Twenty years have already passed since the duo ANGUS & JULIA STONE spread their sunlit, melancholic indie folk across the globe. Between festival adrenaline and an album in the works for the autumn, the Australians have chosen to slow their pace with a series of three intimate concerts in Europe. And it’s the Trianon, in Paris, that opens the ball.
Fragile as a Flickering Flame
8 p.m. CASSANDRA COLEMAN opens the evening with her hushed indie pop. Standing up while her guitarist sits, the stage suddenly takes on the atmosphere of a piano bar, perfectly aligned with what follows. The guitar/vocals setup is simple and proven, yet the Tennessee-born songwriter possesses a remarkable voice: powerful, piercing, sure, able to drop into warmer, deeper tones. Her partner shifts between acoustic and electric guitar as the venue fills and the temperature rises. A detail not escaped by the singer, who mentions the heatwave and the absence of air conditioning. On her latest single, “Maggie,” the American invites the crowd to sing along, then stops, regroups several times, before half-admitting that she’s nervous about stepping on stage. Imperfect but endearing, Cassandra Coleman delivers a performance that wins over the Parisian audience, receptive to the artist’s sincerity.
A Giant Campfire
Forty minutes of intermission feels long. The wait seems amplified by the heat that has taken hold of the theater. The date is sold out: the pit and the balconies are packed to the brim. Just before 9:10 p.m., a guitarist, a bassist, a drummer, and a keyboardist take the stage, joined by Angus in a dark suit, guitar strapped to his back, and Julia, in a white patterned dress. Shadow and light. The first acoustic chords crack like a match on “Losing You,” from the latest album, Cape Forestier. Side by side, ANGUS & JULIA STONE sing and respond to one another with emotion, supported by a minimalist yet sublime staging. Above them, fifteen lanterns illuminate and shift colors with the mood. Not a recital tonight, the duo revisits their repertoire, adding new textures: trumpet, banjo, and harmonica melodies giving an organic patina. “Private Lawns” even nods to the hippie, almost reggae, vibes of the early days. Note after note, the Australians feed a giant campfire that almost makes us forget the ambient heat.
Close to Us
After the Olympia and Le Grand Rex in 2024, the Trianon gives these reunions a different color. Smaller, more intimate too, this iconic venue blurs the line between band and audience. It must be said that Angus and his younger sister know how to put the room at ease. After greeting the audience in flawless French, Julia shares anecdotes to shed new light on their songs. If “Yellow Brick Road” is her favorite track, to the point that she has it tattooed on her foot, the cover of Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” becomes a graceful pretext to share a childhood memory. The boundaries of the concert fade, gradually taking the shape of a family conversation. And what would an indie folk show be without a love story? Julia Stone offers one on a silver platter with “For You.” Her voice, raw and skin-deep, still seems soaked in the melancholy that drove her to write about this painful breakup, sixteen years earlier, on the landmark album Down The Way.
Even Melancholy Knows How to Dance
Although gentleness often dominates in Angus & Julia Stone, the party is never far away, and those who have seen the duo before tonight know this all too well. Julia dances, twists, and enchants the crowd on the liveliest numbers. On “Grizzly Bear,” the bass flexes its muscles, the keyboards revel, while the keyboardist launches into a vocal that echoes Daft Punk. But tonight’s show isn’t solely looking backward: “Monroe” and “Karaoke Bar,” the two singles from their forthcoming album, bring a fever that’s more danceable, almost funky. The staples “Big Jet Plane” and “Chateau” don’t let the flame they’ve sparked within us burn out. Between the wistfulness of the harmonica and the vigor of the banjo, Angus & Julia Stone have decided not to choose… to our great pleasure.
Goodbye to My Santa Monica Dream
The group salutes the audience and steps off the stage before returning in a two-person format. Two voices, two guitars, a blue backdrop that echoes the Pacific, and the sound of fingers brushing familiar arpeggios. Face to face, the ballad “Santa Monica Dream” stretches out like the arms of an endless sea, initially instrumental and shy. Then brother and sister stand side by side to sing the evening’s most touching song. In this suspended moment, minutes drift by… and it’s already time to say goodbye after an hour and a half of show.
More intimate than ever, Angus & Julia Stone revisited their repertoire with the same fervor and sensitivity. In an industry that sometimes feels too polished and standardized, this kind of concert is precious. It reminds us that there are two kinds of artists: those who play through their albums, and those who, year after year, manage to breathe new life into them. No need to tell you which category the Australians belong to, nor remind you that an album is due in September, and that we’re all eagerly awaiting a new tour to follow it!
