Classic Jam

Welcome all races, nationalities, cultures, religions, aliens, cats, rats and pigeons. Come check out some of Melbourne’s top young Indie… I mean Classical musicians, served straight with your beer. Fresh on the 19th July 3-5pm at the glorious Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy (27 St David Street). Of course, it’s free.

Expect to shed that winter skin with the warm sounds that emanate from these curious instrumental combinations. The musicians are friendly too – buy them a beer and they might tell you more about their ambiguous lives.

See you there!

Imagine this.

A warm, cozy pub on a chilly sunday afternoon. A dreamy, creamy, delicious live string quartet. A smooth glass of something you love. A lot of love.

And that’s just the beginning.

Come on down to the Rainbow Hotel this Sunday June 21st, 3-5pm for the latest installment of Classic Jam. It’s free to listen, and donations help the country’s children to get music lessons.

A whirlwind performance of Beethoven’s Symphony no. 7… in a Pub!

Some of Australia’s hottest musicians come together for a one-off performance of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, in the iconic Melbourne pub, the Rainbow Hotel.

Led by formidable young violinist Kristian Winther, the free 45-minute show will be staged at the Rainbow Hotel in Fitzroy, on Tuesday 2nd June at 7:30pm.

Kristian Winther, one of Australia’s most talented and versatile violinist, conductor and composer, has performed as soloist with the Melbourne, Sydney and Tasmania Symphony Orchestras, and alongside revered musicians Richard Tognetti, Brett Dean and Caroline Henbest. He joins an astonishing list of more than 15 of Melbourne’s elite musicians including Cameron Hill, Blair Harris, Richard Vaudrey and Melbourne Symphony musicians Geoff “The Viking” Lierse and Steve Newton. The musicians are all donating their time, and ‘pay-what-you-feel’ audience contributions will be collected in support of the Australian Children’s Music Foundation.

This performance is proudly supported by A is for Atlas – a diverse not-for-profit company developing innovative creative outcomes through inter-arts collaboration. 

Title: B is for Beethoven, Beer
Location: The Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy
Description: Beethoven Symphony in a Pub you say?! Blasphemous! Brilliant! Barely legal!
Bring a friend and come see for yourself…
Date: 2009-06-02
Time: 7:15pm for 7:30 start

Thank you to all who made Sunday’s jam such a roaring success! At one point we had 8 string players squished onto the little stage ripping through Dvorak, Brahms, Glass, Martinu… A wild duet for bassoons and beer, woodwind quintet (with two flutes instead of oboe… a preferable combination if you ask me) and plenty of delicious Mozart to go round. According to reports, we converted a vast number or plebeians young and old who were surprised and delighted to hear such music in a pub. We also raised a lovely pot of money for the Australian Children’s Music Foundation. 

I very much look forward to seeing you at the next Classic Jam. Details to be revealed shortly… hold on to your seats!

The Classic Jam mascot has been doing the rounds at universities and various streets around Melbourne! We’re all holding our breath for 3pm on Sunday when he will come alive, step out of the poster and storm through town, changing its layout forever. Though we’ll probably be too busy enjoying a beautiful Sunday afternoon at the pub to notice, listening to the sweet sounds of classical musicians who may or may not know each other, may or may not know the music they are reading, but will doubtless be drinking and having a good time.

I hope to see you there with a handful of pennies for ACMF and scones for the hungry musicians (yes, you can throw them).

Live chamber music in a pub.

A group of unconventional classical musicians taking their art out of the concert hall and letting rip around Melbourne.

Sunday May 17, 3pm-5pm. 27 David Street, Fitzroy. And it is FREE

Title: Classic Jam @ The Rainbow
Location: Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy
Description: A sunday afternoon at the pub with beautiful live music! Bring instruments, scores, mouths, ears and friends.
Date: Sunday 17th May
Time: 3pm – 5pm

March 8 saw our inaugural Jam at Medium Community Arts Space in Brunswick. Wine, food and a trio of flutes… what more do you need?

Classic Jam!

A group of unconventional classical musicians taking their art out of the concert hall and letting rip around Melbourne. Through fun, informal, high quality chamber ‘jams’, we aim to bring our music to audiences beyond the concert halls by playing in bars, cafes and unusual spaces in and around town. Bring an instrument if you play, a set of ears if you don’t, and join us on our non-classical adventure.