us not to mourn, but also bid us a bittersweet farewell with its jovial arrangement and upward tone attached to its downcast vocals. The latter was the ideal end-of-the-night song but left us hoping for an encore, despite the band's insistence that this was the end. Besides, the Night Cat’s stage layout doesn’t allow for such a welcomed bonus. 

Whisked out into the night, we weren’t sure whether we had awakened from our splendid dream or were slipping deeper in. I was not anticipating to still be gushing over their gig. I get butterflies thinking about how blissful, how ear-gasmic the whole experience was. I’m sure I won't slow down with the praise any time soon, what a wonderfully special night. 

Photography by Caroline Chen.