In the hustle and bustle of Brisbane, a good cold brew is like liquid gold — or at least it can be priced that way. And, even if you're constantly on the lookout for a good caffeine fix, that won't always fit into the budget. Luckily, coffee roaster Industry Beans is celebrating the second birthday of its Newstead store with a special giveaway. From Thursday, September 23–Saturday, September 25, the chain is offering up 1000 of its famed cold brews for free. All you need to do is head in to either Industry Beans' Newstead or Adelaide Street outposts, and make a purchase. You can head down before work on Thursday or Friday — or, if you have a big night planned to start the weekend, set a reminder for yourself Saturday morning. That's when an ice-cold coffee might just be what you need to bring yourself back to life.
For some, Christmas is a time of candy canes, glittering tinsel and family celebrations. For others, it isn't. Whether your loved ones are in another city, or this time of year brings sad memories, or you're just not that keen on making a big deal out of it, there are three things that everyone can enjoy: burgers, frites and beer. From 6pm on Christmas Eve, that's what Fritzenberger will be offering up at their first Orphan's Christmas. And while yes, they do serve up all of the above on every other day of the year, their cheerful festive shindig is also about bringing people together — plus games, drinks and specials. Dinner consists of a $20 burg, fries and brew deal, while Secret Santa will give everyone a gift, and occasion-appropriate beverages will be flowing. Join in the fun, or just enjoy some meat between two slices of bread, hot potato slivers and a yeasty tipple — the choice is yours.
Among the many dilapidated warehouses and factories, Milton has been building up quite the bevy of local craft beer brewers with several packed in around the glow of the giant XXXX factory. But if beer isn't quite your thing, lovers of spirits can now rejoice with the appearance of newly opened rum bar, The Malecón. Soon to be slinging drinks made from spirits produced on-site, the Cuban-inspired spot is a much-needed addition to Brisbane's spirit scene. For one special free event, much-loved Caribbean rum producer The House of Angostura is taking over the place with leading Brisbane-born barkeep Dan Gregory serving his award-winning cocktails throughout the evening. Gregory took home first place at the Australian final of the Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge in 2017 and has been the brains behind the drinks in popular hotspots like the Black Pearl, Eau de Vie and Brisbane's own Canvas Club. Making use of a variety of Angostura rum and bitters, Dan will be serving up classic rum-based cocktails alongside some experimental drinks that'll pack a few surprises. You could play it straight with a rum-spiked old fashioned, or switch it up with a yuzu mule — among others. Keeping the night lively, Afro Caribbean DJs Sabrosa Sound System will also be laying out a soundtrack of Latin, Caribbean and African beats that'll pair perfectly with a few rum-fuelled cocktails. The House of Angostura x The Malecon Takeover will run from 6pm–11pm on Sunday, June 3. Entry is free. For more information head to the website. Images: Grace Smith
For 17 years, iconic live music venue The Zoo has been owned and operated by the kind of figures the industry needs more of. That'd be ladies. With Pixie Weyand taking the reigns from long-time owner Joc Curran, the Ann Street haunt isn't going to stop showcasing the women who work in the music biz — and with Girls to the Front!, its not going to stop celebrating them on stage, either. Launched earlier in 2017, The Zoo's ongoing series does exactly what it promises, and it's certain to do it with enthusiasm, fun and an ace onslaught of sounds. For this instalment, join Montaigne, IVEY, Ella Fence, May Lyn and GNIGHTZ for an evening dedicated to the strong, talented females tearing up the Australian scene. Plus, there'll also be an art show on the night, extending the event's focus on ace ladies doing creative things. Image: Montaigne / Greg Holland Photography
The black parade is coming back to Brisbane — finally. After their attempt to head to our shores in 2020 was thwarted due to the pandemic, and then their rescheduled 2022 dates as well, the reunited My Chemical Romance is making 2023 the year they hit the River City. The dates to get excited about: Monday, March 13–Tuesday, March 14. The third time is set to prove the charm for Gerard Way and co, and for music lovers eager to grab their eyeliner, don every black piece of clothing in their wardrobe, relive their angsty emo teenage years and let out three cheers. The new tour will mark more than a decade since MCR last came to Australia for the 2012 Big Day Out — and comes after the US group went their separate ways in 2013, then reformed in 2019. Fans will be pleased to know that MCR are headlining their own shows on this tour, too, rather than leading a festival bill as they were slated to do in 2020. And, they're playing two Brisbane gigs — both at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Back in late 2019, when MCR announced that they were literally getting the band back together, they sold out their first reunion gig in Los Angeles quick smart — and tickets to their Australian gigs have already proven mighty popular. So, expect to have ample company lapping up 'I'm Not Okay', 'Helena', 'Teenagers', 'I Don't Love You', 'The Foundations of Decay' and more. Top image: My Chemical Romance performing by NBSTwo via Flickr.
Settle into autumn with some of the latest fun-infused classes run by Brisbane's own, The Joynery. As a community-driven initiative, based on the sharing of skills and abilities, you'll be taught some life-enhancing lessons by the best in their field. As the nights become just that little bit crisper, it's very quickly becoming scone weather again. And if you thought the art of making these baked treats was strictly confined to the over 60s, then think again. Gillian from Gillian Bell Cake Girl will be providing a one-hour masterclass on the tips and tricks to baking the perfect scone even Lady Flo would be proud of. If the kitchen is a no-go-zone for you, perhaps The Joynery's bike mechanics workshop is more your scene. From those who shudder at the thought of changing a tyre, to lycra-laced bike junkies, Bike Mechanics: Repairs for the Non-Lycra Set is a workshop for anyone with a set of wheels. Led by mechanical engineer Evan Blair, this one-hour workshop will cover the anatomy of a bicycle and give an idea of all the areas of a bike that require attention. From confidence in the kitchen to scrubbing up on your bike know-how, The Joynery classes are the cheapest ticket in town to a more skilled you.
Sleep, who needs it? Not coffee-loving Brisbanites on Saturday, August 4. After a day spent tucking into coffee-flavoured foods, drinking coffee and other coffee-filled beverages, and just generally saying the word 'coffee' until it begins to lose all meaning, you'll be buzzed right through the evening. Making these caffeinated dreams come true is Bakery Lane's first Craft Coffee Festival, which will feature as many coffee-themed bites and drinks as can reasonably be packed into one laneway. There'll be stalls set up throughout the cosy patch of Fortitude Valley, and the precinct's regular hotspots will also be getting in on the action. With the fest running from 10am–10pm, there'll obviously also be espresso martinis and other coffee-infused cocktails once night hits. From coffee eclairs and crepes with coffee crème, to tiramisu cups and espresso cupcakes, if it has coffee in it, it's probably on the menu thanks to Le Petit Paris Bakery, Cakes & Sh*t, The New Black, Nomnom Korean, Jonny's Pizzeria, TSO Valley Lounge & Dining, Laruche Bar and Bowery Bar — good ol' cuppas with chocolate spoons included. You'll sip, sample, buy beans and watch top baristas do their best, while listening to live tunes from The Fergies and Pink Matter. And yes, if you get a little too pumped, there'll also be decaf. Entry is free, although feeling like you're bathing in coffee — on the inside; sorry, actually soaking in a tub of caffeine isn't on the agenda — will require your wallet.
The Splendid 2011 program is now on the look out for young and passionate creatives to take part in their three-week intensive residency. As part of the residency, young and emerging artists will be mentored and given the opportunity to tour their art works and dream up ideas and creative works for festival audiences as part of The Arts Lab. One of these festivals includes Australia's most beloved festival Splendour in the Grass – as well as three weeks residency in Lismore. To be eligible you need to be under 30 or in the first five years of your practice, which can vary from visual arts, theatre, dance, design, installation, architecture, digital media, sound, text and other creative pursuits. To find out more or to prepare for your application, The Edge will be hosting a Splendid Session. Applications close May 2.
Mention the name Weird Al Yankovic and a pop parody song likely slips into your head. Maybe you're now humming 'Eat It' to yourself, or 'My Bologna' — or perhaps 'Like a Surgeon', 'Another One Rides the Bus', 'Smells Like Nirvana' and 'Amish Paradise' are echoing in your brain. They're some of the musical-comedy tunes the singer is famous for, but they won't be getting a workout on his 2023 Australian tour. First, the exciting news: Weird Al is heading our way in March, including hitting up the Queensland capital as part of a comical whirl around the country. Next, the possibly surprising news: The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour, as it's called, isn't about playing Yankovic's satires of other well-known songs. AUSTRALIA, here I come!!! #TheUnfortunateReturnOfTheRidiculouslySelfIndulgentIllAdvisedVanityTour comes to Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane in March 2023! https://t.co/o0riivPZ37 — Al Yankovic (@alyankovic) November 27, 2022 Instead, the musician is swapping his usual parodies for his other musical-comedy standouts across his 14-album catalogue. Clearly, he has plenty of tracks to choose from — and they'll all be played with his original band of four decades in an intimate, stripped-down show. Don't go expecting costumes, props or video screens, either. This deep cut-focused tour follows Yankovic's successful 2018 and 2022 North American Vanity Tours, which featured sold-out performances at The Kennedy Centre and Carnegie Hall. In Melbourne, he'll be joined by comedian Emo Philips, his The Vidiot From UHF co-star, for two gigs at QPAC's Concert Hall on Monday, March 20 and Tuesday, March 21.
Finding a designated driver on New Year's Eve is not an easy feat — no one's putting their hand up to find a park near the fireworks, South Bank or anywhere near the city. TransLink understands, and is easing the pain of commuting on the big night (slightly) by offering public transport for free. On Tuesday, December 31, all trains, buses, ferries and CityCats will be free from 7.45pm through until 5.30am on Wednesday, January 1. This doesn't apply to the Airtrain, long-distance services or Logan's current Demand Responsive Transport trials, but if you're otherwise travelling within Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, you're in luck. As there will most likely be hordes of people flocking to and from the fireworks, shuttle buses will be running every ten minutes between 5.30–11.30pm inbound from Eight Mile Plains, Carindale and Chermside — and between 8.40–1.30am outbound to the same stops from Ann Street and Woolloongabba. You can check out a comprehensive rundown of New Year's Eve services at the TransLink website. If you're planning a NYE trip on a ferry or CityCat with your dog, though, be aware that your pet pooch won't be allowed onboard after 12 noon. Find more information on the free travel periods here and check for updates on the TransLink website.
If you're a Brisbanite with a healthy appetite, there's only one place to be between Thursday, July 29–Sunday, August 1. Take your rumbling stomach and its yearning for something scrumptious down to James Street — and fill it with tasty treats. Over a four-day period, the New Farm precinct will become a culinary wonderland for the ninth time, once again highlighting the gastronomic delights of the area. That includes devouring delicious dishes and drinks, of course, regardless of what kind of food, beverage or event takes your fancy. And, it also boasts a whole day of market activity. Whichever day you decide to head by, you can hop on the trail. Follow the roadway to a feast of dishes and drinks; think: Greek wine and eats at Hellenika, bar specials at Cru Bar and market specials from Mosconi. Then, come Sunday, more than 25 businesses will unleash their wares, with the lineup spanning everything from wagyu burgers and duck pies to sourdough pizzas and strawberry and cream cakes. Because Gelato Messina calls the neighbourhood home, you'll be able to tuck into two special dessert concoctions, too, with a Snickey Glasses gelato bar and a basque Alaska paddle pop on the menu for the day. Also on the agenda at the picnic-style event: live performances and live music. No wonder the road will be closed between McLachlan and Arthur Streets, with the trail's zone expanding over to Pottery Barn as well.
Tucked away in the newly refurbished Winn Lane in The Valley, Nine Lives Gallery will be hosting an exhibition showcasing the works of two bronzed American artists who both have an interest in photography, surfing and share the same first name. Entitled Peripheral, the show will feature the works of artists Alex Kopps and Alex Knost. Kopps is an extremely talented individual and has work spanning a whole range of mediums including photography, video art, drawing, painting and mixed media (particularly lovely). Peripheral will focus on his more filmic creations, specifically video art and large-scale optical prints of snap shot photography. There will also be a few prints and drawings in the exhibition. Knost is even more of an all-rounder with a background in surfing and music as well as painting and drawing. Despite his varied talents, Knost now focuses more firmly on photography and film, including the creation of an alternative surf flick ‘Beach Blanket Burnout’. There is definitely an underlying theme of surf culture between these two Californian-based artists, but this will not be the immediate focus of this exhibition. Rather, in the case of Peripheral, Kopps and Knost capture the in-between moments and accidents through film and photography. This exhibition is a must-see if diverse and refreshing international contemporary art is your thing. And even if it’s not, you still should check it our anyway because art is good for the soul and this exhibition looks like a good’n.
The theatrical genius that gave you Urinetown is about to give a whole lot more. Don’t Clap, Just Throw Money is hilarity doubled, with a back-to-back feature of prehistoric proportions. Faulty Fanny’s Cabaret sends you back to the golden age of debauchery and divine spectacular of the stage, when the drinks were served straight up to the shady characters downtown. Song and dance, cross-dressing delights and clothes-less surprises, all in the lopsided world that will hold a very real place in the hearts of lovers of modern day theatrics. Things Are Looking Up, the original musical by Louis Peake, takes us back to before the apocalypse, with a glimpse into how the human condition transforms when faced with the end of life. Tongue-in-cheek while being a little too familiar, while being soundtracked by hilarity, it will prove a smash hit among audiences looking for a Tyrannic night out.
Some days, you just need to roll out of bed, grab your picnic basket, head to a sunny patch of grass and listen to Disney songs while looking out over the river. The two days when you can do just that? Saturday, March 4–Sunday, March 5 at South Bank's Riverside Green, with the inner-city precinct hosting two Riverside Melodies sessions. Here, you won't just hear tunes from Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and other Mouse House favourites. You'll be able to sing along as well. And, these daytime events will also survey other movie and Broadway hits, such as Grease, Hairspray, The Sound of Music. From 10am–1pm on both dates, the waterside will be alive with the sound of beloved music, all at a family-friendly affair that'll also include pop-up food and drink vendors doing a brunch menu. Entry is free, and this is just one of two music events happening in the same spot on these two days alongside Sunset Opera each evening.
When The Danger Ensemble decided to stage a run of Hamlet, they clearly took its opening soliloquy a little differently than most. To be a normal version of Shakespeare's famous play, or to give the Bard a shake up? Now that is the question. If the title doesn't give their answer away, then the fact that The Hamlet Apocalypse sends the titular Danish prince into a dystopian scenario might — this isn't your high school rendering of the classic tragedy. Here, seven actors enter the stage, set the production on the eve on an apocalypse and even throw a silent dance party in for good measure. If you've seen the outfit's previous striking works such as Sons of Sin, The Wizard of Oz, Loco Maricon Amor and CALIGULA, or their version of Macbeth earlier this year, then you'll know this is must-see entertainment. If not, you're in for a theatrical treat that'll change the way you look at the iconic play. In the words of the text itself, "though this be madness, yet there is method in't." Image: Morgan Roberts.
Dive into a box of Lego, drink a few beers — it's the kidulting dream. Really, it's the best of both worlds, because getting older doesn't mean farewelling fun. While a dedicated brick bar popped up in Brisbane at the beginning of the year, that's not your only chance to build whatever your heart desires while knocking back tipples. Semi-Pro Brewing is also getting in on the action, hosting a Bricks and Beers night on Thursday, February 28. From 6.30pm, you'll spend an hour working to a theme — and competing to construct the best Lego creation you possibly can. Then, from 7.30pm, it's freestyle time. If you've always wanted to make your mark in tiny plastic blocks, then go forth and do so. Prizes will be awarded for creativity in both categories, and drinks will be flowing. Entry is free, all Lego is supplied, so no need to raid anyone's toy box. But bring your wallet for beverages.
Forget self-help books claiming than men are from one planet and women are from another. If you want to understand the battle of the sexes, you'd best brush up on your Shakespeare. The Bard didn't just have a way with words; he also offered audiences a keen insight into the human condition. Take Much Ado About Nothing, for example. Sure, it's a rom-com filled with bickering and bantering. Yes, it has been turned into a film featuring Keanu Reeves — and another directed by Joss Whedon. Beyond all that, though, it's a clever comedy that gets to the core of matters of the heart. No wonder that the Queensland Theatre Company have chosen to revisit the timeless tale to mark the 400th anniversary of the great playwright's death. Of course, with Jason Klarwein making his main-stage directorial debut, that's not all they're doing. Fancy a dash of starry-eyed lovers combined with a version of OutKast's 'Hey Ya', or a fast-paced relationship rollercoaster mixed with a Hamilton Island-inspired tropical location, anyone? Image: David Kelly.
In this age of Tinder, Grindr and three dollar basics, the idea of sex with strangers isn’t as foreign as it is frequent. All it takes is a brief hello, a shot or two of tequila, intentions splayed on a table, and hey presto, you’ve Romeo’d your way into sex with a stranger. And there’s no better, funny, and deeply concentrated exploration of the fast-paced, frivolous and sometimes messy situations that can arise from this, than the Powerhouse’s Sex with Strangers. This play follows strangers Ethan – a star sex blogger and memoirist, and Olivia, his idol and obscure novelist. What ensues, is attraction, cravings and a dark side of ambition that revolves around three little letters – s-e-x. Sex with Strangers is a compelling story that explores the near impossibility of reinventing oneself when the past made forever at the hands of Google, and how identity can be shaped by these types of 'incidents'. Obvious warning here, don’t take your kids. This one’s for mum and dad, and all you Tinder felons.
What kind of festival kicks off at 8am? Not your usual music fest, that's for sure. Live tunes are on the agenda at the Music, Movement & Mindfulness Festival on March 25, but so is something more. The inaugural event aims to get attendees thinking not just about tapping their toes, but also about keeping their minds and bodies in tiptop shape. That's why all proceeds will go towards the Mental Awareness Foundation — with entry free, but anyone after a goodie bag filled with treats and vouchers encouraged to buy a $30 VIP ticket. Taking place in the laneway adjacent to Urban Climb in Newstead, the fest kicks off with a wall-scaling session, jumps into Barre Brisbane and Yo! Yoga classes, and also includes mindfulness workshops and guest speakers, as well as pop-up stalls and live tunes. Because everyone will be working up an appetite, Miss Bliss Whole Food Kitchen, Morning After and Acai Brothers Newstead will be on hand to serve up nourishing eats, ready for consumption in the festival picnic area.
One day, in the not-so-distant future, perhaps Brisbanites will take their pet puppers with them everywhere. For now, we'll all just have to grab our four-legged best friends and head to another doggo market. It's the trend that won't go away, and we'd all be barking mad if we wanted it to. More excuses to take energetic ol' Rufus places? More chances to go "awwwww" over other people's pooches? Count us in. The returning Doggo Day Markets are the latest such event, next taking over Virginia's VEND Marketplace between 9am–1pm on Saturday, May 18. The shindig's name also acts as your instructions, so round up your woofer and take them on an outing. There's even a dress-up competition, as there usually is at these things. That's how adorable pups get even cuter. Also on the agenda: doggy stalls, a photo booth, a dog wash, plus the northside spot's general array of markets and greenery.
UPDATE, Friday, April 26, 2024: Sleater-Kinney's Brisbane show will now take place at The Triffid, not Fortitude Music Hall. This article has been updated to reflect that change. When Sleater-Kinney, aka Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein, take to the stage Down Under in May 2024, they won't just be touring their latest album. And they aren't simply making their first trip this way in eight years, since 2016, either. Started under the riot grrrl movement, the group will also celebrate 30 years since forming, plus just as long since they recorded their self-titled first record in a single night in Australia. That album has been followed by ten more studio releases, with Little Rope their latest. That gives the duo — after Janet Weiss left the band in 2019 — plenty to play through on a five-city visit to Australia and New Zealand, including at Brisbane's The Triffid on Friday, May 17. [caption id="attachment_941980" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Justin Higuchi via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] Sleater-Kinney have a stack of US dates locked in before heading this way, and will then make their way around Europe in August. Everywhere they play, fans can expect tunes from Little Rope — including singles 'Hell' and 'Say It Like You Mean It' — likely alongside past tracks such as 'One More Hour', 'Worry with You' and 'Jumpers'. As well as their three decades together — with a hiatus between 2007–13, between 2005's exceptional The Woods and 2015's No Cities to Love — Tucker has stints with Heavens to Betsy, Cadallaca, The Corin Tucker Band and Filthy Friends to her name, while Brownstein co-created and co-starred in Portlandia. Carol, Transparent, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Irma Vep are also on Brownstein's filmography. [caption id="attachment_941986" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons[/caption]
Let's make some choices: this month, after a three-year wait, you can choose to dive back into Netflix's Groundhog Day-meets-The Good Place hit Russian Doll. Or, you can decide not to be a sweet birthday baby and do something else. We recommend the former, because spending time getting up, getting down and getting home before the mornin' comes with the smart and twisty Natasha Lyonne-starring show is always a good move, even when it's actively trying to melt your brain — which, as everyone who watched season one knows, is always. In Russian Doll's first batch of episodes, Orange Is the New Black, Irresistible and The United States vs Billie Holiday star Lyonne played Nadia, who had a 36th birthday she'd never forget — although she desperately wished that she could. The New Yorker kept attending a party in her honour, then dying, then repeating the experience while trying to work out what the hell was going on. Also trapped in a loop: the determined but neurotic Alan (Charlie Barnett, You), who lives around the corner from Nadia, and was a stranger until this day kept cycling over and over. When the show returns on Wednesday, April 20, Nadia is once again experiencing something wild. Now, however, she's a time traveller time prisoner, as she advises in the just-dropped full trailer for Russian Doll season two. "Inexplicable things happening is my entire modus operandi," she also notes — and based on this sneak peek, there's plenty of that coming her way. Alan is also caught up in the chaos again, with both characters jumping into their pasts quite literally, and into an intergenerational tale as a result. Accordingly, if you've ever wondered what happens when someone manages to conquer death, getting blasted into the past to trying to solve your family's unfinished business is it — in this series at least. Also returning: Nadia's closest pals Maxine and Lizzy (Sisters' Greta Lee and Werewolves Within's Rebecca Henderson), her godmother Ruthie (Elizabeth Ashley, Ocean's 8), her late mother Nora (Chloë Sevigny, The Girl From Plainview) and her cute roaming cat Oatmeal. Schitt's Creek and Kevin Can F**k Himself star Annie Murphy and District 9's Sharlto Copley join the cast — and co-creator Lyonne (alongside the one and only Amy Poehler, plus Bachelorette and Sleeping with Other People filmmaker Leslye Headland) co-writes as she did last season, and directs as well. Given its focus on fate, logic, life's loops and wading through limbo — and, this time, the ties that bind and the troubles that echo as well — Russian Doll isn't short on twists. From both the new trailer and the initial sneak peek from back in March, NYC's subway system, a stash of gold lost on a train twice, graveyards and out-there parties all factor in. And yes, the chain-smoking Nadia is still as acerbic and misanthropic as ever, of course — because dying repeatedly and riding the rails into history can't change that. Check out the full trailer for Russian Doll's second season below: The second season of Russian Doll will be available to stream via Netflix on Wednesday, April 20. Read our review of the first season. Images: Netflix.
UPDATE: FEBRUARY 10, 2020 — Due to popular demand, The Fork Festival has extended for three weeks, which means you have until Saturday, February 29 to snag a tidy 50 percent off your total food bill. It also means this deal is sticking around for Valentine's Day — you know what to do. When Christmas and New Year are over, the temptation to hibernate grows pretty strong — so, you're probably going to need a little something extra to tempt you off the couch. Handily, online reservation platform The Fork has a winning idea up its sleeve: it's offering a huge eight weeks of dining specials nationwide. Kicking off on Monday, January 6, the second ever The Fork Festival will see top restaurants across the country offering sit-down meals for half the usual price. Yep, 50 percent off your total food bill, folks — think of it as the proverbial carrot luring you out of the house. So far, 300 restaurants have signed up, but The Fork is expecting this number to grow. To snag a half-price meal, you just need to make a reservation through The Fork website or app at one of the participating eateries for any service (breakfast, lunch or dinner) during the five weeks. [caption id="attachment_696122" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Harajuku Gyoza[/caption] There are some great venues coming to the party, too. Brisbane folk can score discounts at the likes of Corbett & Claude, Malt Dining, Harajuku Gyoza (CBD, South Bank and Indooroopilly), The Yiros Shop (South Brisbane, Newmarket, Cannon Hill and Fortitude Valley) and Comuna Cantina. You might want to revisit an old favourite or you could get a little adventurous and road-test somewhere new. Either way, there's ample time to squeeze in a fair few discount feasts before the festival wraps up on February 29. You can check out the full list of participating restaurants on the website. Top image: Comuna Cantina
The 90s were great. That shouldn't be a controversial opinion. Whether you lived through them or have spent the last couple of decades wishing you did — aka binging on 90s pop culture — Cleveland Sands Hotel's New Year's Eve shindig will indulge both your retro and your festive urges. Drinks, tunes, fashion: expect all of the above at the No Scrubs: 90s and Early 00s party from 8pm on NYE. Of course, it's up to you to make sure the clothing side of thing is covered, and to get into the spirit of the season. If you want to use Mariah Carey as a style icon, it'd be fitting. Whatever you choose to wear, there's a costume competition giving away more than bragging rights. Expect to unleash your inner Spice Girl and Backstreet Boy too. TLC, Destiny's Child, Savage Garden, Usher, Blink-182, No Doubt — we'd keep listing artists, but you all know what you're getting yourselves into. Entry costs $24–25 in advance, with the fun running through until 3am. And, while you'll pay for your cocktails as you go, they will be 90s- and 00s-inspired.
A new beer will flow through Brisbane this week — but if you'd like to give it a try, you'll need to head along to BIGSOUND. For the first time ever, the four-day music showcase will boast its very own brew, thanks to a partnership between the event and Mountain Goat Brewery. And, the tipple has been created with the assistance of BIGSOUND programmer Maggie Collins. Called BOB: Beer of BIGSOUND Hazy Pale Ale, it combines pilsner and wheat malts with Mandarina Bavaria and Calypso hops, resulting in a brew that's light golden in colour and tropical in flavour. Expect to smell and taste notes of citrus and pineapple in the mildly bitter full-strength brew — befitting BIGSOUND's annual location. It's a pairing that suits the event, with seeing a gig — let along seeing this year's lineup of more than 150 bands — always going hand-in-hand with a cold beverage. "I've always considered music to be the fifth ingredient when making great beer," said Mountain Goat brewer Shane 'Naz' Edwards. "First job in the morning is to select the day's soundtrack, then the brewing can begin — so it's great that we've been able to create a beer for BIGSOUND." The beer will be available across BIGSOUND's 2018 run between September 4 and 7, with the festival taking over a heap of venues across Fortitude Valley. Image: Bec Taylor
Bavarian Bier Cafe is lightening up. The legendary beer house has long been associated with the biggest and tastiest of traditional dishes — from Klaus’s Gulaschsuppe (spicy beef goulash soup) to the mighty German sausage tasting platter, crowded with bratwurst, kransky and frankfurter. But now, those who don’t have the heart for the hearty are being catered to, too. The Cafe has added a page to its menu, introducing a range of what’s been dubbed ‘new modern favourites’. So rather than having to commit to a serious, meaty feast, you can eat as light and as fresh as you like. All nine of Bavarian Bier’s Australian venues are making the addition, with exact options varying from place to place. What all dishes have in common, though, is that they’re inspired by Bavarian flavours and dashed with creative, modern twists. Depending on which BBC is your local, keep a look out for light and fluffy steamed prawn dumplings ($16) and popcorn shrimp ‘dampfnudel’ steamed buns ($19) on the sharing menu. Meanwhile, for salads, expect the likes of spicy sesame chicken ($16), crispy calamari ($18) and grilled pork and Asian vegetables ($15). As far as mains go, dishes include pan-roasted salmon with lentils, root vegetables, beet pickled red onions and dill ($23); crisp roasted wild New Zealand hapuka with sweet and sour red capsicums, lemon puree and roasted garlic ($25); and lemon and herb marinated chicken breast with pesto scented orzo and shaved vegetable salad ($25). Whatever you choose, there’s no doubt that one of the Bavarian Bier Cafe’s pure biers, made with just four natural ingredients (malt, hops, yeast and water), will chase it down without any argument.
Calling all dinosaur film fans, 90s movie buffs, lovers of Jeff Goldblum and everyone who's ever wanted to walk with prehistoric creatures. After spawning five flicks to date, everyone's favourite dino-centric film franchise has become the subject of Brisbane's latest quiz night. Welcome to... Jurassic Park trivia. It's called Jurassic Park trivia, but we're certain that the three original movies and the two Jurassic World films will all rate a mention — and if you know whether there's set to be more dino antics on the big screen, then you're in the right spot. There's no tidbit too obscure for this affectionate (and competitive) ode to the world created on the page by Michael Crichton, then first brought to the cinema by Steven Spielberg. If you know what John Hammond's first attraction was, who was first offered the role that went to Laura Dern and which new kind of dinosaur starts chomping its way through Jurassic World: Forbidden Kingdom, then head along to Mucho Mexicano on Monday, December 10. Taking part is free, there's prizes up for grabs for first, second and third place, and registrations open at 6.30pm — with questions flying from 7pm. Also, you can combine your Jurassic Park knowledge with Mexican eats and margaritas.
Before the division, Terry Hooley (Richard Dormer) was a popular man. But then his native Belfast bitterly split along sectarian lines, leaving the gregarious but staunchly apolitical Hooley to his own devices. He's DJing to nobody at a sad bar surrounded by barbed wire and run by the baleful Pat (Dylan Moran) when he finds a kindred soul in outsider Ruth (Jodie Whittaker). Emboldened by the support of Ruth, Dooley then decides on a whim that what his ailing city needs is a record store and he borrows over his head to set up the shop on a street famously known as the most bombed in Europe. Despite its perilous location, Hooley's boundless enthusiasm for the soothing power of music proves infectious and he watches in delight as it becomes a real cultural hub, quickly expanding into a record label as the city's burgeoning punk scene sparks into life. It's hard to think of another film which captures the fervour of discovery of music as thrillingly as Good Vibrations. As played by Dorman, Dooley is a genuinely fascinating character, flawed but endearingly quixotic. His faith in the music is complete, and completely moving. "These punks aren't the problem with Belfast," he enthuses to a news crew at one point "They're the solution!" After signing proto-punk band Rudi (later Rudi and the Outcasts) to his hastily formed label, he stumbles upon gold when Derry upstarts The Undertones push their demo on him. Initially reluctant to get involved with the brash youngsters, he has his mind changed for him when he hears 'Teenage Kicks', a song to die for. His championing of the song leads to airplay on John Peel, who famously loved the single so much he took the unprecedented step of playing it twice in a row. Despite the stunning cultural impact of both the Good Vibrations label and store, Hooley's complete gormlessness as a businessman means his beloved pet project is forever on shaky ground. Adding to his stress are (largely self-induced) marital woes and growing antipathy from local hoodlums to the store. If there's a downside to Good Vibrations it the story's stubborn refusal to organise itself into anything resembling a neat three-act structure. The final act may neither be thrilling nor as satisfying as the fist-pumping material that preceded it, but it's ultimately hard not to be stirred by the fire and life on display here and won over by this scrappily loveable ode to the energy and abandon of punk rock. https://youtube.com/watch?v=SE17U5ML9dQ
If you were about to get out your poorly constructed aluminium communication devices, there is no need. Tin Can Radio are back in town for their album Chase The Sun, Hold The Night's launch. For those of you who are unsure of the Brisbane locals track record, let me spell it out for you: these guys are kind of a big deal. Triple J and Triple Zed love them, and there is nothing but good things to be said about their engaging live shows. Despite their growing popularity, that is, their latest single Skeletons becoming a live favourite, anyone who hadn't heard of them could accuse the guys of being indie. Lead singer Tom Wearne has a sense of humour about it all, “The word ‘indie’ puts you in this box of having an asymmetrical haircut and skinny jeans and singing songs like [puts on yelpy falsetto] ‘You! And me! And you! And me!” But if they aren't indie, what are they? Apparently, art-rock, which sounds a bit synthy and a bit like soft rock with a tad of electro. Essentially they sound like Temper Trap crossed with The Holidays, and that is definitely worthy of a listen. Check out the last show of their exhaustive 20-date tour tonight at The Zoo, it's gonna be a big one!
Eight months after Australian same-sex couples could first formally and legally tie the knot, Brisbane Festival is celebrating the occasion in an appropriate fashion — by throwing a free wedding for eight LGBTIQ pairs. While Sydney Festival put together a huge reception earlier in the year, Brisbane's equivalent is going one better by hosting the actual nuptials. And, if you're a LGBTIQ couple looking to get hitched, you might just be able to take part. Called Qweens on King, the Saturday, September 8 event is one of the three-week-long fest's opening celebrations for 2018, turning Bowen Hills' King Street precinct into a garden party filled with merriment and real-life matrimony. Entries are now open for all interested parties, with winners saying 'I do' on stage before a celebrant named Gai Lemon, scoring a wedding party filled with Brisbane's queer performers, nabbing free wedding bands and receiving a $500 voucher towards holding their reception at adjacent food truck hangout Welcome to Bowen Hills. Everything from the music to the flowers to the photographer has been arranged, with couples simply needing to register, make sure they're available on the date and pick their own outfits. Of course, if that sounds like your ideal way to spend your big day, you'll also need to be willing to share your happy moment with a considerable crowd. "I'm hoping that the eight couples we find will represent a broad spectrum of personal experiences, from those who have been through the Bjelke-Petersen time when homosexual acts were still illegal, to newcomers and the multitude of various cultures within all those letters: L-G-B-T-I-Q-plus," says Brisbane Festival artistic director David Berthold. The ceremony will also launch the 29th annual Brisbane Pride Festival, with Brisbane Pride vice president Michael James dubbing the event "a gathering of rainbow sophistication and flair". Entries close at midnight on Sunday, July 22, with Qweens on King taking place on Saturday, September 8. To register, or for more information, check out the online application
From Monday through until Saturday, each and every week, the aroma of freshly made coffee wafts from Botero House. Come Wednesday, April 10, we expect that it'll smell a little stronger. Just for this specific date, the CBD cafe will be serving up free brews — so expect its baristas to be busy. The free coffee is in honour of Botero's anniversary, which is as good a reason as any to share the hot caffeinated beverages around. Unsurprisingly, there is a caveat: just one regular coffee per person. Still any free coffee is better than no free coffee, especially when you're on your way to work, craving your morning hit and not really feeling like you're awake just yet. You'll also be able to try out Botero's new menu, although that part isn't free. It will be tasty, however. And if you're an early bird, good news — the Adelaide Street cafe opens at 6.15am on weekdays.
Paddington hotspot Darling & Co is gearing up for its annual New Year's Eve bash and you're invited. While you might be spending December 31 in Brisbane, you can image you're elsewhere as the venue transforms to mimic a warm summer night in the Mediterranean from 7pm–midnight. Apart from the coastal decor and seaside vibes, the evening's all-inclusive package will feature five hours of European canapés and food stations, along with a summery drinks package. Expect Aperol spritzes and bellinis, plus wine, beer and premium spirits. In addition to those tasty bites and drinks, there'll also be live entertainment, with plenty of space to dance your way into 2019. Tickets start at $99, with the option to add on a bottle or magnum of Veuve Champagne — something that's sure to come in handy for the night's many bubbly toasts. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the website.
Australians can't travel far in 2020, but domestic flight sales have been doing big business. When Jetstar launched a heap of cheap options in mid-June, it sold 70,000 seats in just five hours. And when Alliance Airlines offered $99 trips from Brisbane to the Whitsundays, it understandably received plenty of interest, too. If you're a Queenslander still eager to head north for a getaway in the next few months (to salvage what's left of 2020, perhaps), it's now Virgin Australia's turn to help your holiday plans. The airline is holding a sale on flights from Brissie to Hamilton Island — costing $129 each way. The sale has already kicked off, and is available until it sells out — so there's no official end date but, obviously, it's likely to be popular and seats will probably get snapped up quickly. In terms of making the trip, you can get tropical between Monday, October 12–Sunday, December 13, giving you a hefty two-month period to slot in your island vacation. And, heading to Hamilton Island won't require you to navigate Queensland's borders, given that you'll be staying within the state. Via its app, Virgin is also offering 20 percent off a selection of other fares — not just to Hamilton Island and back — between Wednesday, October 13–Wednesday, December 9. To nab those cheap flights, you'll have to make a purchase before midnight on Thursday, October 8, or until they're sold out. Virgin Australia's $129 sale on flights between Hamilton Island and Brisbane runs until sold out — and its 20-percent-off app sale runs until midnight on Thursday, October 8 (or until sold out).
Thirteen years ago, Korea's cinema standouts scored their own showcase Down Under, with the inaugural Korean Film Festival in Australia debuting in 2010. Since then, the festival has grown from a one-city event to a four-stop tour celebrating both the latest and greatest flicks that South Korea has to offer. It was playing Bong Joon-ho films before Parasite swept the Oscars. It was revelling in Korean thrillers prior to Squid Game becoming an international success, too. It loved Korean genre fare before Train to Busan as well. And, in its just-dropped 2023 lineup, KOFFIA keeps heroing the nation's must-see titles — this time via a 13-film program that'll hit Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Brisbane. 2023's KOFFIA has a date with Event Cinemas George Street from Thursday, August 24–Tuesday, August 29, before heading to Palace Electric from Friday, September 1–Sunday, September 3. Then, it's time for an ACMI stop across Thursday, September 7–Monday, September 11, before wrapping up at the Elizabeth Picture Theatre from Thursday, September 14–Sunday, September 17. In each location, it'll endeavour to give audiences a new Korean favourite, or several, from a selection that spans everything from murder-mysteries and detective dramas to revenge thrillers and musicals. There's no such thing as a standard Korean film, which is true of every country's movie output; however, this national cinema is mighty fond of twisty tales. Accordingly, it should come as no surprise that Confession and Gentleman are both on the 2023 bill. The first is a locked-room mystery with an IT company CEO suddenly finding himself the prime suspect, while the second involves a private detective agency's head honcho being falsely accused of a crime. Also on the lineup: The Devil's Deal, which sees a political candidate disqualified, then out for revenge; and The Night Owl, about an acupuncturist who is blind in daylight, can see clearly at night, and witnesses a tragic event one evening. The latter opens the festival, and the directors of both films — The Devil's Deal's Lee Won-tae and The Night Owl's An Tae-jin — are coming to Australia for KOFFIA. Elsewhere, comedy 6/45 hits the Korean Film Festival after proving a box-office smash at home, focusing on soldiers from both North and South Korea finding a windfall; Hero heads back to 1900s Korea to hone in on independence activist Ahn Jung-geun's plight battling Japanese colonial rule; musical drama Life Is Beautiful sees a husband trying to locate his wife's childhood sweetheart; and Next Sohee, which played Cannes 2022, is all about an exploitative work situation. Or, the standouts also include Switch, where a celebrity wakes up one morning to discover that he's living a completely different life — and romance Nothing Serious, about an aspiring novelist who writes a sex column. If it seems like a diverse lineup, that's wholly the aim. "Our 2023 festival program is designed to appeal to a broad audience, offering something for everyone — be they casual viewers or diehard film enthusiasts, promising a vivid and enriching journey through the multi-faceted realm of human experiences," said KOFFIA Programmer Francis Lee. "We hope that KOFFIA continues to facilitate the appreciation of Korean film artistry and culture in Australia, bringing audiences closer to the unique blend of storytelling, cinematography, and performances that have garnered global recognition." KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL IN AUSTRALIA 2023 DATES: Thursday, August 24–Tuesday, August 29: Event Cinemas George Street, Sydney Friday, September 1–Sunday, September 3: Palace Electric, Canberra Thursday, September 7–Monday, September 11: ACMI, Melbourne Thursday, September 14–Sunday, September 17: Elizabeth Picture Theatre, Brisbane The Korean Film Festival in Australia 2023 runs across August and September, touring to Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the KOFFIA website.
Opera and a cocktail party? You can be forgiven for thinking that the two might not mix. Opera Queensland disagrees, however, and they're throwing a second singing soiree to convert you to their way of thinking. At Cloud Song 2 — held within the decadent walls of Cloudland, where else? — the idea of getting a drink and going to a show gets a new twist. Think cocktails and canapés, DJs, pop-up performances, aerial stunts and flamenco, plus extravagant costumes amid indulgent spaces. Given the first event earlier in 2015 was wildly successful — not to mention just plain wild — we're confident this is something no one wants to miss. Other than an abundance of arias, the actual details of the lineup won’t be announced patrons step through the doors, but we do know that there'll be something for everyone — whether you're already an opera aficionado or even if you're a first-timer. And if you're keen to take part in this rare, roaming experience, you'd best plan ahead, as tickets are only on sale until midnight on August 26.
Already in 2021, fans of the DC Extended Universe — the interconnected franchise that started with Man of Steel, and also includes Wonder Woman and its sequel, Aquaman and Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) — have sat down to watch an extended new version of Justice League like it's still 2017. Next on the series' viewing list: The Suicide Squad, the confusingly named sequel to 2016's Suicide Squad (because no one has challenged themselves thinking of the upcoming flick's title). Margot Robbie (Dreamland) returns as Harley Quinn, Joel Kinnaman (The Secrets We Keep) does the same as Rick Flag and Australian actor Jai Courtney (Honest Thief) also makes a comeback as Captain Boomerang. As the government agent overseeing this band of world-saving supervillains, recent Oscar-nominee Viola Davis (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom) is back as well. But don't expect to see the rest of their original costars this time around. A new group of nefarious folks joins Harley and the gang, including Idris Elba (Cats) as Bloodsport, John Cena (Playing with Fire) as Peacemaker, Peter Capaldi (The Personal History of David Copperfield) as Thinker, Pete Davidson (The King of Staten Island) as Blackguard and Sylvester Stallone (Rambo: Last Blood) as the voice of King Shark. Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit) has a yet-to-be revealed role, and Guardians of the Galaxy alums Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn show up, too — which makes complete sense given that GotG filmmaker James Gunn is behind the lens and has also penned the screenplay. By hiring Gunn, DC is clearly looking for his sense of humour, as well as his lively and OTT style. In the just-dropped first trailer for The Suicide Squad, all of the above is on display. So yes, if it feels more in line with goofier Marvel Cinematic Universe flicks than most of DC Comics' big-screen output, there's an obvious reason for that. When the film hits cinemas Down Under on August 5, it'll initially head to Belle Reve prison, where supervillains are kept. Asked by Task Force X to participate in a secret mission in exchange for time out of incarceration, Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang, King Shark, Blackguard and their pals are more than willing to help. Their job: travelling to the island of Corto Maltese on a deadly quest. It's dubbed a suicide mission in the trailer, because of course it is. Check out The Suicide Squad trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1EbSXxrZ34 The Suicide Squad releases in cinemas Down Under on August 5.
Some films are long, slow and serious. Others are brief, quick and fun. There's a place for the former, of course; however Radical Reels champions the latter category, combining the most action-packed mountain movies it can find into a compilation of high-octane shorts. Radical Reels is the adrenaline-loving little brother of the Banff Mountain Film Festival, the most prestigious international film competition and annual presentation of short films and documentaries about mountain culture, sports, and environment. From the most recent festival’s 350-strong submissions, a subset of daring displays have been singled out for their own showcase. Over a three-hour session, eight shorts approach the very edge of action sports and natural highs: the wild rides, long lines, steep jumps, and skilful stunts, as well as the rugged playgrounds thrill-seekers explore on their mountain bikes, paddles, ropes, skis, snowboards and wingsuits. Expect the world's best extreme athletes getting fast and furious when the Radical Reels Tour 2014 stops in at the Brisbane Powerhouse.
Labour Day 2022 might be several public holidays away, but it's worth marking in your diary right now. Across the long weekend leading up to the May day off, southeast Queensland's newest music festival will unleash three days of live tunes on the Gold Coast — on Surfers Paradise beachfront, and with a jam-packed lineup. Between Friday, April 29–Sunday, May 1, Golden Shores will make its debut right by the water. Yes, it's making that moniker count. Attendees will check out Youngn Lipz, HP Boyz, Safia, The Presets, Vera Blue, San Cisco and more, all while getting some sand between their toes — and dancing against a killer backdrop. The new fest comes from Cross Promotions, the Gold Coast entertainment outfit who were originally behind festivals such as Beachlife and SummaFielddayze. And while giving music lovers a stellar three-day festival experience by the sea is one of the event's key aims, so is helping the local entertainment industry recover after a difficult couple of years. Tickets start at $89 per day, with Youngn Lipz and HP Boyz headlining the Friday bill, Safia and The Presets (doing a DJ set) hitting the stage on the Saturday, and Vera Blue and San Cisco doing the honours on Sunday. They're joined on the lineup by Triple One, Wombat, Lastlings, Motez, Winston Surfshirt and Last Dinosaurs — with the list going on. Check out the full details below. GOLDEN SHORES 2022 LINEUP: Day one: Youngn Lipz HP Boyz Triple One Wombat Day1 Jesswar Barkaa Skrub YNG Martyr Yung Gwopp Day two: Safia The Presets (DJ set) Lastlings Motez Stace Cadet Young Franco Dena Amy DVNA Day three: Vera Blue San Cisco Winston Surfshirt Last Dinosaurs King Stingray Teenage Joans Yorke Golden Shores hits Surfers Paradise Beachfront from Friday, April 29–Sunday, May 1, 2022. For more information, or to buy tickets from Thursday, November 25, head to the festival's website.
When it comes to cinema, there's something rather cool about being ahead of the curve, watching the latest and greatest flicks unfold on the silver screen well before anyone else. Well, at Flickerfest Short Film Festival you can do just that. Yep, break out the popcorn, the internationally acclaimed festival is back. After its official launch in Sydney earlier this year, it's headed up north, and there's a swag of world premieres on the bill. This year, the folks at Flickerfest received 2700 entries from more than 100 countries around the world. And across two nights, you'll get to see the best picks from the bunch at Palace James St Cinemas. On Thursday, February 21, the cinema will host the Best of Australian Shorts program, a handpicked selection of eight shorts by Australian filmmakers. Standout shorts from the homegrown lineup include All These Creatures, which picked up Best Editing in an Australian Short Film at the Flickerfest 2019 Awards ceremony in Sydney; Della Mortika: Carousel of Shame, which scooped Best Australian Animation; and Desert Dash, a film written, directed and starring formidable Australian artist Gracie Otto, which questions what life would be like in the Aussie outback if it was all just a game (spoiler: it's slightly twisted). Tickets for the evening cost $25 and include drinks and snacks after the screening. The following evening, the festival will present the EU Short Film Showcase, featuring some of the gems uncovered from our overseas friends. You'll see the Oscar-shortlisted stop animation Untravel and Best Game Ever — a film about CCTV technicians battling an AI machine, which was awarded the Best EU Short Film. Tickets for the EU Short Film Showcase cost $20, or you can purchase a Festival Pass for both evenings for $40. To see the full Flickerfest Brisbane 2019 program and grab tickets, head to the website. Plus, we've got five double passes to the EU Short Film Showcase to give away. Enter with your details below, cinephiles. [competition]706319[/competition]
If you've been making plans to revamp your style, but haven't been able to rustle up the coin, here's your chance. For five days, Hugo Boss will be hosting a mega sale at its outlet stores. You'll be able to score 50 percent off a massive range of premium clothing — from comfy t-shirts and soft sweaters to suave suits and women's dresses. Hello, EOFY cash splash. Whether you're after a suit for a special occasion or looking to prep your spring wardrobe early, Hugo Boss's mid-year outlet sale will have you sorted for a fraction of the fashion label's usual prices. You'll have to get in quick to score though, with the sale only running from Wednesday, June 26 to Sunday, June 30. In Brisbane, you can head to the BOSS Outlet at Harbour Town Outlet Shopping Centre to get these quality threads for such a steal. Opening hours are Wednesday, 9am–5.30pm; Thursday, 9am–7pm; Friday–Saturday, 9am–5.30pm; and Sunday, 10am–5pm. Hugo Boss mid-year outlet sale will run from Wednesday, June 26 to Sunday, June 30. To find your closest outlet, visit the website.
There’s legitimate cause for concern at Jack Rogers and Jonathan McBurnie’s exhibition YOU WORRY ME. Why? Because it’s messy, confusing, a little creepy, sometimes insulting, and a showcase of staggering artistic genius. With the help of some ink, paint and mighty canvases, both artists have created pieces of Daniel Johnston-esque wackiness, with fine-line driven, eclectic expression. You won’t find any conservative art school sketchings at this Hold Artspace curated exhibition, rather pieces that will challenge you to take a chux to their noggins. On one hand, Sydney-based artist Jonathan McBurnie showcases the aggression, trauma, and egos that alter and adhere to no boundaries, through fine-lined, and mathematical sketchings - his work is just as trigonometry heavy in angles as it is terrifying. Rogers, as both contrast and counterpart, is softer, and liberal in curves, his art closer to creative cartoons, than textbook scribblings. McBurnie provides the faultless, and Rogers showcases the aesthetics that lie in flaws. Their artistic marriage in YOU WORRY ME gives a whole new meaning to juxtaposition – both exhibit the same degree of talent, in strikingly different strains of WTF.
Great things are in store for those who visit the Queensland Centre of Photography (QCP) this month. From the deeply prolific to the awe-inspiring, the photographers featured at the QCP, including Sonia Payes, Warwick Clarke and Dan McCabe, are absolute masters of their craft. Sonia Payes' works are often dissection's of reality - pieces that combine imagination with traditional imagery and tease out the unreal internal from the external. Her latest collection 'Luminous Interlude' is no different with its poignant themes of rebirth and transformation expressed through hallucinatory images. Warwick Clarke's 'Dargan' is a collection quite different. Photographs of bush that lies between Bell and Lithgow in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, 'Dargan' is more a collection of sombre relics than photos - within the trees lies a story of industrial influence and activity. Dan McCabe's collection 'Photo Drawings' is quite different again as it questions the inconsistencies and flexibility of our visual perception through individual matte photographs that have been literally drawn on with pencil. The centre will also feature collections from Julian Pearce, Athene Currie, Lynette Letic, Belinda Kochanowska and Katelyn-Jane Dunn - don't miss out.
If sitting down for a beverage, asking the bartender to whip you up something special and getting a drink tailor-made to your niche, niche tastes sounds like your idea of boozy heaven, then prepare to become a regular at The Stuffed Badger. Opening in Bowen Hills on April 11, the new tapas bar is all about crafting alcoholic concoctions to suit each and every customer. Don't even try to peruse a cocktail list — you won't find one. The venture from experienced hospitality trio Terry Tai, Thomas Marshall and Peter Clark has been five years in the making, and it aims to convey that passion in its food and drink selection. A small, carefully picked range of wines from France, Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand and the US is also on offer, but snacking on Spanish-influenced, locally-sourced dishes is the main attraction. Drawing upon his experience in England and his previous role at an Italian restaurant in Brisbane, Clark's menu will change seasonally. Expect the likes of beetroot-cured salmon and four-cheese and serrano arancini, with all dishes under $16. It wouldn't be an Aussie tapas joint without breads, dips and charcuterie boards, of course, while dessert offerings include dark chocolate and beetroot brownies, cheese and chutneys, and red fruits with vanilla anglaise and black pepper honeycomb. Find The Stuffed Badger at Shop 1, 9-11 Bowen Bridge Road, Bowen Hills from April 11. For more information, head to their website and Facebook page.
After revealing its December and January programming late last year, Moonlight Cinema has unveiled the next part of its 2018–19 program. As always, one piece of advice bears repeating: pack your picnic basket and get ready to watch a heap of flicks under the summer evening sky. While the outdoor cinema runs until Sunday, March 31 in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, it's latest announcement focuses on February — so if you're keen to catch a movie under the stars while it's still officially summer, take note. As always, plenty of recent favourites are on the bill, plus a smattering of all-time greats and a few sneak peeks at new movies coming out soon. The March lineup will be announced in February. Tried-and-tested highlights include Aquaman, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Bumblebee and The Favourite, plus the return of A Star Is Born and a sing-along session of Bohemian Rhapsody. You'll also be able to catch retro titles such as Crazy, Stupid, Love, The Devil Wars Prada and The Princess Bride, and new nerve-wracking rock-climbing documentary Free Solo just as it hits regular cinemas. In the sneak peek camp, there's gender-flipped rom-com What Men Want, Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic On the Basis of Sex and Natalie Portman as a pop star in the must-see Vox Lux, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMCYE9hKP68 Moonlight's usual food truck and licensed bar offering will continue, as will its reserved bean beds. You can also BYO booze everywhere except Brisbane. And Brisbanites have been benefiting from two big changes, with Moonlight Cinema saying goodbye to Brisbane Powerhouse after a more than a decade and settling in at Roma Street Parkland instead. Even better — it's running all the way through until March 31 for the first time, like its interstate counterparts. MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2018–19 DATES: Sydney: Nov 29–Mar 31 (Belvedere Amphitheatre in Centennial Park) Melbourne: Nov 29–Mar 31 (Central Lawn at the Royal Botanic Gardens) Brisbane: Nov 29–Mar 31 (Roma Street Parkland) Perth: Dec 1–Mar 31 (May Drive Parkland, Kings Park & Botanic Garden) Adelaide: Dec 8–Feb 17 (Botanic Park) Moonlight Cinema runs until March 31. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the Moonlight website.
If you hadn't noticed, fermentation is a bit of a thing. One of the driving forces behind the movement is the fact that fermented food and drinks can help promote good bacteria in your gut. So it's not surprising that one of the more popular workshops at Cornersmith — who dish out hearty breakfasts and hold workshops in cheesemaking, pickling and fermenting among others — is the wild soda class, where you learn to make a fermented, fizzy fruit beverage that's both delicious and good for your digestion. On Thursday December 1 we collaborated with the fermentation geniuses at Cornersmith and hosted two wild soda workshops at the Stoneleigh Hotel in Chippendale. The workshops were inspired by our partnership with Stoneleigh, and their philosophy of using wild fermentation to make the wine in their Wild Valley range (it uses a similar fermentation process as wild soda does — read about it here). Head fermenter Jaimee Edwards taught two classes on how to make your own fermented, fizzy fruit drink using wild ingredients. We made a lemon verbena, dianella berry and mint soda which turned out a beautiful bright purple colour and tasted pretty delicious. Alongside Edwards was the Stoneleigh wine ambassador India Munari, offering her insight in the relationship between the process of making wild soda and Stoneleigh's range of wild fermentation wines. Take a look through our photos and see what went down on the night. For those who couldn't attend, you can go DIY and follow Jaimee's instructions in our wild soda feature here. Or, you can head to the Stoneleigh Hotel and sample some tastings of Wild Valley wine — it's open until December 11. Try some Wild Valley wild fermentation wine at the Stoneleigh Hotel, a sandstone house in Chippendale overrun by nature. It's at 48 Kensington Street, Chippendale from November 11 until December 11. Images: Kimberley Low.
Feel like you've eaten every great Japanese meal in Brisbane? Given the city's range of eateries, that's no mean feat. You haven't feasted into this five-course degustation, however — on the menu at Bacchus, it's a special addition to the South Bank restaurant's lineup, and it's only on offer until Saturday, September 7. Available Tuesday–Sunday, Bacchus' Japanese Degustation spans five courses, each as enticing as the last. Head chef Massimo Speroni is getting experimental, tinkering with traditional flavours, but giving them his own interpretation. It all starts with blue tea sashimi, naturally, before moving on to tempura octopus, then spaghetti with mushrooms in a shiitake broth. Next, tuck into wagyu with shoyu, before devouring yuzu and caramel yoghurt mousse. As usually tends to be the case at Bacchus, diners can choose from two options. Just enjoy the food — which also includes bread, amuse bouche and petit fours — for $99, or pair the five courses with wine or sake for $174. Images: Bacchus.
If your pup has its own Instagram account and you refer to yourself as a 'fur parent', we're fairly certain you'll want in on this competition. Local pet food brand Ivory Coat wants to put your dog on the small screen. The luxe brand is currently running a Dog Search, which will see 20 lucky pooches featured in Ivory Coat's next TV commercial. All you have to do is enter your details here, along with a recent, personality-filled photo of your fur baby. All breeds and cross-breeds of all ages are welcome. Along with being featured on TV, your pup could win a portrait by a professional photographer, a pet profile on the Ivory Coat website and social media pages, and a one-year supply of Ivory Coat food. There is one catch, though: your dog needs to be an Ivory Coat consumer. So, if they've never tried the stuff, it's time to grab a bag online or head to one of your local stockists. If your pooch is a little hesitant about changing brands, Ivory Coat is made in Australia using locally sourced meat with no additives or fillers. Plus superfoods, fruits, veggies and wholegrains are mixed in or there's a grain-free option if you prefer. The pet food brand also has options for dogs (and cats) of every breed, size and age. The 20 lucky winners (humans and pooches) will need to be in Sydney for shoot between July 17–19. While NSW's borders are currently open to all domestic tourists, we suggest checking the Australian Government website before booking flights or locking in a road trip. Your doggo should be well-behaved and friendly, but it doesn't need to be dog show-level trained — understanding simple commands like 'sit' and 'stay' will do. If this sounds like your pup, now's the time to make 'em a star. Head to the Ivory Coat website for entry guidelines and T&Cs. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
When you can't venture to a crowded pub to watch your favourite sport on the big screen, recreate the best parts of game day in your own home instead. Whether you're into the AFL or NRL, you can take inspiration from these five suggestions to amp up the at-home viewing party to suit your code. We've partnered with leading bourbon brand Jim Beam to bring you tips on entertaining your mates without missing any of the highlights. [caption id="attachment_786097" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] COOK UP YOUR FAVOURITE PUB CLASSICS First thing's first: food. Any good party host knows you need to plan ahead when it comes to feeding your guests, but that doesn't mean you need to spend heaps of cash or lean on the same-old chips and dips combo. Give yourself a theme and opt for handheld, small bites. For example, buffalo wings with blue cheese dipping sauce and loaded potato skins with bacon and sour cream for easy-to-serve snacks that you can prep in advance and your friends can graze on throughout the game. Make a classic hot dog more grown-up with fresh lettuce, jalapeños and mustard, or create a nacho topping station so everyone can serve themselves when they're peckish. [embed]https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7pS5D5MnYe11rtrRcjeMTk?si=d6yoaggsQnaTvog48eh0IA[/embed] CREATE A PUB PLAYLIST Channel the mood of your local, wherever that may be. If yours usually busts out Powderfinger, Crowded House and Paul Kelly, lean into the theme and create your own playlist that's two parts nostalgia and one part fresh Aussie hits. Or, if you want to pretend you're at the Gabba for this year's AFL Grand Final, pull together a playlist that honours the local acts taking to the stage come Saturday, October 24. Brisbane bands Sheppard and Cub Sport will be performing, along with singer-songwriter Thelma Plum and Rockhampton's blues duo Busby Marou. Plus, Sydney's DMA's and Adelaide-based duo Electric Fields. If you're short on time, head to one of the act's own selections, like DMA's Radio above. More of an Amy Shark fan? The indie-pop star is headlining this year's NRL grand final and the Gold Coast artist has a sweet playlist of equally cool Aussie acts like East, Lime Cordiale and Wafia that you can find here. [caption id="attachment_786936" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dan Burton[/caption] PULL OUT THE LAWN GAMES When you're drinking at the pub there's often time for playing games and getting competitive — whether that's around the pool table or facing the dart board. Bring a sense of playful competition into your get-together with bocce, giant Jenga, Finska, Twister — or whatever games you might have stored away at home. Create a break-out zone away from the TV so your friends can dive into an active game whenever the mood takes hold. Don't have any games at home? You'll find a good selection of outdoor games at Opus, which has free delivery if you spend over $75, and at Sunnylife, which has a $12 flat rate for delivery. [caption id="attachment_787026" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kaleidico[/caption] PLAN A SURPRISE PUB QUIZ FOR HALF TIME No one wants to listen to the game analysis come half time, so bring all your sports fanatics together over some brain teasing. Can you name the date of the very first AFL match? What's Daniel Ricciardo's driver number? How many times has Dylan Alcott represented Australia at the Paralympics? Who is Australia's fastest female bowler? No matter what sport you're celebrating on the big screen, you can test your collective knowledge in a quick quiz to lighten the mood. Create one of your own, or hit up the sports quiz of the week from The Guardian, or the ABC's news quiz for a mix of sport and general knowledge. Or, if you want to play along live, Jay's Virtual Pub Quiz runs weekly quiz sessions on YouTube. [caption id="attachment_784939" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] STOCK UP YOUR BAR Rather than making sure there are enough glasses in the house, or having to fight over space in the fridge for cold drinks, make things easier on you and your guests by filling up your bath or a bucket with ice and stocking it with premixed drinks. That way everyone can dip into the bathroom or kitchen for a fresh bevvy when they like, and you don't have to worry about chopping citrus for cocktails, or smashing glasses you don't have time to replace. Jim Beam has a range of premixed drinks to suit all your mates' tastes. You can pick up a pack of seven Jim Beam & Cola cans for $29 at BWS stores. Or go one better and enter Jim Beam's competition to win your own Tiny Stillhouse, which comes decked out with bluetooth speakers, a mini fridge, four bar stools, an esky, bar mats, a Jenga set, a case of Jim Beam and Cola and a bottle of Jim Beam White Label to really up the ante for your next get-together. Top image: Cassandra Hannagan
David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Martha and the Vandellas, The Kinks, Little Richard, Van Halen, the Grateful Dead: when they all sung various versions of 'Dancing in the Street', they were onto something. There's nothing quite like partying on a roadway when it's closed to cars, with traffic replaced by stalls and bars as well as stages filled with live music. Stones Corner Festival knows more than a little about that setup, and the fun it brings — and it's back to do it all over again in 2024. Some events feel like they've always been part of Brisbane's cultural scene and this is one of them, although it'll only host its ninth fest this year. That's the sign of something special, with this free street party swiftly becoming one of the city's must-attend celebrations. In 2024, it'll return on Sunday, May 5. On the agenda: another big day of food and music in the inner south, with a lineup headlined by The Potbelleez and Screamfeeder. For tunes from 12–10pm, they'll be joined by Never Ending 80s, Vixens of Fall and Lontano, alongside Later Daze and John Hanley with Don't Shoot The Hurricane. As always, the music bill is only part of Stones Corner Festival's attractions. You can also expect 19 craft breweries pouring beers, including Green Beacon, Stone & Wood, Aether, Gages Road, 4 Pines, Better Beer and CBCo. Eating-wise, a heap of food trucks and stalls will pop up to keep your stomach lined, which usually means everything from burgers and pizza to paella and tacos. And as for what else awaits on the corner of Logan and Old Cleveland roads — and during the Labour Day long weekend, handily — there'll also be market stalls via The Market Folks. If you're planning a big one, that public holiday the next day is oh-so-convenient. Also, entry remains free but, as in past years, giving a gold coin donation to the MND and Me Foundation is recommended. Stones Corner Festival 2024 Lineup: The Potbelleez Screamfeeder Never Ending 80s Vixens of Fall Lontano Later Daze John Hanley with Don't Shoot The Hurricane Stones Corner Festival 2024 takes place from 12–10pm on Sunday, May 5 on Logan Road, Stones Corner. For more information, head to the festival's website.
