Take It To The Bridge – Amplify Aotearoa at Clarence Street Theatre was one of those nights where you could feel the future of Kiwi music humming in the walls. A full 2.5‑hour celebration of classic Aotearoa hits, the show brought together iconic musicians and rangatahi bands in a genuinely intergenerational jam session. School and youth bands from across Kirikiriroa shared the stage with legends including Jason Kerrison, Nathan King, Andrew McLennan, Jesse O’Brien, Harry Lyon and Hollie Smith.

From the first chord, the vibe was electric. The young performers weren’t just “holding their own” – they were absolutely owning it. You could see the mentorship in action: confident vocals, tight rhythm sections, and grins that only come from playing shoulder‑to‑shoulder with the very musicians who wrote the songs they grew up hearing. Amplify Aotearoa’s kaupapa is all about showing rangatahi that their stories matter, and that creativity is a real pathway and, on this stage, that belief was loud and clear.

The show also premiered brand‑new collaborative music videos featuring Jordan Luck, Harry Haralambi and Don McGlashan, created especially for the project. These tracks, reimagined classics recorded in studio sessions with the youth bands, will be among the once pressed onto a limited‑edition vinyl featuring artwork by Chris Knox, Dick Frizzell and Otis Frizzell, making the whole project feel like a living piece of Kiwi music history.

Every frame captures that magic: the nerves, the joy, the mentorship, the absolute thrill of young musicians stepping into the spotlight with their heroes. It wasn’t just a gig, it was a passing of the torch, a celebration of where our music has been, and where it’s heading next.

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