South Africa’s top bands and artists will perform live acoustic sets this winter for the return of Two Oceans Aquarium’s After Dark concert series. This monthly live music event in Cape Town promises an intimate setting and runs in collaboration with Texx and the City. the aquarium plays host, offering unforgettable evenings that bring together the worlds of music and marine life.
The June to September lineup includes Coasters and Blue Vow, Metro Villa and Yellow House, Steve McKellar and Tessi, Mila Smith, and Micaela Kleinsmith, all delivering special stripped-down performances.
Music meets marine life for this intimate gathering
The After Dark concert series takes place in an otherworldly, watery setting, lending a blue glow to the atmosphere and welcoming some unlikely audience members. Doors open at 6.30pm giving guests enough time to explore the aquarium before the first act starts at 8pm, and the second act on at 9pm.
The Two Oceans Aquarium’s I&J Ocean Exhibit is home to large rays, mussel crackers, green sea turtles, indigenous fishes, and many more marine animals. Plus the enormous tanks and tunnels create a truly immersive experience.
Tickets are limited, so advance booking is highly essential. A cash bar is available, and food can be purchased before the event and during the interval.
Here are all the upcoming bands and artists for After Dark 2024
Blue Vow and Coasters
Blue Vow
Drawing influence from slow-burning ambience to more violent, noise-driven entities, Chelsea Ann Peter, aka Blue Vow plays with sound to exorcise her dissection of and attempt to comprehend inner and outer worlds. Her debut album, ‘Sunfall’ (2022), and her forthcoming album ‘Death of a Big Black Dog’, set to release in 2024, sink fully into the dark and the light, finding their pulse where the two forces meet.
Coasters
Coasters is an indie, electro-pop, and psych-rock duo who released their debut album, ‘Heartbreak Looks Good On You’ in 2023 and appears regularly at festivals and venues throughout the Mother City. They’re currently organising a debut European tour. They’ve also opened for Jeremy Loops and Will Linley.
Cost: R395pp, book here
When: Wednesday, 26 June. Doors open at 6.30pm with the first act on stage at 8pm, and the second act on at 9pm
Where: The Two Oceans Aquarium, Dock Road, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
Yellow House and Metro Villa
Yellow House
As Van Gogh’s painting of the Yellow House contrasts bright shades of yellow with deep blue, Yellow House’s work encapsulates light and dark. While juxtaposing folk ideologies with Dream Pop’s ethereal nature, it’s also grounded by a rhythm section inspired by R&B and Hip-Hop. The upcoming album, ‘Psalms of Yellow House’ promises to build upon this ethos.
Metro Villa
This alternative rock band has been making its mark in the local scene since 2021 and won Texx and the City’s ‘Band Or Bust Vol. 1’ in 2023. They have shared the stage with South African legends such as aKING, Fokofpolisiekar (Woordfees 2023), and Desmond and the Tutus.
Cost: R395pp, book here
When: Wednesday, 31 July. Doors open at 6.30pm with the first act on stage at 8pm, and the second act on at 9pm
Where: The Two Oceans Aquarium, Dock Road, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
Micaela Kleinsmith and Mila Smith
Micaela Kleinsmith
Micaela Kleinsmith is a former SA Idols contestant and the winner of ‘My Kind Of Country,’ an American country music competition television series featuring international competitors. In her three-track EP Butterfly (2023), she uses her voice as her main instrument to convey a multitude of emotions and uses a butterfly motif symbolising love and self-actualisation.
Mila Smith
Mila is a 19-year-old singer/songwriter signed to Platoon (an artist services, A&R, and music distribution company owned by Apple Inc). She presents a soulful heart-on-sleeve sound and soaring emotional vocals that express a maturity and storytelling ability beyond her young years. Mila’s first single ‘Liars and Fakes,’ a disco-pop anthem, reached number 1 on the 5fm SA Top 10 charts for three weeks running.
Cost: R395pp, book here
When: Tuesday, 27 August. Doors open at 6.30pm with the first act on stage at 8pm, and the second act on at 9pm
Where: The Two Oceans Aquarium, Dock Road, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
Steve David McKellar and Tessi
Steve David McKellar
Steven Dayvid McKellar is a South Africa-born US-based musician and published poet, best known as the former guitarist and lead singer-songwriter for the rock band Civil Twilight. Steven’s vocals are characterized by an eerie falsetto that can be compared to Jeff Buckley and Thom Yorke. He left Civil Twilight in 2016 to pursue a solo career, releasing his debut album ‘Etherealize’ in 2019.
Tessi Nandi
Durban’s 18-year-old singer and multi-instrumentalist Tessi Nandi describes music as her constant companion from a young age. Her 7th official single, ‘Time is a Thief’, is a soulful offering expressing the bittersweet reality of friendships, and combines RnB, Pop and Jazz.
Cost: R395pp, book here
When: Wednesday, 25 September. Doors open at 6.30pm with the first act on stage at 8pm, and the second act on at 9pm
Where: The Two Oceans Aquarium, Dock Road, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
