June 18th, 2026Songwriter shares songs, stories and life
Central Highlands songwriter Glenn Musto will present a special afternoon performance at The Cosmopolitan Hotel in Trentham, blending live music, storytelling and reflections gathered across more than 30 years of songwriting, touring and creative life later this month.
Known for his work with cult Australian indie bands Showbag!, The Nordeens and College Fall, Glenn has spent decades performing throughout Australia and Europe while building a reputation for emotionally honest songs that sit somewhere between indie rock, folk and lo-fi storytelling.
Today, he lives among the forests of Victoria’s Central Highlands, operating an animal sanctuary and writing music from a small cabin studio surrounded by rescued animals and native wildlife.
The Trentham performance will offer something beyond a traditional live show. Alongside original songs spanning his career, Glenn will share stories from a life immersed in music.
Tales of late night share houses and lo-fi recordings. Touring Europe in battered vans. Supporting musical heroes. Learning to write songs in a world that did not always make space for emotional openness. And ultimately finding his way back to Country, community and a slower, more connected life.
The show will also feature songs that have shaped Musto’s own creative journey, with performances of influential works that helped form his distinctive songwriting voice.
“Music has always been about connection for me,” Glenn says.
“Not just connecting people to the performer, but helping people reconnect with themselves. Some of my favourite concerts are the ones where a story leads into a song and suddenly the whole room understands why that song exists.”
The performance comes at a particularly significant time, following the recent return of Showbag!, who played their first shows in more than two decades and released their comeback album Waterhouse earlier this year.
While those recent events have reconnected Glenn with his musical past, the Trentham show focuses equally on where the songs have ultimately led.
“Living on country and caring for animals every day has changed my understanding of creativity. The sanctuary gave me a chance to step away from the identity I’d built as a musician and discover who I was without it. Ironically, that journey brought me back to music in a much deeper way.”
Glenn will perform the free show at the Cosmo Hotel on Saturday, June 20 from 3pm to 5pm.
Words: Contributed | Link: www.glennmusto.net | Image: Chris O’Halloran
