Rai Thistlethwayte at the Red Room @ Cafe 939

Australian songwriter and musician Rai Thistlethwayte grew up in Sydney with a mother who taught classical piano and a father who played bass and guitar in local rock bands. Due to their influence, he developed an appreciation for a wide variety of music including classical, rock, pop, and jazz. After high school, he received a scholarship to the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where he studied jazz piano. Before finishing the program, however, Thistlethwayte signed his first record deal with Columbia Records in the United States, only to be released from his contract during a management shake-up. He returned to Australia and started Thirsty Merc, a rock band that, over the next 10 years, released three successful albums.

After the third album with Thirsty Merc, Thistlethwayte took a break to focus on writing music that incorporated jazz and his other early influences. After a move to Los Angeles in 2012, he started writing and performing extensively, opening for artists Bernhoft and Oh Land and attracting the attention of the L.A. music community. He released three EPs under the moniker Sun Rai as well as an album of live studio recordings before deciding to release music under his given name. Now he has a new album due for release later in 2016. He's also currently touring Australia with Thirsty Merc, promoting a new album.

Admission: $10 in advance / $12 day of show (standing room only)