The soundtrack to memory, magic, & mayhem: Isaac Theatre Royal
Nothing catapults you through time quite like music.
few chords, a familiar lyric, and suddenly you’re back in a moment: a dance floor, a road trip, a heartbreak, a first kiss, your favourite artist playing on the Isaac Theatre Royal (ITR) stage. Music connects us to people, places, and memories in a way nothing else can. That’s its power — to stir, to shift, to stick.
New Zealand Music Month kicks off at the ITR in fierce style with ATOMIC! – Hailing the Pioneering Women of Rock on Friday 2 May. Julia Deans (Fur Patrol), Boh Runga (Stellar*), and Dianne Swann (The Cats Away) join forces to celebrate the trailblazers who shattered glass ceilings with guitars – think Blondie, Eurythmics, Patti Smith, and Joan Jett. “These women didn’t just sing – they howled, they haunted, they roared. And in their wake, they left a legacy of loud, fearless rebellion,” marketing and development manager Bianca Lindstrom says.
The stage stays hot through the month, including The Michael Jackson HIStory Show on 10 May, and closing with a true icon – Alison Moyet, live on 26 and 27 May. “With a career spanning four decades, from her Yazoo synth-pop roots to her rich solo work, Alison’s voice has weathered time with elegance and depth – smoky, soulful, and instantly recognisable,” Bianca explains.
We’re not done there.“We’re stretching the Music Month into June with the Neil Young Come Together Series: Live Rust on Thursday 12 June. A tribute to one of music’s greatest poets, featuring some of Aotearoa’s most beloved voices.
Finally, the cherry on our kiwi-music sundae, Fly My Pretties, performing Saturday 14 June. “A rotating collective of the country’s best musicians, this iconic act is a sonic love letter to Aotearoa.
If you’ve never seen them live, now’s your chance. If you have – you know what magic awaits.” This May (and a little beyond), let music take you somewhere…
To celebrate, rock your favourite New Zealand band tee on 2 May. Because whether it’s Six60 or Shihad, Lorde or The Chills, your go-to band says something about who you are – and who you were when you found them.
