The opening night of the Beck’s Music Box for the 2010 Perth International Arts Festival saw a complete musical experience in the wonderful surrounds of the Perth Esplanade. The temporary venue is a highlight of the year when it springs up in the city park to provide some unique musical moments to a lucky few.

The night started with Charlie Bucket on the one’s and two’s laying down some smooth grooves and solid funky cuts. The gathering crowd, which spanned many age groups & scenes, rocked along as they enjoyed the many aspects the venue offered. One art installation provided typewriters & paper for punters to share their secrets & stick them anonymously on a wall.

The sun was well & truly going down when LA based funk band Breakestra took the stage. What followed was nothing short of spectacular. A wall to wall solid funk instrumental extravaganza showcasing the class & verve of the musicians onstage. A great horn section, alternating between trumpet, sax, and flute, put the exclamations marks on the bangin’ beat. I swear the sweat drenched drummer did not stop until about an hour into the performance. Lead music man Miles Tackett did a great job guiding the band through their paces & providing a great vocal display. Unfortunately Mixmaster Wolf didn’t make it down under, and his distinctive growl was slightly missed.

When the songs needed a female touch, the African queen Afrodeyte stormed on stage to inject some pure soul into proceedings. Quite a woman, her booty shaking moves were well appreciated by the moving crowd. Classics from the superb LP Hit the Floor made up the most memorable parts of the show, like Stand Up and You Don’t Need A Dance. New cuts were also well received as well as numerous covers like Funky Drummer, Ring Of Fire, and Apache. Tackett on the cello during the encore was stunning and the band made a lasting impression on everyone in attendance.

J-Roc, part of seminal 90s scratch group the Beat Junkies, took the stage after the rush of Breakestra had subsided. He worked the turntables like an instrument. His laptop loaded with samples allowed lightning quick delivery to pump the sound system full of widespread & varied beats. Can I kick It, Lou Reed, Daft Punk, all became a montage of sound that, while difficult to groove to, overwhelmed the senses with sparkling originality. All in all, it was a gorgeous cool evening in a city park brought to life by skilled musicians from around the world and a brilliant start to this year’s Music Box.