Dope Lemon wows at Forum Melbourne

Under the fake Florentine interiors and starry night sky of the Forum Theatre in Melbourne, Dope Lemon — aka Angus Stone — captured the crowd in a memorable performance on the Australian leg of his tour on September 14.

Previously part of sibling duo Angus & Julia Stone, he leads this Australian solo project with the help of several charismatic characters.

Dope Lemon didn’t shy away from the limelight, with each musician performing in large-brimmed cowboy hats and rusty-maroon suits — unity that mimicked a uniform.

Dope Lemon and band performing at the Forum on September 14.
PHOTO: Ilana Cohen

The audience was absorbed by kaleidoscopic imagery and swirling colours on the backdrop, while cat mascots danced on either side of the stage.

Straying away from the pop-folky sounds that put Angus & Julia Stone on the map, Dope Lemon transcends towards the psychedelic indie rock tunes that characterise Melbourne’s music and festival scene.

The night merged reality and fantasy as he performed, with fans inching closer and closer to the stage seemingly itching to take in more of the ethereal sounds he was conjuring.

The fan favourites were "Marinade", "Uptown Folks" and "Rose Pink Cadillac". The band on stage appeared to merely lead the audience to sing along and carry the tune, with the energy in the room almost overpowering the volume of the band.

The swaggy citrus band getting its groove on.
PHOTO: Ilana Cohen

Although Dope Lemon’s musical genre differs greatly from his roots in the Stone duo, his unique vocal talent is unwavering. The sibling pair decided to go their separate ways to focus on producing solo work. But since their split, the pair have reunited several times to create music together for their long-term fans.

The concert was an opportunity for Dope Lemon to debut new tracks "Miami Baby" and "Kimosabè" from his album Kimosabè, released in Australia last month.