The Go Janes + Great Aunt + Akemi
6:30pm Doors, 7:30pm Show
Advance tickets can only be purchased online-we do not sell advance tickets at the venue. Refunds are not available within 48 hours of the event. Tickets do not guarantee seating during shows at the Royal Room.
We are now accepting reservations for diners! After purchasing tickets, please visit the Royal Room Reservation page to book a table. Table reservations require advance tickets, and are only for guests who plan to dine at the Royal Room. We do not take reservations over the phone.
Seating for non-diners is first come, first served. Please arrive early to guarantee a seat!
The Royal Room is All Ages until 10pm.
The Go Janes feature ukulele, guitar, and generous doses of delicious harmony vocals on songs from the long view of life.
“Our writing ranges from tender and sweet tributes to our shared humanity, to songs exploring how weird it is that magicians used to (pretend to) saw women in half for entertainment. From monkey-infested golf courses in India, and what that teaches us about how to greet life’s challenges, to letting go of our independent children, and losing those we love in more lasting ways. Along the way we pay homage to our ancestors and to our own and each others’ most idiosyncratic selves. And there are knife-throwers, and howling dogs, and how the pandemic made us fight with each other and ourselves.”
There’s stomping feet and clapping hands, bombastic bass drum and resonator, mandolin and double bass, and soaring harmonies aplenty – the combinations are instantly recognisable as the music of Great Aunt.
Winners of the 2024 Folk Alliance Australia Artist of the Year (Duo) award, Great Aunt is a collaboration between songwriters Megan Bird (mandolin, resonator, acoustic guitar, vocals) and Chelsea Allen (double bass, vocals, percussion). Their music draws inspiration from the traditions of folk, bluegrass, and country music, with a gleeful nod to the pair’s diverse, individual careers in punk, jazz, soul, and rock.
The duo has delighted audiences at some of Australia’s finest music and arts festivals, including Woodford Folk Festival, Blue Mountains Music Festival, Yackandandah Folk Festival, and Deni Ute Muster, and toured extensively within the United States of America. They have shared stages with notable acts including Adeem the Artist (US), Joe Crookston (US), Vika & Linda Bull (AUS), The Weeping Willows (AUS), Sue Ray (AUS), Smith and Jones (AUS), Mary Flower (USA), Paisley Fields (USA), Wiley Gaby (USA), The Belle Miners (CAN), Kerryn Fields (NZ), and more.
Great Aunt have recently returned from their third tour of the US, and are currently busy in their studio, producing and recording their debut full-length album, ‘It’s All Downhill From Here’ – due for release in 2025. In 2024, the duo released two singles, ‘Freeburgh’ and ‘What’s A Girl To Do Now?’ (which featured at the top of the AMRAP Regional Radio chart over multiple weeks) – both are available on all streaming services, Bandcamp, and YouTube.
Akemi 明海 (she/they) aka Reese T is a Yonsei artist and activist; born on the island of O’ahu, raised between Hawai’i and Illinois, and migrated to Seattle in 2007. Their musical projects span the range of genres from folkgrass (Lavender Lucy) to big band swing (Rain City Jazz Orchestra) to eclectic electric (trashyQ panda) and includes their recent solo work under the moniker, Akemi 明海 . Reese is the Managing Director of Northwest Folklife, a Seattle-based cultural arts and heritage organization, whose mission is: “To create opportunities for all to celebrate, share, and participate in the evolving cultural traditions of the Pacific Northwest.” In February 2025, they took over ownership of the Royal Room, a beloved venue in South Seattle. She is also active in cultural stewardship and organizing, serving on the boards of Local Learning: The National Network for Folk Arts In Education and Folk Alliance Region (FAR) – West, and she participates on the Advocacy Committee of the Pacific NW Chapter of the Recording Academy.