Brisbane’s K Mak (Kathryn McKee) performs in the decrepit, almost ruinous, Summerhall Demonstration Room (at one point a large drop of water fell from the ceiling onto this reviewer’s notepad) in a show called ‘K Mak At The Planetarium’. It’s a theatrical experience, and an immersive one, but essentially it’s a gig.

She makes the most of this contrary setting to her show by transporting a disappointingly small audience into another universe with the help of  projected digital animations that are as much a part of the show as the beautiful ethereal music that she and her three band members create on cello, violin and drums (she’s on keys), and she even credits her sound and light engineer as her fifth band member, which is appropriate as the show would be very different without their very special effects.

Stylistically she sits alongside the magnificent Fever Ray with a side dish of Bjork and Anna Meredith. This makes for a very delicious meal. It’s clearly a success because she has collaborated with both Eminem and Kanye.

Fitting with the theme of traveling the universe she’s resplendent as the captain of the spacecraft in a silver space like suit throughout her 17-song set.

The graphics are sublime and create an immersive experience that engenders a feeling of birth, discovery, and exploration with images that include the Apollo 11 launch, nerve synapses, volcanic eruptions, and flowers exploding into life in often psychedelic or kaleidoscopic movement, all presented via a circular projection that engulfs the band and resembles a great big ocular portal (indeed eyes feature more than once in the animations).

So, is this gig cum theatrical experience all about sight and insight?  You’ll have to make your own mind up. It’s a highly polished performance, in a great setting, that deserves a larger audience.

‘K Mak at the Planetarium’ is at Summerhall – Demonstration Room until Sun 24 Aug 2025 at various times