DAPPER, gentlemanly, and with a rather strange musical contraption strapped to his back, Uptown Brown will look quite a sight in Ballarat this weekend.
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The self-described “anachronism” and one-man band has been making waves in Melbourne’s street performance scene of late, after returning from a tour taking in the likes of Paris, Berlin and Marakesh.
But this weekend he will be bringing his unique brand of 1920s to 1950s musical performance to the Ballarat Heritage Weekend, giving spectators a taste of something curious.
Uptown Brown’s impressive “Goodtimes Gyratorscope”, which he built himself and allows him to play a number of instruments at once, is sure to raise a few eyebrows.
“I’m a jazz musician and a saxophone player, and I built the machine a few years back. These things are never finished,” he said.
“It’s a one man band and every one man band is a little different, they tend to become pretty individual, using their specific skill sets to their maximum.”
Uptown Brown said while he loved mid 20th century performers like Fats Waller, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and Charley Patton, he was “not a nostalgic”.
“I’m more just doing what appeals to me,” he said.
“I guess it is time travel in a way. With the modern age you can probably find out more now about 1920s music now than if you were living in the 1920s. So we can cherry pick our favourites.”
He said his own musical idols were one-man bands from the Great Depression who did it out of necessity, such as Jesse Fuller.
But his own style is something that, decades later, draws intrigue whichever street he finds himself performing in.
“People get different things out of it, Older people know some of the songs I play, kids won’t know the tunes but will be fascinated by the mechanics of it, whereas ladies find the whole thing very romantic.”
Uptown Brown will perform at the Mining Exchange this Saturday and Sunday at 10am. Entry is free.