Way before The Wiggles were ever hopelessly convincing us to eat fruit salad, Peter Combe was telling us to throw caution to the wind and wash our faces with orange juice. His crazy lyrics and unforgettable tunes carried us Gen Yers through early childhood and evidently dominated Australian children’s music. That was, until Peter disappeared into oblivion, leaving us to clutch onto our Juicy Juicy Green Grass dreams, wondering if he'll ever come back (chorus: will you come ba-ack?). Each night of his pub and club tour, Peter has seen crowds of over 18s crowd-surfing and stage diving to childhood faves “Newspaper Mama” and “Mister Clinkety Cane”. For those still a bit foggy, I doubt you've forgotten the words to Spaghetti Bolognese if you can accurately remember every word to Britney Spear's Hit Me Baby One More Time. The point of the matter is that even though it may have been 20-odd years since you've heard these songs, there is every chance your brain has retained their sheer awesomeness and is ready and willing to crack them out at an opportune moment. Obviously no better than this Saturday night, where you can see Peter Combe make your young dreams come true at the Globe.
Before real-life American politics started to resemble a farce, HBO's seven-season comedy Veep got there first — and gave the country a female Vice President before 2020's historic election results, too. Starring the always-exceptional Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Senator-turned-VP Selina Meyer, this quick-witted show parodies everything about US government, elections and politics. It was created by renowned Scottish satirist Armando Iannucci, who did the same thing in the UK with The Thick Of It, and it's both razor-sharp and sublimely hilarious. Veep is also impressively cast, with Louis-Dreyfus winning six consecutive Emmy Awards for her work, and her co-stars proving just as deserving of awards. Tony Hale might be best known for Arrested Development, but he's pitch-perfect as Selina's body man Gary. Also, when Hugh Laurie shows up, Veep manages to find a new level of comedy.
If your days spent working from home and social distancing could do with a few more adorable animals, you'll be happy to know the internet is filled with many. Melbourne's zoos are live streaming their penguins, leopard cubs and giraffes, Sydney's aquarium brought us playtime with Pig the dugong and a Queensland wildlife sanctuary has cams on its koalas 24/7. Now, Taronga Zoo Sydney and Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo have launched their own television station: Taronga TV. As well as three 24/7 live-streams focused on the zoos' sumatran tiger cubs, seals and elephants, the station is releasing daily videos across its Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channels. Already online: some adorable koala content, virtual hangs with the world's largest lizard, penguin feeds, baby monkeys, otters and even a video of a hippo doing a backflip. Yes, hippopotamuses — those giant water-dwelling mammals that generally weigh around 1000 kilograms — can do gymnastics better than me. https://youtu.be/qy9tc9zkN_Y As for what's to come, the zoo is promising a lot of behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, chats with keepers, stories from the Wildlife hospitals (including how it x-rays a seal), conservation work and workshops. There's a heap of kid-focused content, too, if you have any littlies at home at the moment. Both Taronga Zoos are temporarily closed to the public. Taronga TV will release videos daily on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and via its website. Top image: Rick Stevens
By now, we're all well and truly in the festive mood. The big day is inching closer by the moment, too, and trying to get ready early is no longer an option. That said, even the most organised among us always have a few last-minute things to pick up. It really wouldn't be Christmas otherwise. While the Milton Markets has already hosted its usual festive shindig at the end of November, it isn't done helping you out with your festive shopping just yet. On Friday, December 23 from 7am–12pm, it's hosting a last pop-up pre-Christmas Eve market. Mark your calendars accordingly. Gourmet food, artisanal wares, farm-fresh produce, gift ideas — they'll all be available. It isn't just your final chance to get market goodies before Christmas, but one of your last opportunities to avoid shopping centres, their crowds, and their rush and chaos. As always with markets, arriving early is highly recommended.
Sometimes, your tastebuds crave something special. They hanker for the kind of dish you're not going to eat every day, aka a treat yo'self type of culinary experience. Here are three things that they'd likely demand in that situation: lobster, truffles and champagne. If that sounds like your idea of an indulgent meal, Lobster & Co has you sorted until Friday, January 27 at the Gasometer at Gasworks in Newstead. During another season of decadence, you'll only find those three aforementioned items on the menu; the Lobster & Co van is solely serving lobster rolls with truffle fries and flutes of Pommery champagne. Prices start at $50 for the food combo, which features a whole confit lobster tail sourced from Western Australia, served warm on a caramelised brioche bun with buttermilk fennel slaw, plus a side of parmesan truffle fries. A chilled glass of the champers will cost you $20 extra. Generally, Lobster & Co operates Wednesday–Sunday, but dates and times vary over the holidays — so keep an eye on the pop-up's website. Updated: January 5, 2023. Images: Karon Photography.
If you want to get up close and personal with the oldest continually surviving rainforest in the world, make tracks to the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway located 15 minutes north of Cairns. Aboard the cableway, you'll glide over the pristine jungle canopies between Smithfield and Kuranda, soaking in panoramic views of the rainforest and beyond before ending your ride near the banks of the heaving Barron River. You can also opt for the open-air Canopy Glider to sail top-down over the treetops with the expert guidance of a Skyrail Ranger or upgrade to the diamond view experience to ride in a gondola with a glass floor. To maximise your rainforest ride, combine your treetop adventure with the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway to see the sights from a different perspective on your round trip. Plus, if you want to help maintain the tropical rainforest, you can donate to The Skyrail Rainforest Foundation which distributes funds to research and education projects that help protect and conserve this natural wonder.
No longer confined to children's birthday parties, bouncy castles, inflatable obstacle sources and blow-up labyrinths are currently hot property for adults (and their inner kids, of course). And the next blow-up event to hit Australia is big. Really big. Dubbed 'The Big Bounce Australia', it's an inflatable theme park made up of Guinness World Records-certified world's biggest bouncy castle, a 300-metre long obstacle course and a three-part space-themed wonderland. You're going to need a lot of red cordial to bounce your way through all of this. Set to hit Brisbane between March 7 and 22, The Big Bounce is open to both littl'uns and big'uns — but there are a heap of adults-only sessions, so you don't have to worry about dodging toddlers on your way through. Tickets for adults will set you back $55, which gives you a whole three hours in the park. You'll need it. Inside, you'll encounter the aforementioned bouncy castle — aptly named The World's Biggest Bounce House — covering a whopping 1500 square metres and, in some spots, reaching ten metres off the ground. In this house, you'll encounter a heap of slides, ball pits, climbing towers, basketball hoops and (if you can believe it) a stage with DJs, confetti cannons and beach balls. Then, there's The Giant, with 50 inflatable obstacles, including giant red balls and a monster slide. [caption id="attachment_749668" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Big Bounce AirSpace[/caption] Before you hit the final, three-part section of the park, you may need to pause, down some red frogs and maybe even have a nap. Or not, you do only have three hours to explore it all. Next up, is AirSpace, where aliens, spaceships and moon craters collide with a five-lane slide, some more ball pits and an 18-metre-tall maze. Now, you'll certainly need a nap.
He wrote about cats wearing hats, grinches stealing Christmas, ham served with green eggs, and a creature called Sam. He was cartoonist Theodor Seuss Geisel, also known as Dr Seuss. He jotted down the humorous rhymes and scribbled the colourful images from the books that were a staple of your childhood. All that, you know — but did you know about his secret art? Beyond the 44 children’s stories, more than 400 World War II political cartoons, hundreds of advertisements and countless editorials that made him an icon, he also painted and sculpted for his own enjoyment. At The Art of Dr Seuss, both sides of his creative endeavours are on display as Mitchell Fine Art delves into 70 years of Seuss’ art history. In the Brisbane leg of a project that has toured the world, you can view rare works and buy prints and reproductions. You're also likely to get more than a few rhymes stuck in your head — that's just how Seuss would liked it, after all.
Mid-week treats from Philip Johnson's imaginative and decadent tasting menu at the landmark e'cco bistro are always a good idea. Coming in at a very agreeable $89 per person, you're likely to dine on dishes like venison tartare, pumpkin agnolotti, local organic chicken, steak with sweet soy and a cheeky mango tart for dessert. Not a bad way to enjoy the best of e'cco without putting too much strain on your wallet. Image: @eccobistro via Instagram
'Escape room' has been a bit of a loaded term for the past 18 months or so. We all know how crucial lockdowns are to stopping the spread of COVID-19, but we've all dreamed about escaping our own four walls during stay-at-home stints, too. And, if you're a fan of actual escape rooms — the themed spaces where puzzle buffs track down clues, solve mysteries and try to sleuth their way out the doors — you haven't had too many chances to enjoy your favourite pastime during the pandemic. You mightn't be able to head to a physical escape room at the moment — you could be in lockdown in Sydney or Brisbane, or it hasn't been a priority after Melbourne's last stay-at-home stretch, for instance — but one Australian venue wants you to keep enjoying its mysteries within your own house. Arcadium Adventures set up shop in Spring Hill in Brisbane in 2020, complete with a bar and different spaces for patrons to puzzle their way through. Now, it's also releasing online mystery kits for you to enjoy at home. A Most Mysterious Convention is the first kit in a planned series, and it'll task you with figuring out a secret message — all by printing out and reading the materials provided, and also by doing some cutting and punching of holes (with a hole punch, of course). You'll be solving puzzles in the process, too, with the whole experience expected to take between 90–120 minutes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Arcadium Adventures (@arcadiumadventures) If you get stumped, you can also access the Arcadium Archives online for hints and clues as part of the $20 kit price. And, if you'd prefer to get a physical copy that you don't have to print out yourself, you can get one posted to you for $28. Obviously, you now have something else to add to your to-do list while you're spending more time at home. Yes, your streaming queue can wait for a few hours of puzzles. For more information about Arcadium Adventures' A Most Mysterious Convention kits, or to buy one, head to the venue's website. Top image: Arcadium Adventures.
In need of some new procrastination material? Well, you're in luck. Google image search 'Banff' and spend a few minutes (or half an hour) taking in the gorgeous pictures of snow-capped mountains, aqua water and towering pines. It's impossible to not daydream about holidaying somewhere far-flung and exciting while ogling these picture-perfect views, as we're sure you'll agree. Thankfully, you'll have the opportunity to slip into this magical world without ever leaving Brisbane. The River City's Brisbane Powerhouse is hosting Banff Mountain Film Festival's 2025 tour — the event's latest stopover, after beginning back in 1976. Its stunning cinematography attracts film buffs and adventurers alike, making the festival mighty popular across the world today. [caption id="attachment_997959" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pierre Vieira[/caption] Each year, hundreds of films enter the competition with the cream of the crop chosen to entertain and amaze festivalgoers. Some of the featured flicks battled it out in categories including Best Film on Mountain Sport, Best Film on Mountain Environment, Best Film on Mountain Culture, Best Film on Exploration and Adventure, and more. Check out seven of them from Wednesday, May 28–Saturday, May 31 at Brisbane Powerhouse, in a package featuring films about snowboarding on Antarctic icebergs, wingsuit flying in the Swiss Alps, ultra-marathon running, mountain biking in the Dolomites and more. Top images: Christoph Thoresen Ofa / Tamara Susa / Jerome Tanon.
Motivated by Council's plan to revitalise Brisbane's inner-city laneways, Urbane co-owners Andrew Patten and Andrew Buchanan opened the Laneway bar in late 2009. Despite the source of its inspiration, expect no cosy recess or unassuming hole in the wall. Though its perch overlooking Spencer Lane is discreet, the Laneway itself is a slickly designed, elevated room affixed to the back of sister establishment the Euro (via which it is accessible). With a roomy and uncluttered interior, the Laneway is a favoured spot for after-five drinks. The food — a cut above your standard pub snacks — also draws a crowd of workers at lunch. Share plates can be mixed and matched by combining 'substantials' (we recommend the Southern-style fried chicken, seasoned with 27 herbs and spices and served with a chipotle sauce) and 'accompaniments' (barbequed sweet corn with a spiced popcorn dry rub, boquerones served with lemon and garlic). Drinks specials change every week, and the range of beverages should keep everyone happy — domestic and imported beers and wines, some refreshing cocktails and, most significantly, a sweeping variety of spirits (the list of whiskeys is particularly impressive).
Excellent news for your bank balance: catching Translink public transport across Queensland will soon only cost you 50 cents per journey no matter how far you're going. Sunshine State Premier Steven Miles has announced the price-slashing move, which will kick in on Monday, August 5, 2024 and run for six months, as a cost-of-living relief measure and an effort to reduce traffic congestion. Translink, which falls within Queensland's Department of Transport and Main Roads, runs a hefty range of services — starting with trains, buses, ferries and trams in southeast Queensland. So for Brisbanites, whether you ride the rails as part of your daily commute, hit the road or hop on a CityCat, you'll be scoring a hefty discount, getting there and home for just $1 a day. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Steven Miles (@stevenmilesmp) "We're reducing the cost of all Translink public transport services for six months. This massive cost-of-living relief measure will help bust congestion on our roads," said the Premier on social media, where he announced the 50-cent fares on Sunday, May 26. "I expect this will save Queenslanders thousands of dollars over six months, and encourage more people to catch our fast, frequent and 50-cent public transport," Miles continued in a statement. [caption id="attachment_958245" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Translink also runs buses in Bowen, Bundaberg, Cairns, the Fraser Coast, Gladstone and Gympie — and in Innisfail, Kilcoy, Mackay, Rockhampton, Yeppoon, the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Toowoomba, Townsville, Warwick and The Whitsundays. So, this is a statewide measure. The 50-cent price will apply to everyone, including concession cardholders, but is only available on Translink services. Accordingly, privately operated transport services won't be doing the cheap fares. [caption id="attachment_630654" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andrew Thomas via Flickr[/caption] Running for six months, the fare drop isn't a permanent change — but it will help you stop spending more than a fiver to get to and from your job if you work a five-day grind. The Sunday Mail reports that the Queensland Government will reassess the move in early 2025 if Labour is re-elected in October's state election. [caption id="attachment_958247" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Robert McPherson via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] [caption id="attachment_857365" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] [caption id="attachment_754201" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] [caption id="attachment_749921" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] John via Flickr[/caption] Fifty-cent fares will start across Translink's Queensland public transport services on Monday, August 5, 2024, running for six months. To find out more information about Translink's services, head to the company's website. Top image: Tourism and Events Queensland.
When a show is named after a space battleship, it's instantly worth paying attention to. And when it tracks a war between humanity and an android race known as the Cylons, it isn't going to be short on intrigue. That's especially true when the flesh-and-blood side of the equation hail from a distant star system, and originally live across a group of planets known as the Twelve Colonies — and their very survival is at stake. That's the tale that Battlestar Galactica tells, and has in multiple shapes and forms since 1978. With no disrespect meant to the original series and its 1980 sequel, the reimagining that first hit screens in 2003 has become the version of record. The latter started as a miniseries, then served up four seasons of sci-fi drama, political battles, space-set adventures and all-round entertaining television until 2009, making stars out Katee Sackhoff and Jamie Bamber in the process.
So, Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All. They're commonly known as 'Odd Future' or their acronym, which not only looks like some kind of ultra-new internet abbreviation but doubles as an onomatopoeic rendering of many people's reactions to their lyrics. They have a tumblr, where they release music and videos. People are freaking out about them. A loose affiliation of skaters, filmmakers and rappers they say number somewhere in the sixties, Odd Future's break into public consciousness has come about through viral spread of the music and videos they put up for free and a media frenzy that's seen everyone from Pitchfork and NME to The Village Voice and The Poetry Foundation and The New Yorker finding them irresistibly coverable. It's not a simple case of Next Big Thingness, though: odd Future are almost as likely to be called the beginning of the end. Their lyrics (Rap Genius provides a good repository of these with fan interpretations) are, um, not exactly not problematic: the rhymes of group founder Tyler the Creator (19) and the mysteriously absent Earl Sweatshirt (16 and theorised to be at a reform school in Samoa) and the rest of the Gang are remarkable for their disaffectedness. Not a verse goes by without some kind hypersexualised ultraviolence and/or aggression based on race or sexual orientation, but it doesn't seem to mean that much to them. This is cartoon stuff, like they're trying to see what images they can conjure, and they're not paying any attention to whether or not it's okay to say it — it's authenticity above all else. And whether or not it's fair (and it sure has helped them get big) Odd Future are being judged as a new generation, not on whether they're good creatively but if they're okay human beings. Odd Future are swagging out the Hi-Fi this Sunday, with the official afterparty (featuring Syd the Kid) at Alhambra Lounge. Image: Brook Bobbins, Village Voice
When you consider the ever-inflating costs associated with owning your own patch of urban paradise, it’s little wonder that people are turning to a more compact way of living. In response, quirky micro houses are appearing in cities around the globe, as architects and owners turn their attention to designing houses with simplicity and sustainability in mind. Many designers have been influenced by Japanese architects like Yasuhiro Yamashita, who has responded to the challenge posed by space constraints by creating small but comfortable and functional living quarters like his Lucky Drops house in Tokyo. As more and more attractive alternatives to traditional homes pop up each week, we take a look at some of our favourite not-so-grand designs. Small House in Tokyo, Japan Tunnel Vision in Manhattan, New York Small House Surry Hills, Sydney Steel Life in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Lucky Drops in Tokyo, Japan
Sleep, who needs it? Not coffee-loving Brisbanites on Saturday, July 27. After a day spent downing 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, Winn Lane and California Lane's aptly titled The Lanes Coffee Festival, which will feature as many coffee-themed drinks — and probably bites — as can reasonably be packed into one laneway. There'll be stalls set up throughout the three patches 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. You'll sip, sample, buy beans and watch top baristas do their best, while listening to live tunes. For $10, you can take a coffee tour, too. And yes, if you get a little too pumped, there'll be non-caffeinated beverages around. 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.
If Christmas rolls around, and you don't dress up your doggo in its festive finest and take it to see Santa, is it really Christmas? Felons Brewing Co thinks not. Not content with being Brissie's only inner-city riverside brewery, this Howard Smith Wharves-based source of beers with a view is also giving the city's ale-sipping, Christmas-loving pooch owners exactly what they want: the chance to get their pet's portrait taken with the jolliest of figures. Between 3–5pm on Sunday, December 15, the red-suited wonder known as Father Christmas will be outside Felons waiting to get snapped with your adorable four-legged friend. That's it, it's sorted: everyone you know is getting copies of the cute shot in their stocking. Best start looking for the best frames to go with them. The photos are free, although there is one caveat: they're for canines only. No kids, and no adults who think they're kids either. If you fall into the latter category, you can always treat yourself to a cold one afterwards — Felons will also be serving up its latest release, Dark Side Stout, and making it available in gift-friendly two-packs.
Craig Walsh is an immersive artist, one who responds to his surroundings and the people within them. He is the voice of a community, communicating the perspectives of those often without the ability to do so. With the help of Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art Australia alongside mining company Rio Tinto, Walsh has been able to create a body of work to raise awareness of the work of the National Heritage Place with the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation in the Murujuga National Park, and the priceless rock art that is protected as a result. Walsh has worked with the traditional custodians of the land, the Circle of Elders, as well as park rangers to create video recaps of the Elders, which are projected onto self-made images of notable landscapes. This also allowed him to create Standing Stone Site (2012), a collection of 96 standing stones, a platform to showcase both the shifting light on the stones as well as the largest collection of standing stones in Australia. Curators Judith Blackall and Robert Leonard pay tribute to Craig Walsh throughout the exhibition, once again illustrating the influence of this national treasure.
In life and in horror movies, don't pick up a book bound in human skin. Just don't. Anthropodermic bibliopegy is the name of that gruesome covering process, and it isn't a fictional creation of the Evil Dead world — so heeding this guidance really is sensible. Of course, there wouldn't be any films in the boomstick-waving franchise if its characters listened to such a warning. There'd be no cabin-visiting folks battling Deadites again and again, and no chainsaws coming in mighty handy, either. Evil Dead Rise, the fifth big-screen instalment in the saga that also started Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell's careers long before the OG Spider-Man flicks, Burn Notice and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, does indeed include that flesh-wrapped Necronomicon Ex-Mortis. Also, the terrifying tome is grabbed, opened and unwittingly allowed to unleash its gory chaos. The body count rises, demons hop into bodies, and shotguns and power tools become necessary weapons. That said, while Evil Dead Rise definitely knows the series it's in, it's no mere exercise in blasting expected targets. There will be blood in this addition to the Evil Dead fold, and not just inking The Book of the Dead's pages. There's gallons of it, in fact, with assistance from an elevator overflowing with crimson liquid. Writer/director Lee Cronin is clearly happy to jump from his 2019 debut The Hole in the Ground to this beloved horror franchise while giving The Shining some love as well. And yet, nods to past Evil Dead films and scary fare in general aren't the main point of Evil Dead Rise, even though they're still there — loudly when "dead by dawn", words that are also part of Evil Dead II's title, is yelled. It shouldn't feel so rare to see a feature that isn't solely kept beating by gobbling up as many pieces of its predecessors as possible, but that's these nothing-must-die times. (When intellectual property is revived repeatedly by Hollywood's intonations, bringing back Evil Dead over and over couldn't be more appropriate.) Consider this another play around with recognisable parts — and with mutilating them, with Cronin showing no signs of holding back with his setpieces, gleefully unhinged onslaught of carnage or visual compositions. Or, think of it as striding into a lived-in hut with a keenness to make something already-beloved new again. With Raimi and Campbell only involved as executive producers, the film also doesn't ever feel like Cronin wrote a different script, then just dumped in a Necronomicon here and a Deadite there. Again, it's well-aware of the path it's treading, and of what's done so before. Still, amid the ample guts, the obligatory creepy pages and the eerie incantations (which for viewers unlike the movie's characters, are well-worth listening to closely), this saga-extender finds the right balance between affectionately savouring Evil Dead's groovy history and being its own fright-inducing meal. Familiar swooping and whooshing camerawork kicks Evil Dead Rise into gear, though, knowingly so. In a clever touch, it stems from a is doing the shooting, not due to supernatural nefariousness. There's a remote abode in the woods — an A-frame shack this time, levelled up to match 2023's travel aesthetic — and unsettling things afoot; however, the bulk of the film takes place a day earlier. That's when guitar technician Beth (Lily Sullivan, Picnic at Hanging Rock) cuts out a the worldwide tour to surprise her sister Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland, New Gold Mountain). The latter is a tattoo artist and mother of three who has recently been left parenting solo, and is interrupted dying her hair 'cool mum' red when her sibling arrives. There's baggage between the pair, but there'll soon be viscera as well when Ellie's teenage son Danny (Morgan Davies, Blaze) finds a certain text — and, because he's a budding DJ, some dusty vinyl sporting words that no one in an Evil Dead movie should be saying or hearing. There's that trusty advice being disregarded. Danny's sister Bridget (Gabrielle Echols, Reminiscence) is on hand with an "I told you so" or several, mirroring what viewers are thinking. Actually, Evil Dead Rise inspires a new take on the old "don't pick up a book bound in human skin" counsel: don't go plunging into a hole in the ground when the condemned high-rise you're living in cracks in an earthquake and you spot an old bank vault in the newly opened void, then 100-percent don't pick up some literally underground tunes and the entombed, flesh-packaged tome they're buried near. But Danny does all that, thinking the volume might be worth something to help his mum's money worries. Bridget scolds and youngest sister Kassie (Nell Fisher, My Life Is Murder) is quickly scared by the aftermath. The trapped inhabitants of the about-to-be-demolished building are all unnerved, to say the least, as the Evil Dead realm's wicked spirits let loose their hellish waking nightmare. There will be splatter, too, as the 1981 original introduced on a supremely low budget. Each Evil Dead chapter loves imparting its own vibe, after the second film got funnier, 1992's third effort Army of Darkness became a dark fantasy, then 2013's Evil Dead snatched out every trace of absurdity — and, on the small screen, Ash vs Evil Dead got amusing again — but gore usually flows eagerly. Like grated cheese, there's no such thing as too much in Cronin's eyes. Like making that shredded dairy, a particular kitchen utensil gets a workout. With cinematographer Dave Garbett, an Ash vs Evil Dead alum, Cronin also frequently draws attention to the act of seeing, while making sure there's almost always something savage to lock one's peepers on. A fish-eye peephole earns some savvy use, and the overall cavalcade of mayhem just keeps mounting to the point where it's so purposefully ridiculous that you can't look away. Evil Dead Rise isn't going for a Raimi-and-Campbell mood. It isn't aiming for the pair's laughs and slapstick since the OG flick, either. But it spies that constantly ramping up the slashing, stabbing, scalping, ripping and gouging is as relentless as it is OTT, especially when paired with devilishly delivered lines like "mommy's with the maggots now". And, although its guiding force takes too long establishing the new characters' family dynamic, then does too little with the themes of trauma and parenthood it starts flirting with, the franchise's latest cast is up to the task when things get demonic. Australian trio Sutherland, Sullivan and Davies each leave an imprint, with one also giving the saga one of its best Deadite performances. No Evil Dead fan will ever want Raimi and Campbell to stray too far from this series, but this latest bite doesn't ever feel like it needs them, or leave its audience wishing it was watching Ash J Williams instead.
The vital war on waste has inspired another eco-conscious new venture: Vessel Nundah, a skincare, toiletries and cleaning product retailer that doesn't sell its products in disposable packaging. Instead, customers looking to stock up on cleansers, moisturisers, dishwashing liquid, soap and more can bring their own clean, dry, reusable plastic containers, then fill them up with their products of choice. The brainchild of Nundah resident Marion Glover, the store came about as part of Glover's attempt to cut down on plastic within her own home. "I wanted to be able to shop for my daily-use items without the new plastic bottle each time," she explains — and with nowhere in Brisbane fulfilling her needs, Vessel Nundah was born. Opening its doors on Sunday, June 17 — then operating from 10am–6pm Monday to Thursday and 8am–12pm on Sundays — the store sells shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion and hand soap among its skincare range; dishwashing liquid, laundry liquid, multipurpose spray and glass cleaner for those looking to give their house a clean; and even car wash and wax. Glover sources her products from the likes of Perfect Potion and Bushby Cleaning Products, supporting local southeast Queensland brands and further reducing the shop's environmental impact. "It's a way to take immediate action on plastic reduction without relying on recycling, or for governments and companies to take action first," Glover expands. For those that don't yet have their own supply of containers, shoppers can also purchase reusable vessels in store. Find Vessel Nundah at 7 Nundah Street, Nundah, or visit the store's website or Facebook page for further details. If you're choosing to go out and support local businesses, have a look at the latest COVID-19 advice and social-distancing guidelines from the Department of Health.
The sniffles have set in, you're 100% up-to-date with everything on Netflix (though that's not necessarily a terrible thing) and getting out of bed in the morning is pretty much impossible — sound like you? Well, it's time to get out of that winter funk. The chilly season isn't all bad; there are roasts in the oven, Game of Thrones is back and some of your favourite pubs now feature open fires so you can warm the cockles over a pint by the fire. To those naysayers who think that winter marks the end of fun activities in general, we're about to show you how wrong you are. We've joined up with Hahn to round up a bunch of places you can escape to in your city on the weekend or on a needed personal day. Plus, these escapes won't even involve long drives and heated arguments about the speed limit on the Hume Highway. So, grab your coat and gloves and trot off to some fun winter adventures in your own town. Escaping has never been so easy. THE BARBECUE ESCAPE There's nothing like a huge amount of hot, chargrilled meat to warm you up from the inside out. You can try to avoid any winter rain showers to get all the snags cooked at the same time on the barbecue, or even better, get someone else to do the barbecuing for you. Opting for the latter, you can sit down and relax with a frosty cold Hahn while someone else smokes, grills and barbecues some tasty meats for you. Also, like any good barbecue joint, the convivial atmosphere should warm the heart, too. Where? Dig into the good stuff at Surly's in Sydney, Fancy Hank's in Melbourne and The Smoke BBQ in Brisbane. [caption id="attachment_618412" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lucas Dawson.[/caption] THE SPORT ESCAPE Your morning run is a lot harder now that it doesn't get properly light until like midday, we know. But don't fret; there are still ways of keeping active that won't have you freezing your extremities off. The trick here is being inside. Think mini golf with a bar thrown in, so you can reward yourself with a few beers after a tough game against your Bumble date, or even rock climbing you can do safely in wet weather with mobile reception, too. You could also consider a proper competitive sport session like badminton or table tennis to get those endorphins up, and work out your frustrations over how loudly your colleague Tina chews. Where? Head to Holey Moley, a mini-golf bar located in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. You can have a game of badminton or table tennis at Sydney's Olympic Park Sports Halls, and climb away at Sydney's Nomad, Melbourne's Hardrock and Brisbane's Urban Climb. THE WATER ESCAPE Not much can beat a hot bath in winter. It's okay if you can't fit a bathtub in your apartment though, because sourcing a large, hot body of water in your city is actually pretty easy. Though a visit to some natural hot pools is the dream winter activity, don't underestimate the heated regular pools you can access during the colder months. Head to an indoor — or even some outdoor — heated pools for a cruisy, wonderfully warm dip, or maybe a few lazy laps. It's also a good time of year where treating yourself to a spa day is less of an indulgence and more necessity, so go for gold. Where? Take a dip at the outdoor, heated Fitzroy Swimming Pool in Melbourne, the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre in Sydney (which also has a sauna and steam room) and the super retro Spring Hill Baths in Brisbane. Spa-wise, head to the star-speckled Day Spa by Chuan at The Langham in Sydney, Japanese oasis Onsen Ma Spa in Melbourne or try a float session at Brisbane's Beyond Rest. THE HOTEL ESCAPE The classic indulgent getaway, of course, is shooting off to a hotel for a night — and the ultra-indulgent way of doing it is to chuck a sickie and go mid-week. Even if you live pretty close to the city, there's nothing wrong with a minor change in scenery for a night. A staycation is a completely valid life choice and there are plenty of luxe hotels from Brisbane to Sydney to Melbourne that'll make you feel like you're living the high life — that beer-and-room-service-in-the-bath life. Another viable option is to pack your own slab of beer and check into an Airbnb instead. There's no room service, but you'll get the whole place to yourself. Where? Book into this super lush apartment at Potts Point in Sydney, The Olsen in Melbourne for a boutique, arty feel, and Spicers Balfour Hotel in Brisbane for an art deco-inspired space with a modern twist (and rooftop bar). THE ART ESCAPE Art galleries and cinemas were built for the type of people who like being inside when it's raining (which is quite possibly all of us), so they're the perfect option for a daytime escape. Art galleries set in gardens just outside the city limits, or cinemas showing foreign films not found anywhere else, are all excellent options for a bit of cultural development. See some art or cinema you normally wouldn't on your next day off — take in a bit of modern art or an obscure German film to really make you ponder your existence as a storm wails outside. Plus, most cinemas these days are licensed too, so for an extra good time you can even take a beer along with you. Where? See modern art, architecture and gardens at the Heide Museum of Modern Art in Bulleen in Melbourne, discover abstract art space Factory 49 in Marrickville in Sydney and check out Australian and international contemporary art at TWFINEART in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane. For arthouse cinema, your best picks are Cinema Nova in Melbourne's Carlton, Golden Age in Sydney and the Regal Twin cinema in Graceville, Brisbane. Plan your winter escape, and make sure to grab a cheeky Hahn or two on the way.
Without a doubt this summer’s hottest cultural ticket has been in residence at GoMA for a couple of months now. Yayoi Kusama’s “Look Now, See Forever” exhibition is drawing in large numbers of fascinated people wishing to play with polka dots and become immersed in her trademark modern art. What most people don’t realise without further investigation though, is that Yayoi Kusama’s work is heavily influenced by the respective world of fashion. When flipping through a magazine these days it’s not uncommon to come across long tributes and interviews with the artist in Russh or Oyster, describing how she embraces fashion to create her art and vice versa. So in order to educate people as part of the exhibition, GoMA are offering a discussion on Turning Art into Fashion this Saturday, where a group of guests will be analysing the relationship between the two creative fields and how it impacts both worlds. QUT's Deputy Vice-Chancellor Suzi Vaughan, fashion historian Ben Byrne and art curator Alison Kubler will all be sharing their opinions on how contemporary art and fashion design are becoming more and more intrinsically linked. If you’d like the ability to show off your art and fashion world knowledge next time you accompany someone to Look Now, See Forever this talk is highly recommend – especially as it’s free.
Today, intricately painted portraits line art gallery walls. Tomorrow, it'll be selfies. In fact, a new Los Angeles museum is dedicating its entire space to the snaps we all take of ourselves. Called The Museum of Selfies, it'll open for a limited time from January. The upcoming addition to LA isn't the first place or exhibition championing the cause, with a site in the Philippines taking that honour, but it is jumping on board with gusto. As well as showcasing selfies in all of their guises, attendees can expect hands-on installations that chart their history, play with common themes and — of course — encourage plenty of snap-taking. Bucking the trend in other galleries in recent years, selfie sticks are certain to be welcome. Highlights will include an Iron Throne made out of those very items, like Westeros would have if it had the technology, plus set-ups dedicated to food selfies, bathroom selfies, rooftop selfies and more. Narcissism, the rise of deaths attributed to selfies and contemporary artists' takes on selfies will also feature, mixing the psychological, societal and creative, plus something designed to make the Guinness Book of World Records. https://www.instagram.com/p/BcDNtLYlR0T/?taken-by=themuseumofselfies Overall, the museum aims to document, probe and challenge our fascination with the self-portrait form, as well as the perception of it in these iPhone-wielding times. Are selfies art? What makes your selfie-filled Instagram feed any different to artist self-portraits on canvas? Why can't we stop taking them? They're just some of the questions that'll be under consideration. The timing comes hot on the heels of a recent study on the concept of 'selfitis', which proposes that excessive selfie-snapping might be a mental disorder. According to research out of Nottingham Trent University, anyone taking at least three selfies a day could be afflicted. Whether or not you're convinced, visitors to The Museum of Selfies are certain to hit that target the moment they walk in the gallery's doors. Via Mashable/Time Out.
Everything is a multiverse these days, or so it increasingly seems. Marvel has one, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is currently in cinemas to remind us all of that fact if we somehow forgot after Spider-Man: No Way Home. Rick and Morty loves them as well. Even if the term isn't mentioned explicitly, everything from French delight Petite Maman to The Matrix franchise flirts with similar territory. And yes, the list goes on — but nothing else is quite like Everything Everywhere All At Once. Don't know why that's the case? There's a vast array of reasons, including star Michelle Yeoh getting to play multiple versions of the same character, earning a far worthier showcase of her talents than the likes of Boss Level and Gunpowder Milkshake have provided of late, and also working in a nod to her Crazy Rich Asians-era IRL self as well. Plus, there's the wonderful return to cinema by Ke Huy Quan, aka Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom's Short Round and The Goonies' Data, who makes a fantastic double-act with Yeoh. Also a highlight: a world where everyone has hot dogs for fingers; another where Ratatouille is real, but with raccoons; and another still that's a sparse realm where life only exists in sentient rocks. Weird, wild and wonderful from its first frame to its last, Everything Everywhere All At Once stands out in a heap of ways — and, if you haven't seen it yet or you're keen to give it a revisit, you can now watch one of the best films of 2022 so far from your couch via digital platforms from Thursday, May 26. Fast-tracking flicks big and small to digital is our new pandemic-era reality, and this gem is the latest to make the leap — while it's still showing in cinemas, too. It looks fabulous on the big screen, but if the ease of checking it out at home suits you better, that's also now an option, as it also has been with The Batman, West Side Story, Dune, The Matrix Resurrections and more in the past few months. Written and directed by the Daniels, aka Swiss Army Man's Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All At Once really does take its name seriously. Here, almost anything that can happen does, all while laundromat owner Evelyn (Yeoh) just wants to get the tax office off her back, save the family business and make the most of her dad's (James Hong, Turning Red) visit from China. In the middle of a punishing audit by IRS inspector Deirdre Beaubeirdra (Jamie Lee Curtis, Halloween Kills), and already feeling chaotic after her daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) brought her girlfriend Becky (Tallie Medel, The Carnivores) home, Evelyn learns that the fate of the universe is at stake. Of course, only she can save everything — and while that setup might sound familiar, this funhouse of a feature never takes the expected path. Check out the trailer for Everything Everywhere All At Once below: Everything Everywhere All At Once is currently screening in Australian cinemas, and is also available to stream online via video on demand — including via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review.
The days are shorter, the cold winds stronger and we can be sure of one thing: winter is here. While in Australia that may not have the dramatic effect it does in Game of Thrones, we can be sure that a plethora of dark and delicious beers are coming into their own now that the colder months are upon us. Here follows, in no particular order, a guide to the top ten brews to help you through the wintry season. MODUS OPERANDI BREWING, FORMER TENANT RED IPA Mona Vale's finest, Modus Operandi Brewing, is known for its big, bold, hop-driven beers and this glorious red IPA is no exception. Expect big fruity notes of passionfruit and mango, owing to the liberal dry hopping with Galaxy and Mosaic hop varieties, giving way to a burst of bittersweet red grapefruit flavour. Underpinning this maelstrom of hops is an incredibly well-balanced malt base with notes of earthy caramel and biscuit. The finish is piney and botanical, giving just a hint of the beer's namesake — the 'former tenant' of the brewery's site was a marijuana grower — which makes this beer a complex and rewarding brew from the first to last sip. $14.50 for a 500ml can or $48.99 for a four-pack at Beer Cartel. PHILTER, CARIBBEAN STOUT Philter has something of a knack for busting out surprisingly different beers with each new release. Having already nailed an XPA, a session red ale and a lager, it's no surprise that its latest offering is something to get excited about. Though the name might indicate some sort of coconut-infused-rum-barrel-aged craft beer experiment, the flavour is far more approachable, drawing inspiration from the tradition of fruitier stouts common in the Caribbean and surrounding areas. Weighing in at an impressive 7% ABV this beer pours midnight black with rich notes of cocoa, dried fruits and a hint of nuttiness. $10 for a 375ml can or $33.99 for a four-pack at Beer Cartel. BATCH BREWING CO, ELSIE THE MILK STOUT Milk stouts continue to grow in popularity among Australian beer drinkers, and once you've had a glass of Elsie, it's not hard to see why. Combining a complex malt bill, flaked barley, rolled oats and lactose, this beer offers a balance of sweet and roasty notes such as chocolate and coffee with a beautiful creaminess. Coming in at an approachable 4.3% ABV this is a great beer for those looking to cross over to the dark side this winter. $12.50 for a 640ml bottle at Beer Cartel. YOUNG HENRYS, MOTORCYCLE OIL HOPPY PORTER Brewing powerhouse Young Henrys continues to impress with the latest addition to its taps and tinnies. In keeping with the tattooed-up, beard sporting-style it's known for, the charmingly titled Motorcycle Oil is at once in your face, yet reserved, well balanced and approachable. The initial flavour is roasty with delicate hints of chocolate, coffee and a touch of caramel, giving way to a big hop character featuring citrus and medium pine notes. Sitting at 5.8% ABV it offers big flavours but in a balanced and welcoming beer — sure to please lovers of hops and malt alike. $8.99 for a 500ml can or $29.99 for a four-pack at Dan Murphy's. FRENCHIES, ASTROLABE RED BIÈRE DE GARDE Based on a style that originated in Northern France, bière de gardes are bound by a common malt-accented flavour, but, beyond that, each brew offers a wealth of idiosyncrasies. Frenchies Astrolabe pours a beautiful ruby colour with plenty of caramel malt up front followed by notes of cherry and berries with hint of pear. Finishing with a moderate bitterness, this beer is dangerously sessionable, masking its 7.4% ABV with ease and charm. $12 for a 440ml can or $40.99 for a four-pack at Beer Cartel. WAYWARD BREWING CO, FURIOUS GNOME ESB The name alone should be enough to win people over. But coupled with Wayward's reputation as one of Sydney's finest breweries, it's a must-try this season. Furious Gnome pays homage to classic British ESBs like Fuller's and Old Speckled Hen through its caramel and toffee dominated palate, with a biscuity dryness and rounded out by an earthy and ever so lightly spicy hop bitterness at the end. A great malt-accented interpretation of the style — sure to please thirsty expats and newcomers to the style alike. $11.50 for a 640ml bottle at Bucket Boys. MORNINGTON PENINSULA BREWERY, MORNINGTON BROWN ALE A classic English-style brown ale, this moreish brew from Mornington Peninsula Brewery offers an enticing aroma of toffee and dried fruits (think sultanas, raisins and dates) owing to the imported English malts that make up its base. On the palate, expect toffee and chocolate notes with a balanced sweetness and a slightly nutty finish. At 5% ABV, it's perhaps a little stronger than the beers which inspired it, yet is still supremely sessionable and well matched with nutty cheeses like gouda, as well as roasted meats. $3.99 for a 330ml bottle, $23.94 for a six-pack at Dan Murphy's. BRIDGE ROAD BREWERS, CELTIC RED IRISH RED ALE A longtime staple from the old hands at Bridge Road Brewers down in Beechworth, the Celtic red ale is a wonderfully delicate balance of caramel malts with a light roastiness and a dryer finish that you'd expect for the style. Pouring a deep amber, this beer is initially sweet with toffee and burnt sugar notes, followed by a subtle kick of noble hops to bring you back for another sip. At 5.3% ABV, it's a wonderful Aussie interpretation of a true Irish-style red, malty and sweet but wonderfully well balanced. $4.19 for a 330ml bottle or $15.49 for a four-pack at Dan Murphy's. STAVES BREWERY, ARDENNES TABLE BEER BELGIAN PALE ALE Named after a yeast strain sourced from the Ardennes region of Belgium, this delicate and well-balanced beer from the Glebe's charming Staves Brewery is not to be missed. Opening with lightly sour fruity notes, coupled with a gentle spiciness from the yeast, this Belgian-style beer is the perfect brew for when the sun is out, but the wind has an edge to it. The Glebe brewpub also features live music and comedy, whilst owner Steve Drissell is often found manning the taps, ready to share a laugh and his impressive beer knowledge with the punters. Ardennes Table Beer can be purchased in store at Staves Brewery, 4-8 Grose Street, Glebe. BADLANDS BREWERY, DRAUGHTY KILT SCOTCH ALE Scotch ale is a style not often replicated on Aussie shores, yet a handful of flattering imitators of the malt-driven Scottish style exist. And Orange's Badlands Brewery has long been at the forefront. Copper red in colour with toffee and caramel notes and a hint of vanilla giving way to a light burst of candied orange and date, this beer features a restrained bitterness that really allows its rich malty flavours to shine. At 5% ABV it's relatively light for a Scotch ale, but that just means you can enjoy more of it. $11 for a 500ml bottle at Beer Cartel. For alternative stockists in your city, check the breweries' websites. Top image: Frenchies
Arguably, winter is one of the best times to explore Sydney. As well as boasting picturesque coastal walks, a bevy of exceptional dining destinations and a buzzing live music scene, for a whole month the harbourside locale is transformed with beams of light, bundles of creativity and larger-than-life installations as Vivid Sydney ignites the city. After a two-year hiatus (for obvious reasons), the boundary-pushing festival is back — and it's set to be bigger than ever. Sites across the city are charging up to host international and homegrown musos, conversations among industry greats and masterpieces from some of the most creative minds. If you're an out-of-towner, Marriott Bonvoy have a suite of spots to rest that head of yours (ensuring you can make the most out of your after-dark adventuring). Pier One Sydney is the obvious choice if you're looking to be fully immersed in the festivities. Vivid Light Walk — which brings bubbles of magic with Atelier Sisu's Ephemeral Oceanic — is on your doorstep, as is the hotel's pontoon, so you can easily hop aboard a vessel and enjoy the lights from an aquatic vantage point. If dining under the lights is more your thing, schedule some time at the onsite Vivid Marquee Bar, where a $90pp food and drinks package will fuel you up over two hours. The fine people at Sydney Harbour Marriott have everything ready to truly indulge interstate guests. Dig into a Vivid Sydney-inspired goodie bag after check-in (who doesn't love a good freebie?) and get set for seriously good eating with a $100 dining credit. The on-theme offering doesn't stop with the hospitalities, with the pop-up Vivid Laneway Bar bringing an exclusive spot to sip. Thinking about an upgrade? Pick a Vivid Sydney View Room to score complimentary brekkie. If you're after a stay that has all the trimmings, Sheraton Grand Sydney is the weekend spot for you. Along with a divine room to hit the hay, your booking comes with the Vivid Sydney Lights and Colours High Tea for two, breakfast in the morning and parking (a truly fantastic feature when visiting the city). Plus, you're only minutes from all the Vivid Sydney action — there's even an exhibit in the lobby. Marriott Bonvoy has truly left Vivid Sydney visitors spoilt for choice, as there are also amazing stays — with lots of perks — available at Four Points by Sheraton Sydney Central Park and Courtyard by Marriott North Ryde (which is only a short train ride from all the illuminated excitement in the city). Don't miss the 2022 Vivid Sydney event highlights, and ensure your itinerary includes these bright installations. For more information and to book a premium Vivid Sydney stay at a Marriott Bonvoy hotel, head to the website.
Let's face it, sometimes we just don't have the energy for crowded clubs where we're practically yelling at our mates over deafening music (which essentially just becomes noise after a while) just to make ourselves heard. If you still fancy that lifestyle, kudos to you. However, for those looking for nights out in more cosy, laidback surrounds (with quality drinks, of course), we've partnered with American Honey to gather a list of bars in Brisbane that will offer just that. From intimate, nook-filled venues to lively establishments, the bars below are perfect the next time you want to sit back, relax and soak up quality time with quality people. COVENT GARDEN, WEST END Located in the heart of West End, Covent Garden is a contemporary botanical-themed gin house that exudes a very conversation-friendly vibe. This leafy, verdant oasis is awash with calming bright hues and natural light, with a welcoming atrium-like vibe that's completed with a large stained-glass dome that sits above the main dining area. With its comfortable seating and lofty ceilings — not to mention several al fresco nooks — if this spot isn't already high up on your rotation, it soon will be. Not only does this Boundary Street spot boast an impressive cocktail list, but it's also known for its 100-percent gluten-free and coeliac-friendly menu, making it an easy win for even the pickiest of your mates. Our tip: pair your plate with a super smooth American Honey, fresh lime and soda to really lean in to those golden-hour vibes. THE PINEAPPLE HOTEL, KANGAROO POINT A Brisbane classic, The Pineapple Hotel is a no-brainer if you're looking for a spot for quality kick-ons after a game at the Gabba. Head in with mates to grab a post-game drink, and pair your bev with a juicy steak or woodfired pizza. Settle into a couch at the Pineapple's handsome Helsby's Ale House, where you can choose from 16 local and interstate beers on tap, including a house lager. The Pineapple also boasts a dedicated sports bar, while the breezy Park Bar, which overlooks the adjacent Raymond Park, features both indoor and outdoor seating, a solid all-day menu and live music on Saturdays. HEY CHICA!, FORTITUDE VALLEY Have you ever come across a neighbourhood street party that you wanted to join but couldn't bring yourself to do it out of fear of feeling like you were partying in a tin of sardines? Well, good news — Fortitude Valley's Hey Chica! offers the same exuberant street party energy but without you having to fight for personal space. There's always something happening at this vibrant Brunswick Street venue, whether it's Taco Tuesdays, Salsa Wednesdays or Tropical Thursdays, making it an ideal spot to both start your night and keep it going. Stay fuelled with a selection of pan-Latin street food-inspired dishes while sipping on serves like an impossibly smooth American Honey, fresh lime and soda, or summer-ready cocktails like mango coconut daiquiri or watermelon frose. CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?, WOOLLOONGABBA Can You Keep A Secret? No, that wasn't a question, but rather the name of this vintage-inspired Woolloongabba bar. But now that we have your attention, don't sleep on this stellar venue located in a heritage listed Stanley Street building that serves up sophisticated signature and classic cocktails, with considered decor inspired by your nan's living room (in the very best way, of course). Keeping with the theme, Can You Keep A Secret? also houses a small vintage clothing boutique within its walls, while a regular lineup of lo-fi live music is the perfect soundtrack for weekend catch-up sessions. MRS J RABBITS, WOOLLOONGABBA Make your Narnia dreams come true and walk through a literal wardrobe where you'll find Mrs J Rabbits, a moody speakeasy hidden somewhere on Logan Road. (Okay, it's on the top floor of Electric Avenue to be precise, but you'll still need a password to get in.) This inviting spot features both spacious couches and intimate tables so no matter what size your crew is, you'll be able to get settled in for a night of good conversation as you sip on cocktails with suitably fairytale-inspired names like the Queen of Hearts and Glass Slipper. There's also a regular lineup of live music, including jazz on Friday and Saturday nights. For more ways to celebrate golden moments with mates, head to the American Honey website.
If you ever drifted off in class back in your school days, then you're already well placed for a slumber at Brisbane's newest boutique hotel. Nestled into James Street, Miss Midgley's sits inside a heritage-listed building that dates back to the 1860s — including previous stints as a private home, a private hospital and, at the turn of the 20th century, as a private school called Miss Midgley's Educational Establishment. The former schoolhouse is now a five-apartment place to stay that can be rented by the room or booked out as an entire building, giving a spot with a significant past a new lease on life. But, as seen in the hotel's name, Miss Midgley's eagerly embraces its history. Mother-daughter duo Lisa and Isabella White, both architects, have renovated the building with a key focus on restoring, preserving and celebrating its century-plus-old charms. From the outside, Miss Midgley's heritage look greets both visitors and passersby immediately; being built out of Brisbane tuff stone, aka the type of weathered-appearing rock that marks many of the city's oldest and earliest buildings, will do that. That said, this new hotel is also the kind of spot that you could walk past, marvel at the exterior but not realise that you can staycation there — including with pets in its three ground-floor apartments. Those bottom-level rooms all feature outdoor courtyards, and all five across both storeys are self-contained, air-conditioned and come with their own outdoor space. They all each take names from the school theme, nodding to the OG Miss Midgley's, too — so downstairs you'll find the one-bedroom Principal's Office, plus two-bedroom Locker Room and Refectory, while the also two-bedroom Assembly Hall and Drawing Room sit upstairs. With all but one apartment boasting two bedrooms — and the entire place sleeping 18 all up — booking in with your pals for a Brisbane getaway without actually getting out of town is now on your travel curriculum. Given the New Farm location, you'll be just a stroll from James Street's shops and eateries, as well as New Farm Park and Howard Smith Wharves. And if you're happy just hanging out at Miss Midgley's, there's not only the pool but a tropical garden and small sundeck as well, and each apartment gets its own fringed umbrella. In revitalising Miss Midgley's, the Whites took their design cues from the stone walls; think: a colour palette filled with rusts, pinks and browns, as seen across walls and furniture. The corten front fence is also designed to stand out while still making the building itself the main attraction. And if you're wondering more about Miss Midgley's past, the Midgley family bought the place in 1903, with daughter Annie converting the home into a school in 1905 due to overcrowding at New Farm State School across the road. Find Miss Midgley's at 135 James St, New Farm. For more information, or to book, head to the heritage accommodation spot's website. Images: Static Identity.
The number of Malaysian restaurants in Brisbane pales in comparison to the seeming abundance of Thai and Vietnamese ones. It belies the fact that Malaysia offers up some of the best food South East Asia has to offer. That said, the number of places celebrating this increasingly sought-after cuisine is slowly but steadily on the rise. A healthy sprinkling of Brisbane’s Malaysian restaurants can be found outside the CBD area. A prime example is Satay Ria of Cannon Hill – last year’s winner of the Savour Australia Restaurant and Catering Award for Best Malaysian Restaurant (Brisbane and the Darling Downs). Quite an accomplishment, given they have only been open since September 2011. You may not expect to find a family restaurant in the Cannon Hill Shopping Plaza. Don’t worry; it is not in the food court; Satay Ria fills a self-contained space on the centre’s perimeter. Besides, the convenient location makes parking a breeze. Despite the arguably less than glamourous surroundings, Satay Ria itself looks pretty sharp. The glass-fronted eatery has walls painted bold red, dark wooden chairs, crisp white table cloths, lantern-esque light fittings and ceiling fans with woven detailing. Though Satay Ria does takeaway, and even office and home catering, the atmosphere encourages dining in (and many do – so book ahead on weekends). There is something comfortingly familiar about it – like a jazzier version of your beloved local Chinese. The menu divides dishes according to its main ingredient (ie ‘Prawns’) and though the sheer variety of plates on offer should foster a bit of adventurism, it is tempting to order everything from the ‘Special Malaysian’ section. It’s hard to go past Hainan chicken rice, Nasi Lemak Campur (fragrant coconut rice with a portion of chicken curry, served with sliced egg, achar salad, peanuts and sambal bilis), or roti curry. The latter is made with your choice of beef, lamb or chicken, and the accompanying roti canai are deliciously flaky. Satay chicken or beef skewers make a tasty entree, and the Kuih Ketayap (shredded coconut wrapped in pandan flavour pancake) would make a fitting end to the meal if you have room. Fully licensed, there is a modest but more than adequate selection of beers, wines and spirits. Or, you can always eschew alcohol in favour of a longan juice.
White shipping containers are piled high at X Cargo, and they're storing one thing: a multi-purpose McLachlan Street venue, bar and eatery. The Fortitude Valley space has dubbed itself a 'social hub', with hanging out with your mates definitely what this open-air place is all about — whether you're stopping by for brunch, tucking into lunch or dinner, or enjoying a beverage at one of the site's three drinking spots. If you're having difficulty choosing which bar to cosy up to, one stands out. The VIP rooftop sky deck offers views in the James Street direction towards New Farm, as well as over to the city. All three bars sling bubbles, spritzes and wine, including three on tap, plus cocktails and brews. Opening at 7am daily and catering for breakfast as well, the American-meets-Latin American food selection is overseen by head chef Peter Popow, and it all has a casual feel. Diners can snack on ceviche or chicken ribs, or burgers with brisket, crab or cheese. If you're sharing with a pal, you can opt for a charcuterie or cheese board. From the mains, there's steak, snapper and pork scotch fillet, plus brownies and cronuts for dessert. Of course, given that X Cargo champions its multi-use credentials, sipping beverages, having a bite and staring off into the sunset is just the beginning. There's also live music and workout sessions — and in the future, X Cargo also aims to run an outdoor cinema, as well as Saturday morning markets. Before 6pm, you can also bring your dog along. Images: Dane Beesley.
Brisbane's artistic history is filled with talented and trailblazing women, from Daphne Mayo and Vida Lahey in 1920s, to Margaret Olley to Tracey Moffat, to the likes of Davida Allen, Naomi Blacklock and Rachael Haynes, too. The list keeps going — and so does the impressive roster of works by pioneering ladies that'll be on display during the Museum of Brisbane's new exhibition on the subject. Running from Friday, September 13 through until Sunday, March 15, New Woman celebrates the exceptional efforts of Brisbane's female artists over the past 100 years. More than 110 works will be on display from over 80 creatives, spanning painting, photography, sculpture, performance and installation. If it sounds huge, that's because a retrospective of pieces by the city's arty women hasn't ever been staged before on this scale. The free showcase will step through the enormous contribution these groundbreaking, game-changing ladies have made not just to Brissie's art scene, but to Brisbane itself as it has changed over the past century. As well as highlighting each artist's role in the city's cultural life, and the challenges they faced over the years, New Woman will offer a snapshot of this town of ours through their eyes. Image: Caroline Barker, Untitled (life class model), c1925, oil on canvas, gift of the artist, 1982, City of Brisbane Collection, Museum of Brisbane. Photo Carl Warner.
The arrival of spring means you'll have more motivation to leave the house more — even if it's just to get into a gallery. Luckily, the array of exhibitions currently on display in Brisbane are anything but static. You'll be able to get your steps up as you check out street art, peer at portraits and explore the city's music history. Just remember to take a breather between each one as you gallery hop around the city.
Last time Hunx & His Punx were here — back in 2012 — they charmed many an Antipodean heart with their penchant for getting (nearly) naked, offers to autograph genitalia and expletive-rich expressions of self-desire. In short, they delivered nothing less than what you’d expect of San Francisco’s maddest and baddest bubblegum punk band. So it’s only natural that we’ve invited them back. And this time, they’re bringing Shannon and the Clams in their suitcases for a five-date April tour that will see the two bands smashing genres at The Zoo on April 22. Since their previous visit, Hunx & His Punx have been busy blending ‘80s hardcore and ‘90s grrrl sounds to create nasty yet catchy tunes for their new album Street Punk, which was released in 2013 via Hardly Art. Meanwhile, co-tourers Shannon and the Clams have lately been spending time playing SXSW sideshows and Psych Fest and hitting the road via Burgerama tours. They mash ‘60s girl group sounds with West Coast garage rock, delivering “doo woppers, bomp stompers, punk rippers, country clippers and psych-o trippers”. Trying say that really quickly five times in a row. Tickets on sale on Friday, 14 March. Tickets via The Zoo.
Pop quiz: what's 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, became breathable 2.4 billion years ago and is the focus of an upcoming exhibition at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art? If you guessed 'air', you'd be right. Over a delightfully lengthy five-month tenure — from Saturday, November 26 until Sunday, April 23 — Air will be transforming the ground floor of GOMA into an interactive exploration of the "cultural, ecological and political layers" of the air we breathe. It's not easy to make physical art from something invisible. Still, the collection works of Ron Mueck (the staggering In Bed), Jonathan Jones (the feathered and multifaceted Untitled (giran)) and Anthony McCall (the beaming Crossing), plus new (and floating) commissions from Tomás Saraceno and Jemima Wyman alongside a monumental chalk cliffscape by Tacita Dean and dozens of other prominent artists will do so. [caption id="attachment_878453" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Anthony McCall's 'The Crossing'[/caption] The exhibit has been organised around five key themes, each focusing on details we can take for granted: atmosphere (the space between us and the cosmos), burn (the mortality and vulnerability of clean air), shared (the collective need of humans, plants and animals for the element), invisible (an exploration of the unseen) and change (the nature of our vulnerable, ever-evolving world). What's certain is you're set to leave this cultural outing with a more concrete understanding of the ethereal and vital element. 'Air' will be open daily at GOMA from Saturday, November 26 till Sunday, April 23, 2023. Entry to last session is 4pm. Head to the website to secure your ticket. Top image: Ed Mumford
It is 1988, and 15 years since president Salvador Allende committed suicide as Pinochet's military jets bore down upon the Chilean presidential palace. Under international pressure, Pinochet has agreed to determine his future by referendum. A 'yes' vote will see the continuation of the torture and 'disappearances' that have characterised his reign (today, over 1000 Chileans remain missing). A 'no' vote will mean the restoration of democracy. For four weeks, each side of the campaign has a daily 15-minute television segment with which to win over voters. Enter advertising creative Rene Saavedra (Gabriel Garcia Bernal). A composite character pieced together by director Pablo Larrain and scriptwriter Pedro Peirano, he has been raised outside of Chile by his exiled father and is expert at conjuring up slick commercials designed to sell Western-style products. It takes some convincing for socialist politician Urrutia (Luis Gnecco) to shake Rene out of his apolitical apathy and get him on board the no campaign, but once he does so, the action begins in earnest. No derives its dramatic tension from two sources: the intersection of advertising propaganda and political rhetoric, and the difficulty of reconciliating the private life with the public. The no campaigners believe that their aim is best achieved through graphic reminders of Pinochet’s brutalities, so Rene must convince them of his strategy: to present post-dictatorship freedom as one would a shiny commodity — symbolised by a rainbow logo, communicated by the slogan 'Happiness Is Coming', and accompanied by a jubilant jingle. Simultaneously, he must navigate his emotions over the departure of his wife, a hardcore activist who sees her husband as lacking courage and conviction. Bernal approaches Rene's character with an enigmatic composure, conveying his conflicting traits through subtleties — standing stock still amidst an erupting crowd upon announcement of the referendum results, or tearing up in silence as he walks away from his wife's door. Larrain's exploration of the power of advertising is not without its ironies. On one hand, we celebrate Rene's backing of justice; on the other, the success of his commercial-style simplification of a complex political situation is disturbing. Larrain touches on this uneasy contradiction through staccato stabs of humour, masterfully interwoven with darker moments. It is worth noting that a recent New York Times article revealed that the film has attracted criticism in Chile for downplaying the significance of the grassroots movement to the no campaign. Seeking an aesthetic reflective of the period, Larrain recorded No with a 1983 U-matic video camera. Flares and flashes are included deliberately. Archival material blends seamlessly with contemporary footage. Some may find this approach a little self-conscious, and it's certainly not pretty, but the intention is to transport viewers back in time. The third feature in Larrain's filmic study of Chile, No is a triumph, historically and dramatically. Sure, its verisimilitude may be questionable, but its study of at least one aspect of the referendum that toppled Pinochet is compelling.
You don't have to go to Tokyo to enjoy an immersive Japanese experience. You can, of course, and you should at some point — especially now that Japan is slowly opening back up to tourists — because there's really nowhere else in the world quite like it. But if you're eager to eat like you're already there, watch performances and take part in cultural activities, you can save yourself the airfare at the Matsuri Japanese Festival. Your bank account will thank you, and you'll take care of that nagging travel envy for an afternoon. A one-day celebration returning to Mount Gravatt Showgrounds from 11am–5pm on Saturday, September 3 after past fests proved such a hit pre-pandemic, it's Brisbane's own ode to the country that brought us sushi, katsu, yakitori, sake, matcha lattes and more. Expect to find more than a few things from that list on offer, and plenty of things to see and do as well. Admission is free and, like every great cultural festival, you can expect a little bit of everything that makes Japan so ace.
He wrote, directed, financed and starred in the best worst movie ever made, showed up as himself in the enormously funny making-of dramatisation of his biggest flick, and re-teamed with his best-known co-star for a two-part comedy-thriller based on their friendship — and now, like he was always destined to, Tommy Wiseau is saying "oh hi" to space. Once again working with The Room and Best F(r)iends' Greg Sestero, the distinctive Wiseau has loaned his voice to animated sci-fi series SpaceWorld, with the pair playing rival intergalactic bounty hunters. If you're naturally thinking the obvious, the company behind it has already made the blatant comparison, with Octopie calling the show "what happens when you merge The Room with Star Wars". In SpaceWorld's nearly six-minute pilot episode, Wiseau's TX battles it out with Sestero's Drogol, who — continuing a trend across their work together — happens to be his lifelong nemesis. Created by Brock LaBorde, the debut clip is suitably bizarre, even with its clear self-referential tone. As Wiseau's career just keeps proving, that's just what happens when he pops up. LaBorde is no stranger to Wiseau's orbit, having produced, co-written and starred in the 2011–12 series The Tommy Wi-Show — where Wiseau was abducted by aliens, shuttled off to a base on the mood and made to play video games. In addition to his better-known work, including his involvement with The Disaster Artist, Wiseau is no stranger to on-screen weirdness either. If you've ever come across his 2014–16 sitcom The Neighbours, which is set in an apartment building and combines the exact storylines you'd expect with his inimitable style, then you'll know exactly how odd his work can get. Whether SpaceWorld will progress beyond its pilot is yet to be seen, although it's definitely not the worst thing on Wiseau's resume. Check out the first episode below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAv4ceFJH3U SpaceWorld is distributed by Octopie, and is currently available via its YouTube channel.
Fresh from winning the 2020 Australian Music Prize for their latest album, The Avalanches are hitting the road and bringing the acclaimed sounds of We Will Always Love You to Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. Between late April and the end of May, the beloved Australian electronic act will be touring the east coast and doing one of the things it does best: filling live music venues with its inimitable sample-based tunes. If you haven't seen Robbie Chater and Tony Di Blasi do their thing live, you're in for a treat. If you have, you'll know what you're in for. Either way, you'll hear tracks from the group's latest record — which features MGMT, Rivers Cuomo, Denzel Curry, Johnny Marr, Neneh Cherry, Perry Farrell, Karen O, Mick Jones, Sampa the Great, Tricky and more, and released last December — and, obviously, tunes from 2000's iconic Since I Left You and 2016's Wildflower, too. The tour kicks off in Melbourne on Friday, April 23, which isn't actually new news. In fact, that show at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl — The Avalanches' first live gig since releasing We Will Always Love You — is basically sold out, with just private deck tickets still available. If you're in Brisbane, though, you'll want to mark Friday, April 30 in your diary. And, for Sydneysiders, you'll need to block out Thursday, May 27. The Avalanches will play the Brisbane Riverstage in the Queensland capital, and Enmore Theatre in NSW — with pre-sale tickets going up for grabs from 10am local time on Wednesday, March 24, and general public sales hitting at the same time on Thursday, March 25. If you now have perhaps the biggest and best Australian-made earworm of the past two decades stuck in your head — that'd be 'Frontier Psychiatrist' — that's understandable. Expect it to live there for at least a few days. And if you're now looking forward to a big live gig after a lean year for music fans, that falls into the same category. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvZpn322LxE THE AVALANCHES 2021 EAST COAST TOUR DATES Melbourne — Friday, April 23 at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl Brisbane — Friday, April 30 at the Brisbane Riverstage Sydney — Thursday, May 27 at the Enmore Theatre Pre-sale tickets for The Avalanches' Brisbane and Sydney shows go on sale at 10am local time on Wednesday, March 24, with general public sales hitting at the same time on Thursday, March 25. Visit the tour website to sign up for pre-sale and for further details. Top image: Grant Spanier.
Plenty has happened across Brisbane for Melt Festival, the city's annual LGBTQIA+ celebration, in past years. Getting more than a thousand people singing together to support and champion the LGBTQIA+ community will be a first, however. After already locking in a a Brissie-only show by Broadway icon Bernadette Peters for its 2025 event, and also confirming the return of the River Pride Parade for this year, Melt has now announced 1000 Voices, which will see singers from queer and pride choirs — plus anyone else who wants to join in — get crooning. Set to take place on Sunday, November 9 to close out Melt 2025 — which runs from Wednesday, October 22–Sunday, November 9 — the choral event will feature voices from across both Australia and New Zealand. Already, participation by the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir and Brisbane Pride Choir is confirmed, but that'll be just the beginning. It's expected that folks from Melbourne, Darwin, Adelaide, Northern New South Wales, Perth, Canberra, Auckland and beyond will take part as well. Adam Majsay, Music Director of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir, is leading the charge — which will also give the River City a preview the day prior. On Saturday, November 8, a flash mob featuring some of 1000 Voices' talents will hit up a Brisbane bridge (there's plenty to choose from) as a sneak peek before the main event. "There's nothing quite like the sound of hundreds of voices rising as one — it lifts the spirit, opens the heart and reminds us what true family feels like. I've had the privilege of leading large-scale choral projects that centre inclusion and visibility, and I've seen first-hand how music welcomes people in," said Majsay, announcing 1000 Voices. "1000 Voices at Melt Festival will be more than a performance — it will be a powerful moment of connection for LGBTQIA+ singers, allies and anyone who simply loves to sing. Whether you're part of a choir or stepping into something like this for the first time, there's a place for you in this sound. And what a sound it will be — joyful, bold and unapologetically full of pride." "I'm personally so excited to be coming to Brisbane for this extraordinary event, and I can't wait to stand together with voices from all over Australia and New Zealand. Come be part of it — lift your voice and help us share in something unforgettable." If you're keen to join in, whether with your existing choir or lending your solo voice to the event, registrations are now open via the Melt Festival website. Melt takes place in spring, and returns in 2025 after being reborn in 2024 as a fringe-style celebration of queer arts and culture that not only fills Brisbane Powerhouse, but spreads across the city. Last year, more than 120 events popped up in 70-plus venues across southeast Queensland, complete with a Wicked-themed Halloween ball, a pool party and plenty more. 1000 Voices is taking place on Sunday, November 9 in Brisbane, with registrations available via the Melt Festival website. Melt Festival 2025 runs from Wednesday, October 22–Sunday, November 9. Hit up the festival website for more details.
Bored, retired American goth rock star Cheyenne (Sean Penn) is living in an enormous mansion in Dublin with his carefree wife of 35 years, Jane (Frances McDormand). When he learns of the death of his estranged father, Cheyenne returns to America, at which time he begins to find out information about himself and his family that he never knew. When asked about his father things begin to unravel. Cheyenne is told a story of an SS Officer who humiliated his father in Auschwitz, and who may still be living in America. This is where Cheyenne embarks on a journey across his homeland, now foreign to him, on an expedition of reconciliation where encounters with people and situations allow him to find himself. With a nod to The Cure's Robert Smith, Penn plays the complex character of Cheyenne as softly spoken and kind in a convincing and unique performance. The film draws charm and originality to the forefront with a stunning cast and compelling storyline, not to mention a remarkable soundtrack with music and lyrics by David Byrne and Will Oldham. This Must Be The Place is in cinemas April 5. You can read our full review here. To win one of ten double passes to see This Must Be The Place, just make sure you are subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address through to hello@concreteplayground.com.au
Keen to escape the winter chill and chase the sun up north? Perhaps a road trip with your mates that includes pit stops at idyllic coastal towns and kicking back with a refreshing Aperol Spritz beneath swaying palm trees is what you need? If so, our mates at Aperol have just the thing for you. This winter, the 1976 Volkswagon Aperol Kombi is touring the Sunshine State for the very first time with with a total of seven stops planned between Brisbane and Cairns. After cruising around the southeast corner of Queensland for the past couple of months, the Aperol Kombi Tour is continuing north. The next stop is at Noosa Main Beach for the Noosa Eat & Drink Festival from Thursday, June 10 till Sunday, June 13. Tickets are selling fast to this culinary event which features cooking demonstrations from the likes of Anna Polyviou and Matt Preston. The Kombi will then make a stop in at Northerlies Beach Bar & Grill at Airlie Beach — arguably the best place to appreciate a Whitsunday sunset — from June 18 till July 11. Then, you'll spot the van soaking in the balmy tropical weather at The Ville Resort in Townsville. It'll be perched opposite the majestic Magnetic Island, from Tuesday, July 13 till Monday, July 26. After that, it'll continue north, with its final stop in Cairns at waterfront bar and restaurant Salt House. Here, you'll catch DJs playing from Wednesday, July 28 till Tuesday, August 24 as the Kombi serves up Aperol Spritzes to you and your mates. But it's not just parties and prime parking positions. Everyone who buys an Aperol Spritz during the #Aperolontour event can also enter a competition to win one of five Aperol picnic hampers, valued at $745 each. For more information on the Aperol Kombi Tour, and to plan your road trip to one of its pit stops, visit the website here. Remember to Drinkwise.
'Bonjour!' will be the first thing you hear as you're swept off the street and into this small slice of France. Sending your mind into a momentary panic, you rack your brain for your best French phrases before remembering teleportal is yet to be invented and (sadly) you're still in New Farm, but luckily you've found Choquette. For those lucky enough to have travelled to France, remembering the quickly adopted daily ritual of visiting Parisian patisseries and boulangeries will have your travel bug rumbling hungry. While a travel addiction can't be cured with a nicotine patch, a good croissant here or there won't hurt. If you manage to step past the first counter displaying a mouth-watering selection of reasonably priced petit cakes you'll find a selection of pastries, fresh baked artisan bread and the all-mighty coffee machine. We recently crowned Choquette king of Brisbane's best croissant, and rightly so. Offering a huge crispy shell and a soft buttery flesh, it's a definite winner here. But let's not get off track. To reach a croissant you first have to wade past the likes of the Tarte au Citron ($6.40), a sweet pastry filled with lemon creme and topped with Italian meringue; the Le Pina Corianas ($7), coconut and pineapple dacquoise, vanilla cremoux with fresh pineapple, coriander and white chocolate; or the Shades of Chocolate stack ($7), a crisp praline feuilletine base with three chocolate mousse layers. One word describes each piece of sweet edible art. Delicieux! Opened in 2006, owner Lara Simple pulled this slice of France from her family's heritage, and after completing a short patisserie course used her contacts to recruit and convince French chefs and bakers to join her back in Brisbane. I think we owe one big 'merci beaucoup ' to Lara.
Six days. More than 30 gigs. A whole heap of local and Australian talent taking over 16 venues in Fortitude Valley, the CBD and Brisbane's suburbs. That's what's on the agenda this August, with Brissie set to welcome a brand-new six-day music festival called Brisbane Winter Sessions. Announced today, Monday, June 21, Brisbane Winter Sessions is all about warming up the city via a jam-packed lineup of live tunes — and getting Brisbanites out and into venues such as The Zoo, Fortitude Music Hall, Ric's, The Triffid and The Brightside. You can also expect to spend time at Felons Barrell Hall at Howards Smith Wharves, La La Land, Woolly Mammoth, Press Club, Greaser, Brooklyn Standard, Suzie Wongs, Can You Keep A Secret? and The Bearded Lady, checking out a lengthy list of acts including No Money Enterprise, Thy Art Is Murder, Ian Haug, Ben Ely, Last Dinosaurs and Nina Las Vegas. Some shows will be free and others will be ticketed, but they'll all give you an excuse to support the city's live music scene — which needs the love after the past 15 months or so. The fest will kick off on Thursday, August 5, then run through until Wednesday, August 11. And if you're wondering why it ends midweek, that's because that's when this year's Ekka public holiday falls. Among the highlights: the setup at the Fortitude Music Hall, which'll use a 360-stage and welcome in 1000 festival-goers; The Zoo's drag night; and the return of the Brisbane Burger Fest, which'll take place on Stratton Street. The full lineup is lengthy, though, so don't go saying you don't have anything to do this August. BRISBANE WINTER SESSIONS 2021 LINEUP: Felons Barrell Hall: Miiesha Felivand Hallie Sofia Isella Sweater Curse RVG A. Swayze and The Ghosts Dopamine Girl and Girl Slowrip The Fortitude Music Hall: Thy Art is Murder Skin On Skin & Friends Nina Las Vegas No Money Enterprise JamesJamesJames Creed Tha Kid Zheani DJ Homoc1d3 The Triffid: Trophy Eyes The Dreggs Hayley Mary (The Jezabels) Cheap Fakes Meg Ripps McDermott & North Hazel Mei The Brightside: Last Dinosaurs Egoism Flamingo Blonde Staples Press Club: The Dead Love Being Jane Lane BLUSSH King George Life Admin The Brightside / O'Skulligans: RAT!Hammock Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers The Lazy Eyes Melaleuca WALKEN The Minor Threats Olivia's World Garage Sale Minor Premiers Pipin Mouse GRMLN The Zoo: Ben Ely Bad//Dreems La La Land: Ian Haug (ex-Powderfinger) Tyrone Noonan Nik Phillips First Beige Dream Coast Woolly Mammoth: Jess B Greaser: Pablum Concrete Palms Plateau Velociraptor Oscar Borschmann Tolal Pace Tejavu Platonic Sex Eratas Slow Rip Girl and Girl Rattus Great Sage Square Samm Mozza Pelican Moon Radium Dolls Gabe Fressh Ric's Bar: Sinkin' Schooners Sky Valley Ban Solo Brooklyn Standard: The Buzz Colt Seavers Band Ramjet Dave Wesbter Solo Imessa Suzie Wongs: The Skandolosos LR March The Lazy Leis Dan Lewis La Boum Can You Keep A Secret?: Life on Earth The Bearded Lady: Refedex The Cassowarys Eloelo Brisbane Winter Sessions will take place between Thursday, August 5–Wednesday, August 11 across 16 venues in Fortitude Valley, the CBD and Brisbane's suburbs. For further details and to grab tickets, head to the festival's website. Top image: Vincent Shaw.
In recent times, this fine country has seen Harry Potter brunches, dinners, movie marathons, train rides, spoof plays and trivia nights. And that's not to mention the Cursed Child mania that's currently happening down in Melbourne. But are you sick of it? No chance. If there's one thing we know, it's that the demand for Harry Potter will never die — and this latest pop-up, along with the fact that there is a seemingly endless stream of Harry Potter events to come, proves that. The next piece of mainstream Harry Potter fandom to hit Brisbane next January will be the Wizard's Cauldron. Inspired by the experiences that the gang had in potions class — and hopefully avoiding the botched polyjuice potion episode — the pop-up bar will mix magic and mixology. That's to say, there will be cocktails. Probably with some dry ice and bubbling substances. It'll be sort of like a science class, except you'll wear robes and mix your drinks with a wand. And drink what you mix, of course. The 'experience' will take 90 minutes — and while exact Brisbane dates are yet to be announced, and tickets are yet to go on sale, events in Sydney and Melbourne have come with a $45–55 price tag. For that, attendees get a hot mug o' mead and help from a (probably) greasy-haired Potions Master to mix a potion or two for yourself. Challenges are also part of the fun, with participants tasked with unlocking the ingredients for their concoctions. You may or may not have to take your O.W.L exam after — and, either way, there'll be a cash bar so you can celebrate or commiserate your results for further drinks and snacks. The Wizard's Cauldron will pop up in Brisbane in January 2020, with exact dates yet to be announced. We'll let you know when further details are revealed — and, in the interim, you can register for updates on the event website.
A lot of doco makers rely on the adage that 'truth is stranger than fiction'. A few supremely lucky ones find a story that is so mind-bogglingly strange that they could sit back and let the film make itself. The Imposter is just such a story, at every stage revealing another layer of the bizarreness of which human beings are capable. British director Bart Layton is no slouch, either; the film is slickly made, metring out its tantalising information and almost single-handedly reviving the use of re-creation as a respected documentary tool. The subject is an incident in 1997 in which a 17-year-old Texan boy, Nicholas Barclay, was returned to his family after having been missing for three years. Except he turned up in Spain, had no physical resemblance to the missing blue-eyed boy, was noticeably older, and spoke with a French accent. He was accepted back into the family regardless. His sister thought she could recognise that smile anywhere. From the relatives to the authorities, everyone around him seemed ready to excuse the differences, taking the 'he's not the little boy you knew' trope to extreme and literal levels. In reality, the boy was French con man Frederic Bourdin, a 23-year-old obsessively seeking the comfort of childhood. At first, it seems the documentary reveals his identity prematurely, almost right from the beginning — but that's just because you don't know, at that point, of all the twists that remain for the story to take. The supremely tense Imposter features sensitive, in-depth interviews with almost all of the major characters in the incident, including Bourdin, the FBI agent who handled his repatriation, the PI whose suspicions uncovered the truth and Nicholas's mother and sister. Without them, no number of re-creations could have carried the story so far or got you close to understanding any of these people's motivations. And as for the re-creations, they're filmed with a keen cinematographer's eye and a sense of enigma, putting them at a long distance from those we're used to on made-for-TV specials. https://youtube.com/watch?v=mENui3UdMOY
Sydney's Taronga Zoo boasts its own glamping experience, as well as a luxe new eco-retreat. At Melbourne Zoo, you can stay overnight in the elephant exhibit. Next year, southeast Queensland's Australia Zoo will follow suit, opening a campground that'll also include glamping and eco cabins. Slated to launch in 2020 to celebrate Australia Zoo's 50th anniversary celebrations, the new addition to the Irwin family's Beerwah zoo has unsurprisingly been dubbed Camp Crocodile Hunter. It'll feature a combination of tent accommodation, powered sites for caravans and RVs, glamping-style tents and cabins — with 108 sites included in total. Wildlife lovers can also look forward to a new cafe, an entertainment and pool area, covered cooking areas and a mountain bike track. And, there'll be facilities for school camps, too. Expect all of the above to be put to frequent use, with Australia Zoo anticipating that Camp Crocodile Hunter will attract more than 39,000 visitors each year. Increasing both tourism and zoo patronage is clear aim of the $8 million project, which has received Queensland Government support alongside Australia Zoo's own funding. Just what else the "luxury bush camp experiences" will entail hasn't been revealed, but for folks keen to extend their trip to the famed zoo across at least two days — and avoid having to trek offsite to stay the night — that's obviously on the agenda. From the crocoseum and croc school, to the onsite wildlife hospital, to a lineup of animals that spans tigers, cheetahs, giraffes, lemurs, meerkats, otters, rhinos, kangaroos, koalas, emus, crocodiles and more, there's definitely plenty to see. https://www.instagram.com/p/BwRk7kkF1eZ/ Camp Crocodile Hunter was first announced back in April, but construction started just this month, after the completion of planning work for all of the campground essentials — aka electricity, water and public amenities. Australia Zoo's Camp Crocodile Hunter is slated to open in 2020. For further information, visit the venue's website. Top image: Andy Mitchell via Wikicommons.
When you're making shapes to a live set at the Woodford Folk Festival you're probably not thinking about what comes next. No, we don't mean the reality that is your post-fest life. We're talking about the impact of so many friendly revellers upon the event's luscious natural setting. Of course, the folks behind the annual event always have that on their mind. In fact, they've crafted a yearly pilgrimage to help redress the damage the festival does to the environment. It started as a tree-planting working bee back in 1997, and has evolved into something even bigger. Think talks, presentations and performances, as well as daily planting and weeding activities. In 2017, The Planting includes conversations about everything from activism and astrophysics to female brewers and herbal first aid— and yes, that's just the beginning of a lineup that features Helen Razer, Michael Leunig and Richard Fidler among the speakers. Learning more about natural plant dyeing, beekeeping, pilates and making profiteroles are also on the very eclectic agenda, as are wildlife-focused bushwalks, a host of culinary cook-ups, a craft beer appreciation class and more than a few meditation sessions. Music-wise, Band of Frequencies, Hollow Coves, Gawurra and The East Pointers are among those on the bill, while film fans can check out on-topic docos such as Sherpa and Frackman. And, by camping out and doing your part to give back to the place and space that hosts such a fantastic cultural event, you're not only making sure you can see in the new year there in the future, but that generations to come will be able to too. Image: The Planting.
Ever seen a play performed around a live steam train? No, we didn't think so. After staging 2015's The Mayne Effect in a heritage-listed building, the female-led Flowers Theatre Company has scaled things up to a beloved form of transport. Taking place at Swanbank railway station, their new large-scale production tells the kind of tales women have shared over hot cuppas and passed down over generations — i.e. accounts of wartime living, surviving during periods of combat, and helping the battle from home. Yep, you won't just be watching site-specific theatre; you'll be indulging in a slice of local feminist history as well.
Chocolates and flowers may be Valentine's Day staples, but they're also among the easiest gifts you can give your special someone. Booking a getaway doesn't require too much additional effort; however, it's certainly more exciting — and it doesn't have to fall on February 14. No one has been travelling far to take a romantic vacation over the past year, so you and your significant other have probably spent the majority of 2020 in your own state — and much of 2021 so far, too — thanks to interstate border restrictions. But if you're keen to take your date somewhere other than your own backyard, Virgin Australia is selling flight deals for couples. They're available to multiple destinations around the country, with the cheap flights starting at $69 each for a one-way ticket. Hang on, Virgin? Yes. The same airline that, less than 12 months ago, entered voluntary administration. It has since been sold to US private investment firm Bain Capital, launched a comeback sale in early July and its voluntary administration officially ended on Tuesday, November 17. Virgin's current Say 'I Do' to Valentine's Day sale runs until midnight AEST on Monday, February 17 — or until sold out. In the sale, you'll find cheap flights on a number of routes to destinations across the country, with travel dates spanning May and June this year. If you've been waiting to book your first getaway of 2021, now might be the time. The discounted economy flights include seat selection and checked baggage. Some of the routes on offer include Sydney to the Gold Coast, Byron Bay or Coffs Harbour; Melbourne to Launceston or Hobart; Adelaide to Melbourne; and Brisbane to the Whitsundays. [caption id="attachment_785976" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Whitehaven Beach in The Whitsundays[/caption] As we are still in the middle of a pandemic, flying is little different to normal. Virgin has introduced a range of safety measures, including hand sanitisation stations, contactless check-in and face masks provided to all passengers. Wearing masks on flights became mandatory in Australia in January. Virgin is also waiving change fees and allowing unlimited booking changes for reservations made before April 30, 2021 for travel before January 31, 2022. Virgin's Say 'I Do' to Valentine's Day sale runs until midnight AEST on Monday, February 17 — or until sold out. Find out more about current interstate border restrictions over here.
