With summer well over the horizon and India’s gig calendar quickly heating up, Jameson Glassware’s new event series — Jameson Connects — kicked off on May 27th with a titanic 4-act roster of performances, celebrating Mumbai’s burgeoning music scene and rich cultural diversity.

Set in the lush backdrop of the Lalit Lawns, Mumbai, the event opened to a Saturday evening crowd excited to let their hair down and soak in some truly fantastic music. Jameson Glassware’s nostalgic presence was all over the place with an exciting lounge space complete with foosball, snooker, and tattoo artists, curated pop-ups and plenty of photo-ops to enjoy — offering one of most dynamic set venues Mumbai has seen in recent times.

The opening act was Mumbai-based, genre-agnostic multi-instrumentalist Gandhar, who brought his particular blend of FKJ and Daft Punk-inspired live production to the forefront. Playing with guitar-heavy loops and emotive vocals, the 24-year-old continued his hot streak of groovy, energetic sets — giving Mumbai a first taste of Jameson Connects as we headed further into the evening.

The crowd continued to grow as the sun set over Jameson Connects’ several attractions, as the pool-table lounge and great food on offer kept us pepped up for the next act; a heady performance from Bengaluru-based funk phenoms T.ill APES. Rapper Hanumankind electrified eventgoers with his usual brand of crowdwork, setting the stage on fire with a host of classics from their debut EP, Lift Off. Bassist Soorya Praveen came crashing down with a host of slick solos, as Gautam David wove in stunning neo-soul sax riffs, sending the crowd roaring with songs like World Domination and a special unreleased single.

Our personal favourite set of the evening played out next, as Sanaya Ardeshir AKA Sandunes set up a dramatic, powerful performance with a one-two vocalist punch. Through multiple electro-pop bangers, Ardeshir invited fellow musician RANJ to set the stage on fire, building up to an epic crescendo as Kavya Trehan took over the mic for the last track, Follow Me, ending one of the best live sets we’ve seen this summer.

Capping off the evening with a dulcet, relaxed set by Ambika Nayak AKA Kayan, we relaxed to some of her latest original tunes, backed by a talented group of background dancers and gorgeous visuals. We also enjoyed browsing Hop Head and Sazo’s delightfully funky fits and The Revolver Club’s cratedigging pop-up; giving us a further peek into Jameson Glassware’s push for homegrown brands.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kartik Mohindra, Chief Marketing Officer, Pernod Ricard India, said, “Jameson Connects celebrates the fabric of a city’s culture, the threads that bind us together and make us who we are. Through this initiative, we want to create a space where people can come as they are and connect with others. With one of its kind line-up that supports local talent and celebrates communities, we are excited to take the Jameson Connects experience to more cities.”

In a nutshell, the event was an all-round success, adding another notch to Jameson Glassware’s growing list of exciting celebrations of homegrown bands and artists. Jameson Connects brings a whole new flavour to the brand’s epic list of events; we’re thrilled to see more cities join in and #SupportTheLocalScene.