What originally began as a push to back local venues, musicians and business through the quiet of winter, Leaps and Bounds Music Festival continues to nurture our thriving music community, showcasing homegrown talent from up and coming locals, to internationally acclaimed artists alike. Leaps and Bounds Music Festival brings the warmth that our thriving music community inevitably craves at this time of year, and provides continued support to local artists, venues, and businesses with a smorgasbord of gigs to suit any punter's palate. Leaps and Bounds is a venues focused live music festival that specifically showcases home grown talent and in music venues and music outlets across the City of Yarra. It nurtures the next generation of musicians, celebrates the unique Australian music voice of our musical legends and makes connections for audiences. There are gigs to suit music fans of every genre from electronic to hip hop and jazz to rock, for all age groups and every budget, including many free gigs. The Festival is commissioned by Yarra City Council. The excellent Leaps and Bounds Music Festival means gigs galore this week. See Cosmo's Midnight play an all-ages matinee at the Corner on Friday at 1.30pm ($25+bf); the LISTEN collective host a Beer X Bands show with Glovv at the Pinnacle Hotel, Friday 8.30pm (free); the irrepressible Penny Ikinger, Little Desert, Ms.45 and Ov Pain rule The Yarra Hotel on Friday at 8pm ($10/$15). Once you've done all that you can recover with bowls and bargains at the Fitzroy Bowls Record Fair, with selected vinyl sellers offering new, second-hand and collectable records from the 1950s to now. Nab the right record to have a crack at doing a “sleeveface”, as above.