![\"Vyshnavee](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/fd6da7c2c9df8019c9b0da41b56c04c6f2fc4210.png\")
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October 11, 2026 \u2014 1:07pm<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n No gift articles left<\/p>\n You’ve used all of your gift articles. 3 more will become available on the 1st of every month.<\/p>\n Close<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n It\u2019s Saturday afternoon, and we\u2019re here to celebrate a birthday. Fitzroy\u2019s The Night Cat normally comes to life when the sun has gone down, but today is different. Around me, I can see parents with their children on their shoulders or in front of them to ensure they get a good view, as I hold my toddler in my arms for the same reason.<\/p>\n The Yolngu rapper and dancer bursts onto the stage, his signature braids flying. \u201cAre you guys ready to party with Baker Boy?,\u201d he asks. He shakes the hands of young fans in the front row, crouching down and rapping to connect to them at their level. The electric guitar roars and drums pound as he launches into Biggest Mob, setting the tone for an electrifying set.<\/p>\n We\u2019re all here to mark his 30th birthday, and the one-year anniversary of his sophomore album Djandjay. After this all-ages gig, Baker Boy \u2014 real name Danzal James Baker \u2013 will follow on with another for an 18+ crowd.<\/p>\n The Night Cat is where the album campaign was first launched, so it feels full circle to celebrate this momentous occasion here. After touring the album nationally across April and May this year, he also released a deluxe edition in August with additional tracks Disappear, Curse and Yol\u014bu Fever. Djandjay is named after his grandmother and an octopus spirit that guides souls into the afterlife.<\/p>\n Baker Boy\u2019s artistry is recognisable for its approach to celebrating pride in culture and community. He\u2019s won multiple ARIA Awards and received an Order of Australia medal for his work. He seamlessly integrates Yol\u014bu Matha (a traditional Aboriginal language from northeast Arnhem Land) and the yidaki into his music.<\/p>\n He\u2019s also brought yidaki into the mainstream through collaborations with other artists: it was featured in his performance with Snoop Dog at the 2025 AFL Grand Final and live renditions of Keli Holiday\u2019s hit Dancing2.<\/p>\n Throughout the set, he effortlessly joins in with the band playing the yidaki, in between dancing and rapping \u2013 and when synced with the electric guitar, it brings the heat.<\/p>\n One young fan showed their adoration by holding up a hand-drawn sign with the rapper\u2019s name, another handed him a wrapped birthday gift with a picture of the rapper with a yidaki on top.<\/p>\n The children ranged from tweens to teenagers; my daughter, who is 2\u00bd years old, plus another baby carried by a parent, were two of the youngest in the audience. The kids were engrossed by Baker Boy\u2019s performance, surprisingly bearing through the heat in the packed room and cheering on his dance moves.<\/p>\n Related Article The stage production mirrors the Djandjay album cover, with dried reeds encasing the musicians and platform. The crowd raps along to the lyrics, jumping, and raising and clapping their hands to the beat, matching Baker Boy\u2019s energy. During Peacekeeper, he flips the mic towards a young fan who recites the verses verbatim. The rapper raises his eyebrows, impressed by his skills.<\/p>\n At the end, his guitarist cheekily states that there\u2019s only one song left to sing, leading the crowd into Happy Birthday.<\/p>\n He stays behind after the show to take selfies with fans. I hear one young child tell their parents in excitement that Baker Boy shook their hand twice. As we walk back to the car, I hear my two-year-old daughter utter \u201cBaker Boy\u201d, and it heartens me to know there are local artists like this for future generations to look up to.<\/p>\n The Booklist is a weekly newsletter for book lovers from Jason Steger. Get it delivered every Friday<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Baker](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/27a494a91ede1485f075a76eca55a795849b447b.jpeg\")
Baker Boy performs his second show of the day at the Night Cat, October 10, 2026. Martin Philbey<\/p>\n![\"Baker](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/7ec648a276b1d22cdda495c696ecad9188dd8382.jpeg\")
Baker Boy has brought yidaki into the mainstream.Martin Philbey<\/p>\n![\"Mizuki](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/21f8cc925f15230de00833c374b1d6fe711af5d8.jpeg\")
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