NEW YORK’S “BEST DOWNTOWN PERFORMANCE ARTIST” (VILLAGE VOICE), JOSEPH KECKLER RETURNS TO AUSTRALIA FOR PERTH FESTIVAL, ADELAIDE FRINGE, OPERA QLD, AND MORE
“Joseph Keckler is one of the most unique performers you will ever see. His versatility seems boundless, yet completely purposeful and focused. I was absolutely enthralled with his incredible voice, magnificent piano playing, experimental performance style, and dry sense of humour. He’s a total one-off.” — Tex Perkins
“Joseph Keckler – a gorgeous and seductive evocation detailing the trials, tribulations and perversity of mad love and a life lived outside the restrictive boundaries that every outsider rebels against.” — Lydia Lunch
“Phenomenal. Major vocal talent… with a range that shatters the boundaries… and a trickster’s dark humour.” — The New York Times
Following the announcement late last year of iconoclastic New York performer and singer-songwriter Joseph Keckler’s return to Australia in February, the supports for his Melbourne and Sydney shows have now been revealed:
- Feb 20 – Brunswick Ballroom, Melbourne: Supporting Joseph will be Rosie Westbrook, a contemporary composer, multi-instrumentalist, and performer renowned for hauntingly evocative, cinematic music. Rosie has contributed soundtracks to film and TV, and performed with Mick Harvey, Spencer P Jones, Sean Kelly, and Rob Snarski.
- Feb 23 – The Vanguard, Sydney: Joining Joseph will be D.C. Cross, an instrumental guitarist formerly of Sydney trailblazers Gerling and folk-noir duo Jep and Dep. Cross specializes in the fingerstyle hybrid Australian Ecstatic Guitar, blending influences from Leo Kottke, John Fahey, and Nick Drake while forging a unique Australian perspective.
ABOUT JOSEPH KECKLER
Once crowned “Best Downtown Performance Artist” in New York City by The Village Voice, Joseph Keckler captivates audiences with his magnetic stage presence, strange mind, and extraordinary vocal range.
Operating somewhere between opera, art, and rock ‘n’ roll, Keckler has been praised by The New York Times as a “major talent who shatters conventional boundaries.”
He has performed for NPR’s Tiny Desk series, Lincoln Center, and toured the U.S. as a support act for Sleater-Kinney and Animal Collective.
In March 2024, Joseph first toured Australia as part of a double bill with No Wave New York icon Lydia Lunch, winning audiences over with his extraordinary voice, haunting ballads, captivating storytelling, and uniquely absurd arias about love, ghosts, and hallucinatory escapades.
Joseph’s past Australian performances include sold-out shows at the Melbourne Recital Centre, OHM Fest in Brisbane, Phoenix Central Park, The Great Club in Sydney, MONA Museum, and Byron Theatre. He also hosted RAGE.
Returning this February, Joseph will perform a mix of new songs alongside beloved pieces from his previous tour.
“Tantalizing… dynamic… with magnetism and poise so high that he seems to have been born on stage.” — The Village Voice
“Riveting and beautifully absurd, Keckler singlehandedly has the power and chops to legitimately modernize a dying artform.” — The Huffington Post
“A gifted composer, poet, and musician. The gifted young Brooklyn-based singer resists categorization.” — Opera News
“His timing is impeccable, his wit is sharp… Keckler himself is the masterpiece.” — Brooklyn Rail



AN EVENING WITH JOSEPH KECKLER
- FRI 14 & SAT 15 FEB: Opera QLD – TIX
- THURS 20 FEB: Brunswick Ballroom, Melbourne, w/ Rosie Westbrook – TIX
- FRI 21 FEB: Theatre Royal, Hobart – TIX
- SAT 22 FEB: The Music Lounge, Wollongong – TIX
- SUN 23 FEB: The Vanguard, Sydney, w/ D.C. Cross – TIX
- THURS 27 FEB: Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide Town Hall – TIX
- FRI 28 FEB & SAT 1 MAR: Perth Festival – TIX