Was one of your New Year's Resolutions to 'see more art'? Well, there's no time like the present to get started. It's already February, after all. Melbourne's galleries — from the NGV to the small Swanston Street space CAVES — are getting down to business this month, with the surreal, the hallucinogenic and the reimagined. From naked forms floating in extreme slow motion against clouds to an exhibition that exists solely in the digital realm, these five shows are accessible, free (!!) and ready for you to get lost in. Top image: Richard Mosse
Winter is coming, and we can't think of a better way to assuage the cold-weather anxiety than with a luxe staycation. To make this dream a reality, we've partnered with designer hotel QT Melbourne to give away a night's stay and a few food-based experiences to go along with it. A far cry from your run-of-the-mill lodgings, QT Melbourne's stunning guest rooms feature timber floors, state-of-the-art technology and designer furniture that's at once quirky and tasteful. In addition to the luxe accommodation, prize winners will be treated to a series of on-site foodie treats, all but guaranteed to banish the winter blues. The feasting starts on arrival with a luscious cake from The Cake Shop, delivered straight to your room. Next up is dinner at French-inspired Pascale Bar & Grill, an homage to the 'Paris-end' of Collins St. featuring an open kitchen complete with its own woodfire oven, and then you'll round out the night with expertly crafted cocktails and sweeping city views at the hotel's glamorous Rooftop at QT. And, as if all this weren't enough, you'll also get a voucher to spend at Tanto, QT's high-end Japanese knife shop. If this sounds like your ideal winter escape, enter your details below and go into the draw to win. [competition]622848[/competition]
Now in its sixth year, Aussie Wine Month returns in May to showcase the diversity of the Australian wine scene and celebrate the world class producers that our 65 wine regions have to offer. Melbourne and regional Victoria will come alive with events over the next month — vineyards and cellar doors are opening their doors to guests, and regional chefs are making their way into the city so everyone can enjoy good food and even better wine. In partnership with Wine Australia, we're helping you narrow down your options — here are seven of the best things to see and do.
Spring produce and paired craft beers made Concrete Playground readers particularly happy this month, as James Squire and Concrete Playground teamed up to put on a special Spring Banquet at The Crafty Squire — and we gave a group of lucky CP readers a seat at the table. Competition winners sat down to a five-course meal custom-made by head chef Alan Fraser, each dish paired with a specific James Squire tipple, and guests heard from Alan and James Squire brand ambassadors on the night. Have a peruse through the gallery to see what went down (and here's an idea of the deliciousness that was served up). SPRING BANQUET MENU Fish and chip soup with peas — with James Squire Chancer Golden Ale Prawn and chorizo escabeche, avocado mousse, confit cherry tomatoes and chilled gazpacho — with James Squire Swindler Summer Ale Cider caipirinha cured salmon with salpica, crispy potato salad and finger lime dressing — with James Squire 150 Lashes Pale Ale Goat bunny chow with crispy parsnips — with James Squire Hop Thief American Pale Ale Passionfruit pavlova with berries and Tim Tam crumbs — with James Squire Jack of Spades Porter and Orchard Crush Apple Cider To stay up to date with future events at The Crafty Squire, sign up to James Squire or head to The Crafty Squire's website. Images: Olga Rozenbajgier.
Recognised as one of the most exciting film industries in Asia, the Korean cinema scene has been knocking it out of the park for years now — without it, we wouldn't have Bong Joon-ho's Okja and Snowpiercer, or Park Chan-wook's Stoker and The Handmaiden, for example. And the fact that neither directors have made the bill at the 2017 Korean Film Festival in Australia shows just how much talent the country has to choose from. Basically, there's plenty of other filmmaking greats where they came from. This year's KOFFIA, the festival's eighth, features straight-from-Cannes flicks, cinematic masters delivering their newest hits and many a movie in between. Boasting 24 films on its national lineup and bringing 15 to Melbourne, the festival will kick off on September 7 with The World of Us, a thoughtful drama about bullying and friendship, before coming to a close on September 14 with crime-thriller The Queen of Crime. Other highlights include Hong Sang-soo's fourth film in less than a year, The Day After, plus The Bacchus Lady, which isn't your usual exploration of an ageing protagonist. Also on the program is The Net, the latest from divisive auteur Kim Ki-duk, historical crime drama The Age of Shadows, and the political machinations of legal effort The King.
Know someone with platforms in your size? Or just happen to own a sequinned onesie? In celebration of their fifth birthday, the disco-loving folks at The B.East are throwing a big Studio 54-themed party in Brunswick East — and costumes are encouraged. From 3pm on Saturday, June 24, the party kicks off with throwback tunes reminiscent of the golden days of New York's infamous Studio 54 disco club. On the decks you'll find DJ Miss Goldie, Chelsea Wilson and DJ Mermaid, then headliners Mojo Juju and her band will get live and loud with a swagger-fuelled set. Plus, you can expect two special performances from Australian burlesque royalty Miss Sina King. Drinks-wise, bartenders at The B.East will be shaking up exclusive and over-the-top strawberries and cream cocktails all night long. And to help you keep your energy up, The B.East kitchen will also be dishing out trays of free sliders all night long.
Most Melburnians have walked past the Nicholas Building dozens if not hundreds of times. The 90-year-old edifice is a Swanston Street institution, home to artists, makers, designers and local businesses from all around town. For one night only, you can take in everything it has to offer, from its art deco arcade on up. From 5–9pm on Thursday June 22, A Night at the Nicholas invites punters to explore the historic building and get to know its eclectic tenants. Take in new exhibitions at BLINDSIDE and Kimono House, attend the launch of Gayelene Carbis' Anecdotal Evidence at Collected Works Bookshop, and pick up some handcrafted jewellery from Victoria Mason's studio. Boutique retailers including Kuwaii, Obus, and Vintage Sole will also be hawking their wares throughout the night. Entry will be by gold coin donation, with all proceeds going to the Nicholas Building Association. You'll also be able to purchase refreshments on the night. Image: Andrew/Flickr.
Sydney bass-boy and nationally-recognised cool guy Hayden James is bringing his massively popular techno musings to venues all over Australia. James only appeared on the scene in 2013, cropping up like most modern beat artists on exclusively online mediums like Soundcloud and YouTube, however it wasn't very long before he garnered quite the hefty fanbase. International touring schedules ensued, landing his precise, near-minimalistic take on hard hitting beats, summery harmonies and techno bass in front of thousands of dancing fans. James has spent the formative portion of the last few months touring the US and Europe, and following a brief stop over in Singapore, Seoul, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Bali will be bringing his Just a Lover tour to Aussie shores. Starting at Brisbane's Triffid on August 26, then onto Max Watts in Melbourne for August 27, he'll spend September 2 at Perth's Villa Nightclub, September 10 at the Fat Controller in Adelaide, before a final blowout in his hometown Sydney, at the Metro Theatre. Supported by Dena Amy.
Less than two weeks after a fundraiser that mobilised an Uber army to deliver ice cream around the country, OzHarvest is out to educate Australians about food wastage in the best possible way – by putting a meal in front of them. Every year, Australia produces enough food to feed roughly three times its population. Despite this, two million people nationwide still rely on some form of food relief. So where's it all going? This is the conversation that OzHarvest is teaming with the UN to try and start. On July 25, in its fourth Think.Eat.Save since 2012, hundreds of OzHarvest volunteers will serve thousands of city-dwellers something they have long been told does not exist – a free lunch. All meals will be made from rescued foodstuffs in an effort to start Australians rethinking not only the way they consume, but also the way they discard. Melbourne's Think.Eat.Save is happening outside the State Library of Victoria between 11.30am and 2.30pm. You can register here.
As far as purveyors of effortless Parisian-cool vibes go, the minds behind annual day party So Frenchy So Chic are the masters. So who better to entrust your plans for France's national anniversary celebration, Bastille Day? On Saturday, July 20, the team is transforming North Melbourne's Meat Market into a playground of French delights for its adults-only dance party, the So Frenchy So Chic Bastille Day Soirée. Francophiles and music lovers are invited to dive into a sparkling evening of tunes, dancing and French-inspired frivolity to properly celebrate La Fête Nationale. Come along in your best red, white and blue and prepare to show off your moves on the dance floor, with DJs set to play the best French dance floor bangers from the past 40 years. What's more, in between feasting your ears, you'll be able to say bon appetite to a range of French gustatory goodies, including a complimentary grazing station courtesy of L'Artisan Cheese. Bistro Gitan — one of our fave French restaurants in Melbourne — has also designed a food menu for the night, but these are only available if for pre-order. Be quick — tickets are highly limited and we have a feeling this one will sell out toute sweet.
Ballarat has really pulled out all the stops for their annual Winter Festival this year. Not only is the iconic Winter Wonderlights Christmas spectacle returning to Sovereign Hill, but the entire city is basically throwing a three-week winter party with events, live acts, food specials and activities popping up all over town. Ballarat's Winter Festival runs from June 24 to July 16, and you can browse the full event program on the website here. The pop-up ice rink on Armstrong Street South is returning, naturally, with Bollywood on Ice sessions, disco nights and even a DJ-fuelled Latin Fiesta. Prices start from $9. Victoria's kitschiest landmark, the faux-medieval Kryal Castle, is celebrating as you might expect, with knights wielding swords on fire. This one sounds frankly bonkers, and should be good fun for the kids. The jewel in Ballarat's winter crown is, as always, Winter Wonderlights. If you haven't been to this one before, we highly recommend it. Rug up in Sovereign Hill with a warm cup of mulled wine as the fake snow begins to fall and the light show kicks into gear. Tickets start at $34. Pro tip: don't underestimate the cold for this one. Ballarat does not do 'mild' winter nights. Images: Supplied
We don't need much of an excuse to drink gin at 12pm on any weekend, but you definitely won't need any excuse on World Gin Day on Saturday, June 10. To celebrate, everyone's favourite gin joint, Campari House in Hardware Lane, is hosting a Botanicals Marketplace. Imagine all your favourite distilleries under one roof, or on top of the roof, in the case of Tanqueray. Campari House has invited the Australian Distilling Co, Bass and Flinders, Little Lon and Westwinds to showcase their latest gins and mix some excellent cocktails. Everything will be topped off with boutique tonic water, courtesy of the guys at Fever Tree. And if you're swearing off the booze this winter, don't worry, Seedlip will also be there, slinging non-alcoholic gin by the gallon. For something really special, head up to Campari House's rooftop, where Tanqueray are setting up a huge gin activation. This one will actually be sticking around after the Botanical Marketplace has packed up, so you've got some time to catch it. Campari House's Botanicals Marketplace runs from 12pm to 5pm on Saturday June 10. Tickets are $27.78 a pop. You can book your spot through Eventbrite. Images: Supplied
Meet Iris Apfel, the kind of stylish, straight-talking, bespectacled nonagenarian everyone wishes was their grandmother. The New York cult figure has stood out from the crowd across decades of trends, and dabbled in everything from art to interior design. If she sounds much cooler than most people a quarter of her age, well, that's because she is. The 93-year-old's resume speaks for itself, given that she has spent over 75 years in fashion traversing everything from working at Women's Wear Daily to setting up her own textile design firm with her husband to still lecturing about style today; however, it is her personality and outlook, rather than her achievements, that shine brightest. That she says she was probably the first woman to wear jeans speaks to her pioneering spirit. That she notes that she's more excited about dressing up for parties than actually going to parties does as well. Indeed, the ever-flamboyant Apfel remains an individual at a time when such a term has started to lose its meaning, as she herself observes when musing over the common correlation between black attire and fashion. Always decked out in rows of couture costume jewellery and never seen in an outfit that could be classed as boring or bland, she advises that she approaches dressing a bit like jazz — with a little bit of this and a little bit of that. It shows. So bounces forward a loving portrait of blazing your own path — and never compromising for or caring about the opinions of others — as given perhaps the strongest living example. From the moment Apfel graces the screen and thrusts her oversized pearls of wisdom upon the audience, it is immediately apparent why she's the subject of the documentary that shares her name. From the moment the film displays its frame, the affection, energy and insight filmmaker Albert Maysles channels is also evident, as is his making of the movie in the style befitting his subject. Alas, there is a lone sad note to the engaging ode, despite the slight but sweet exploration that comprises the documentary's running time. The joy and vivacity that Apfel exudes on screen, fierce and frank until the last moment, is balanced by the knowledge of the film's director. The great Maysles, noted for crafting the iconic Grey Gardens and Gimme Shelter, passed away at the age of 88 in early 2015, with this his penultimate effort. Accordingly, Iris actually pays tribute to two great trailblazers and showcases what both do best: pave their own way and create their own stories through their chosen mediums of fashion and film.
It's telling that Knight of Cups features many a dive into a pool, seaside stroll and wave crashing against the beach. The latest movie from The Tree of Life and To the Wonder's Terrence Malick is awash in recognisable elements and seems as familiar as water. It's also as malleable as the wet substance that covers the bulk of the earth and comprises most of the human body — and as invigorating. Of course, places and people are the film's primary concerns, particularly Los Angeles and a screenwriter by the name of Rick (Christian Bale). In the city known for the emptiness beneath its allure — indeed, David Lynch (in Inland Empire) and David Cronenberg (in Maps to the Stars) have already plumbed its depths — he's a man plunged into a crisis, making a mess of his successful life as he searches for meaning. Rick drifts through his days, unhappy with his choices but uncertain about how to change them. His problems are many, and not just linked to his failed marriage to Nancy (Cate Blanchett), or spate of flings (with Imogen Poots, Freida Pinto, Teresa Palmer, Natalie Portman and Isabel Lucas) afterwards. Tragedy haunts his family, straining his relationships with his brother (Wes Bentley) and father (Brian Dennehy). Though his career is beginning to take off, thrusting him into a glamorous world, it lacks fulfilment past the glitz and partying. As a result, Rick is both wading and paddling feverishly, and so is the film. Malick uses him not just as a protagonist, but as a buoy in a feature that lurches restlessly from place to place and person to person. Sometimes the movie stalks him as he floats through apartments and buildings, around sets and shindigs, and on walks over rugged terrain and by the ocean. Sometimes it adopts his perspective as it dashes around in fragments of his existence. That means that often, when you dip your toes in the feature, you get what you're expecting: a commonly told tale of mid-life malaise, Malick's roaming visuals and whispered layers of philosophical narration, and a focus on contemplation among them. Just as frequently, though, you get a burst that takes you by surprise: in dropping out of one tarot card-named chapter and into the next, in the symphony of classical music sounds and sun-dappled sights, and in the movie's dissection of hedonism, for example. Even when the surface appears still, something is always bubbling up below. Consider Knight of Cups, then, an ideal balance between relaxing and refreshing, and meditative and stimulating. Of course, with Malick at the helm, the film's reflective questioning becomes a gliding kaleidoscope of wide-angle images strikingly shot by Oscar-winning Gravity and Birdman cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, and a montage-heavy mood piece as much as a movie. Conversation rarely lasts beyond a single line, and the all-star cast — which includes brief appearances by everyone from Antonio Banderas to Jason Clarke and Nick Offerman to Fabio — exist more than they perform. And yet, as Knight of Cups ebbs and flows over the course of its fluid 118 minutes, there's no mistaking its emotional and sensory impact. Plus, if you're going to jump in a seemingly familiar body of water filled with hypnotic experiences and hidden depths, you want Malick as your guide. With him in charge, you haven't really swum there and splashed through this before.
We're looking to learn more about our readers — what do you do? Where do you go? What do you like? How much cheese coverage is too much cheese coverage? We would say there isn't such thing, but just to make sure, we've developed a little survey we'd like you to take. A Concrete Playground census, if you will. Now, we know the whole 2016 #censusfail was a bit of a bummer, but we've made this one fun. First of all, we won't invade your privacy — we just want to know about the stuff you love. And if you stick around till the end, you'll go in the running to win a table for yourself and a mate at Messina's Creative Department pop-up for their sold out Truffle Week degustation. The degustation serves up seven delectable courses — bordering the realm of dessert yet incorporating savoury flavours — for a culinary experience that tempts and challenges your palate. Bet you never thought you'd have black truffle paired with sweet eats. (Trust us, it works.) Here's the gist: let us get to know you, fill out the full survey and potentially win an epic dinner for you and a mate. We have four double passes to give away for the night of Wednesday, August 2, so you may want to start figuring out which lucky someone you'll take to dinner. Help us out and tell us a bit about yourself. Take the Concrete Playground 2017 survey here.
Get up close and personal with Adelaide's Tkay Maidza this week, at two intimate gigs coming to Sydney and Melbourne. Presented by GiggedIn, the new live music subscription service that gets you unlimited access to gigs around Sydney, these two exclusive shows will feature Dew Process's popular young powerhouse MC performing at Melbourne's Howler on May 25 and Sydney's Plan B Small Club on May 26. Tkay's had a furiously busy year, with support spots for Mark Ronson, Years & Years, Charli XCX, high praise from Killer Mike, and festival appearances by the bucketload. Tickets to the gig are currently on sale via Moshtix — unless you're a GiggedIn member, in which case the whole thing is free. Doors open at 7.30pm. Thanks to GiggedIn, we've got ten double passes to give away to each show. And on top of that, they're giving you 30 percent off your first month if you sign up for a membership before June 25. Just enter the code CPFRIENDS at checkout. [competition]573724[/competition] Image: Dew Process.
Time to wake your brain up from its summer slumber and get those mind grapes squeezing juice again, because Melbourne is getting a dose of none other than the inimitable Miranda July. In what can't be called anything less than a coup, the celebrated writer, filmmaker, actor, artist, app maker, handbag wizard and bona fide enigma will be gracing the stage at Melbourne Town Hall for her talk Lost Child! on Monday, March 7 — right off the back of her talk at the Sydney Opera House's All About Women. Recently read The Last Bad Man and wondered who the hell was this woman behind it? Or just fascinated by the whole persona of this wonderful woman? Well, she'll be talking through her very varied and unique works, from her time as an artist in Portland to where she is now. And we daresay she'll be answering a few audience questions — so get yours ready. Image: Miranda July.
Carrie Brownstein is the sort of talent who can rock most things. In the '90s, she rose to riot grrrl fame with pioneering punk trio Sleater-Kinney, while the noughties saw her gain a whole legion of new fans through the satirical Portlandia. Like any good sketch show, they are short and sweet satires, with the most notable (not to mention quotable) highlighting society’s superfluous expenditure and excitement for all things branded with a bird. Most recently though , Brownstein's caged the parodies and applied her talents to memoir. In Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl, Brownstein writes of her turbulent suburban upbringing and of finding her people — and her power — through the feminist punk scene. On tour with the reformed Sleater-Kinney, Brownstein will briefly rest her guitar for a chat with Myf Warhurst at Melbourne Town Hall this Tuesday, March 8. So put on your best casual attire and join the pair for a discussion of defiance, humour and rock and roll.
One of Melbourne's favourite inner-city shopping spots is moving up in the world, literally. As part of the site's ongoing redevelopment, the Queen Victoria Market last year announced that is is getting a temporary elevated addition to help with the transition — an open-air greenhouse-style pavilion that'll be built on columns nine metres above the street. Although it was initially slated to open this month, the City of Melbourne expects to have the Breathe Architecture-designed structure up and running by mid-2018. It will temporarily house the market's traders while other parts of the precinct undergo a revamp. And it won't be small — measuring 120 metres by 19 metres, the $5.6 million effort is expected to stretch from the existing sheds down to the customer car park along Queen Street. In addition to not getting above 28 degrees, it'll also be the longest inner-city conservatory in the world. The pavilion forms part of the broader Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal project, which aims to restore the market's heritage while delivering modern facilities, and will span the next five years. As well as refreshing the existing sheds and fixtures, the $250 million revitalisation will also see the creation of a new 1.5 hectare open space called Market Square, plus another area that can host markets, festivals and more at the intersection of Queen and Therry streets, dubbed Market Cross. And, while the brag-worthy sky-high greenhouse isn't actually intended to be a permanent fixture at present — in fact, it is designed to be dismantled, moved and even re-sold if needed — that may change. For more information about the Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal, visit the project website.
Love a good glass of red? Well then, you're in luck. Following a series of pop-ups and bottling parties, people-powered urban winery Noisy Ritual have gone and found themselves a permanent home. Located on Lygon Street in Brunswick East, the new venue will pull triple duty as a cellar door, wine bar and event space, suitable for everything from weddings to exhibitions. The bar opens to the public for the first time on Saturday June 18, and you better believe we'll be first through the door. "Noisy Ritual will be a haven for people interested in wine, winemaking, food and music," reads a statement on the winery's website. "Stop by for a glass of wine in the bar, or take a bottle home. Sign up for a winemaking experience, come to one of our special events, or hire the space for your own occasion." Not a bad turn of events for a business that began with fermenting grapes in a Thornbury backyard. Turns out if you offer people the chance to stomp, press and bottle their own vino, they'll turn out in droves. Incidentally, 2017 Noisy Ritual memberships are currently available, and get you entry to three winemaking workshops, three barrel tasting sessions and six bottles from your very own vintage. Plus, you'll be able to go into the Noisy Ritual bar and order a glass of the wine you made with your own two hands (and feet). Find Noisy Ritual at 249 Lygon Street, Brunswick East. For more information visit www.noisyritual.com.au.
UPDATE: JUNE 22, 2020 — Sephora has extended its sale for five days. It'll now end on Sunday, June 28. Sephora, aka the French-based perfume and cosmetics chain that has won fans the world over, has been opening stores around Australia for the last few years. And whether you're keen to head into your closest shop, or you're quite happy browsing and buying beauty products online, it's currently hosting a huge sale with prices up to 50 percent off. That's good news for everyone, including your bank balance. If you haven't jumped on the Sephora bandwagon yet, then prepare to nab all those prestige international brands you can't get elsewhere. In-person and virtually, it's a beauty product wonderland, with more than 1500 different lines on offer. The exact discount varies from product to product, but you can expect 30 percent off Fenty matte lipsticks, 50 percent off Marc Jacobs foundation, 30 percent off Tarte lipgloss sets and hefty savings on Sephora's own branded lines, too — just to name a few of the items on sale. If this is the excuse you needed to boost your makeup bag, the sale runs until Sunday, June 28.
The Hills Are Alive with the sound of Australia's newest and best this weekend. Featuring a gaggle of Australian acts headlined by Melbourne-based hip-hop artist Remi, The Hills Are Alive music festival is seven years young this year. The 2015 edition will also mark the first time the event has spilled over into a second evening, with festival organisers promising "twice as many good vibes." Hosted at the McLaren family farm an hour and a half out of Melbourne, THAA 2015 will feature Canberra electronic group SAFIA, Tassie punk-rockers Luca Brasi, Melbourne folk-duo Pierce Brothers, Adelaide singer-songwriter Timberwolf, triple j 2012 Unearthed High winner Asta, NZ country music crooner Marlon Williams, plus a whole lot more. Despite their 2015 expansion, The Hills Are Alive remains a small festival by design, offering an antidote to the massive crowds that often characterise these kinds of events. With a capacity of just 2000 people, tickets are by invitation only, meaning you need to either be friends with one of the acts or know somebody who's been before. Attendees are encouraged to carpool to keep their impact on the environment to a minimum, while glass and pets are prohibited on account of the cows with whom you'll be sharing the campsite. For more information on the lineup, head to the festival website.
Get ready to stuff yourself with so many Greek doughnuts you'll barely be able to move. Chef George Calombaris is about to cut the ribbon on his long awaited new restaurant, The Hellenic Hotel. Opening on Friday, June 17 on Ferguson Street in Williamstown some two years after it was originally meant to do so, The Hellenic Hotel will be the third member of the Hellenic Republic family, which also has branches in Brunswick East and Kew. Diners can expect a hearty selection of Greek food and wine, with popular items including the saganaki with peppered figs expected to make the journey across the Westgate Bridge. Beyond that we don't know a great deal about the menu, although with award-winning young chef Josh Pelham at the helm, we're confident we'll be in good hands. "It's about delivering value-for-money family-friendly food," he told Good Food last month. Located on the site of the former Hobsons Bay Hotel, The Hellenic Hotel will be split into two levels, with an 80-90 seat dining room on the ground floor plus a bar and veranda upstairs. There will also be a takeaway outlet attached, complete with its own separate entrance. The Hellenic Hotel will open for dinner on Friday, June 17 at 28 Ferguson Street, Williamstown. For more information visit HH's website. Via Good Food.
The Royal Exhibition Building is set to be overrun with pooches of every shape and size. Returning for its third year, the Melbourne Dog Lovers Show will welcome more than 250 exhibitors and upwards of 25,000 visitors. Whether you’re in the market for a new family pet or are just looking for a bit of a cuddle, you won’t find a more adorable event in Melbourne. Obviously, cat people need not apply. This year’s show includes a number of special guests on both two legs and four. Service dogs from Victoria Police and Border Protection will be on patrol, while celebrity vets such as Dr. Katrina Warren will run seminars on canine health. Several of Victoria’s dog shelters will be there, with no shortage of rescued animals looking for permanent homes. Oh, and in case that doesn’t make your heart melt, they’ve also got a dedicated puppy patting zone.
If you see one film over the next few months, make it Berlin Syndrome. Based on a novel of the same name, the film follows Australian photojournalist Clare (played by Teresa Palmer) as she embarks on her first solo trip to Berlin. While travelling, she meets and begins a passionate romance with charismatic local man Andi. Their relationship soon takes an unexpected and sinister turn—she wakes one morning to discover that Andi has left for work and locked her inside his apartment, with no intention of ever letting her leave. Filmed on location in Berlin and Melbourne, the film is a thoughtful, psychological thriller directed by Australian Cate Shortland (who also directed the critically acclaimed Somersault). It examines tough topics such as emotional manipulation, gaslighting and Stockholm syndrome in a provocative fashion, leaving the audience with a new outlook on the relationship that can occur between captor and captive. The film is released nationally on April 20. To celebrate, we're hosting an advanced screening of Berlin Syndrome at Kino in Sydney on Thursday, April 13 at 6.30pm. Register your details below to go into the draw to win one of 50 double passes, and subscribe to Palace Cinemas if you're keen to receive session times in your inbox. [competition]616346[/competition]
There’s been a lot of well-deserved hype surrounding British band alt-J recently, following the release of their second album This is All Yours. Hell, their October 2014 shows in Sydney and Melbourne sold out in a matter of seconds, leaving a whole raft of fans who were gearing up to stomp and sing along to the pounding ‘Breezeblocks’ pretty disappointed. If that was you, well, chances are you already know that the Mercury Prize-winning band is returning to our shores this May. There’s no more Forum for these Leeds lads, though. This time round, they’re playing the slightly-harder-to-sell-out-instantaneously Rod Laver Arena. What the show will most likely lack in Miley Cyrus (who sings the ‘I’m a female rebel’ line in ‘Hunger of the Pine’ and is a big alt-J fan and should really just go on tour with them already), it will make up for with killer support acts Asgeir and Mansionair.
UPDATE: JANUARY 8, 2019 — Melbourne Zoo's 2019 Twilights program is closing with a big one. The summer music series has just announced its final act for the season, playing on Saturday, March 9, and it's The Presets. The ARIA Award-winning duo is known for its catchy electro tunes, such as 'My People' and 'Do What You Want', which are played throughout Aussie clubs and festivals. Tickets go on sale at 8am on Thursday, January 10. No longer just the realms of year three excursions where your mum came as chaperone, Melbourne Zoo Twilights — the after-hours live music series that boasts perhaps one of the best summer nights out, as well as lots of adorable animals — has proven it's got some real cred when it comes to hosting outdoor gigs in the past few years. After all, the event has hosted headliners such as Kurt Vile, José González and Ben Folds over the last few years. And this summer the event will return with a series of live sets every weekend from Friday, January 25 through Saturday, March 9. The full 2019 program has been released but, as is custom for Zoo Twilights, shows have already started selling out. Headlining is Cat Power — her first show is full, but a second one has been added on Sunday, February 9. Client Liaison will kick off the series (hope you already got a ticket to that one) Pastel pop duo Client Liaison kick off the program, and are joined on the lineup by other loved local acts rapper Briggs and Sampa the Great. New Zealand balladeer Marlon Williams will fly over across the ditch for a night, while R&B singer Aloe Blacc and neo-soul group The Internet will make the journey down from the States. Only one more show is left to be announced, with the final performance still a secret. Bringing your own picnic is encouraged, but there'll also be handy gourmet hampers available on-site, as well as a slew of food trucks to choose nosh from. Either way, it's one of the best dates in Melbourne. Plus, all proceeds from Zoo Twilights go back into Zoo Victoria's ongoing conservation work to help fight the extinction of the Eastern Barred Bandicoot. MELBOURNE ZOO TWILIGHTS 2019 PROGRAM Friday, January 25 – Client Liaison, supported by Kira Puru SOLD OUT Saturday, January 26 – Briggs and Archie Roach, supported by Alice Sky Friday, February 1 – Sampa the Great and REMI, supported by Thando Saturday, February 2 – Daryl Braithwaite and Ross Wilson SOLD OUT Friday, February 8 – Vera Blue, supported by Kesmar SOLD OUT Saturday, February 9 and Sunday, February 10 – Cat Power, with special guests SOLD OUT Friday, February 15, Saturday, February 16 and Sunday, February 17 – The Cat Empire, supported by The Meltdown SOLD OUT Friday, February 22 – Aloe Blacc, supported by Kaiit Saturday, February 23 — Rufus Wainwright, supported by Mojo Juju SOLD OUT Friday, March 1 and Saturday, March 2 – Hanson, with special guests SOLD OUT Sunday, March 3 – The Internet, with special guests SOLD OUT Friday, March 8 – Marlon Williams, supported by Laura Jean Saturday, March 9 — The Presets with special guest Image: Ian Laidlaw.
Visitors and staff at Monash University are in for quite the treat. Opening this week on the University’s Clayton campus, Victa and Hoist is the latest member of the St. ALi cafe family, and will serve breakfast and lunch to current and previous staff, research degree candidates, alumni and their guests – but unfortunately, not students. The cafe is located in the former Monash Staff Club building at 32 Exhibition Walk. The kitchens will be manned by Chef Todd Thorburn, formerly of St. ALi North in Carlton. In addition to St. ALi’s famous coffee, breakfast options for early risers will include Dr. Marty’s bacon crumpets, cooked French toast style with avocado mash and tomato relish. For students surviving on Coco Pops and cold pizza, it’ll be hard not to feel a little jealous. Lunch options will include a flank steak burger with cheese, pickles and cress called the Mac Daddy, as well as a "more sophisticated version of a ploughman’s" that consists of house cured salmon, bonito panna cotta, edamame and pickled veggies. The opening of Victa and Hoist marks a poetic point in the career of St. ALi owner Salvatore Malatesta, who got his start in the cafe business nearly 20 years ago with Caffeine, a small coffee shop he opened at Melbourne University while he was studying arts/law on campus. In addition to Victa and Hoist, the St. ALi group owns Sensory Lab in David Jones and Sensory Lab Bondi, as well as Tom Thumb in Flinders Lane, Plantation in Melbourne Central and Clement Coffee Roasters in South Melbourne. Victa and Hoist will open Wednesday, April 15 at 32 Exhibition Walk, Monash University, Clayton Campus. CORRECTION 15/4/15: We originally ran this story reporting that Victa and Hoist will be open to students, when in fact, the restaurant is only open to staff, research degree candidates, alumni and their guests. CP apologises to both Victa and Hoist for an overrun of students on opening day, and to Monash students hoping to shake up their lunch options.
You don't need an excuse to eat drink and be merry, and Melbourne certainly doesn't wait for one. But even though our food obsession is strong all year round, February sees it culminate in a delicious explosion of food, drink and the city's biggest epicures at the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival (February 27 - March 15). It's 19 days of unashamed indulgence and general nerding out about everything gastronomic. Last year it was all about water, and this time around it's all about the baker. Fresh bread, doughnuts, pastries and sweet things will be on show at the Artisan Bakery & Bar: this year's festival hub, which is returning to the river at Queensbridge Square. Head along to learn from world-class bakers Justin Gellatly and Eric Kayser, or one of the many events running across the two and a half weeks. There are lunches, dinners, masterclasses, food crawls and parties, so there's bound to be something that feeds your hunger. Haven’t booked yet? Don’t worry, you can still get your feed. These are our picks of the festival that you can still get along to.
Freedom Time — the free-spirited festival synonymous with balmy summer days, dance-fuelled nights and lush DJ sets — is gearing up for another huge season, dropping the lineup for its jam-packed third summer series. This time around, the Freedom Time gang are spreading the love even further, adding a January 7 visit to Sydney's Manning Bar and Gardens on top of the usual shows in Perth on New Year's Eve and at Melbourne's Coburg Velodrome on January 1. As always, the festival's gifting us with a diverse lineup of musical guests, assembling a mix of international greats and homegrown heroes that'll have you dancing your little feet off no matter your style. Headlining this eclectic bunch is famed Chicago house producer Larry Heard (aka Mr Fingers), Jamaican dancehall legend Johnny Osbourne and an inter-generational collaborative effort from Leroy Burgess and Melbourne's own Harvey Sutherland. Meanwhile, Rhythm Section International's Bradley Zero will present a handpicked label showcase in each city, featuring a crop of local acts performing alongside modern soul duo, Silentjay and Jace XL. Melbourne will also be grooving to sets from beloved local DJ CC:DISCO, Haiatus Kayote vocalist Nai Palm and singer-songwriter Sampa The Great. FREEDOM TIME 2018 LINEUP Larry Heard (aka Mr. Fingers) Leroy Burgess Harvey Sutherland Johnny Osbourne Sassy J Bradley Zero CC:DISCO Nai Palm Sampa The Great Wax'O Paradiso Nozu Jordan Rakei J'Nett SilentJay & Jace XL Band Krakatau 30/70 Prequel Heartical Hi Powa Phil Stroud Samantha Goldie Big Rig Umut Jeremy Spellacey Winters Cazeaux Oslo Pjenné Millú
What would you do if you were a little less freaked out by consequences? Would you talk to more new people, fear a bit less, dance a little more like FKA Twigs, or quit your desk job and open that business you've always wanted to give a red hot go? Some sparkling young Australians are already flinging their inhibitions into a ziplock bag and seizing this little ol' life with both hands. Concrete Playground has teamed up with the Jameson crew to give you a sneak peek into the lives of ten bold characters who took a big chance on themselves. They've gone out on a limb and rewritten their path, encapsulating 'Sine Metu', the Jameson family motto which translates to 'without fear' — getting outside your comfort zone and trying something new. After all, we only get one shot at this. Take notes. No stranger to the idea of taking a massive risk and steering one's life on to a completely new path, founder and co-owner of Sydney's Ramblin' Rascal Tavern Charlie Lehmann had a completely different plan before opening his own bar. We had a chat to Charlie about his own business of taking chances. You can read the interview here. Want to experience a little bit of 'Sine Metu' yourself? Charlie's being a total legend and helping us give away a cocktail masterclass for you and three mates, so you can see for yourself what happens when bold humans take big creative chances with big payoffs. Enter here to win.
Since the release of their dazzling 2011 album Civilian, Baltimore-based duo Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack aka Wye Oak have become one of the most loved modern folk artists of recent times. From their distorted, guitar-heavy brand of melancholic pop to their recent dabblings in synth-drenched, intricate melody stylings, this duo show off as much emotion as skill in their soaring tunes. Now, off the back of their 2014 album Shriek, and two years of nonstop touring, they're arriving in Australia for a handful of shows — primarily stemming from their appearance at Sydney Festival. Widely known and esteemed for their exuberant and thunderous live shows, Wye Oak take that extra mile on stage to let the infiniteness of their melodies and rhythmic innovations flourish. Shriek saw Wasner swap out her domineering guitar for galloping, layered synths, bringing the band to a sound that transcends disorientation and loss to a hopeful, trance-heavy, rhythmic sense of renewal and empowerment. Supported by Bachelorette (NZ) and Lowtide.
Prepare to have your funny bone well and truly tickled, because the Melbourne International Comedy Festival is upon us once again. From Wednesday, March 29 through to Sunday, April 23, hundreds of humorists from all around planet earth will descend upon dozens of venues around town to make you giggle, guffaw, snort, snicker and shoot milk out of your nose. Why you were drinking milk at a comedy show is a whole other question. This year's lineup is predictably packed, with big name international jokesters including Daniel Kitson, David O'Doherty, Jason Byrne and Paul Foot joining beloved locals including Aaron Gocs, Cal Wilson, Demi Lardner and Matt Okine. There'll also be musicals and debates and live podcast recordings, and even a silent comedy event inspired by silent discos. And that's to say nothing of the countless up-and-comers whose names you mightn't know yet, but who you'll no doubt be hearing a lot more from in festivals to come.
Every time one of Australia's many cultural film festivals rolls around, viewers are taken on a journey to another country. Celebrating its 20th event, the 2017 Spanish Film Festival is embracing that idea — and they have the perfect movie for it. This year's festival will close with The Trip to Spain, the third instalment in the Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon driving-and-dining series following 2010's The Trip and 2014's The Trip to Italy. Of course, the Spanish Film Festival has put together a hefty program that showcases more than two British comedians trading Michael Caine impressions while seeing gorgeous Spanish sights and ticking off the country's fine dining spots, with the full lineup boasting 38 features. Touring the country between April 18 and May 17, the festival will kick off with Kiki, Love to Love, which actually has an Australian connection. Telling five comic tales about the passionate lives of Madrid lovers, it's based on Hoges actor Josh Lawson's 2014 directorial debut The Little Death. The film's star Natalia de Molina will be attending the opening night festivities in Sydney and Melbourne. Elsewhere, expect a vibrant cross-section of Spanish-language cinema, including moving coming-of-age effort Summer 1993, the Penelope Cruz and Cary Elwes-starring The Queen of Spain, and tense dark comedy The Bar, all heading to our shores after screening at the Berlinale. Or, viewers can catch the Goya-winning revenge flick The Fury of a Patient Man, bank robber thriller Escape Plan, secret agent spoof Heroes Wanted, literary-focused Venice Film Festival hit The Distinguished Citizen, or social realist musical At Your Doorstep. Plus, the program also features walk-and-talk romance The Reconquest, Smoke & Mirrors' true tale of corruption from the makers of 2015 festival standout Marshland, and Spain in a Day — the latest crowd-shot time-capsule companion piece to 2011's Life in a Day, joining fellow efforts made in Britain, Japan, Italy and India. This year's festival selections don't stop there, with four films embracing the joys of flamenco, spanning both dance and music. For those keen on looking back as well as catching the latest cinematic fare, three retrospective screenings will showcase the work of actress, singer and filmmaker Ana Belén, who has more than 35 albums, 40 films and 30 theatrical productions on her resume. The Spanish Film Festival tours Australia from April 18, screening at Sydney's Palace Norton Street and Palace Verona from April 18 to May 7; Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth and Kino Cinemas from April 20 to May 7, and Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace Centro from April 27 to May 14. For more information, visit the festival website.
Pop this one in the diary: one of our favourite bars on Greville Street is teaming up with one of our favourite whisky distilleries. On Wednesday, June 21, White Oaks Saloon will be hosting a very special whisky dinner alongside Tasmania's Lark Distillery. If you haven't heard of Lark before, they were actually Australia's first carbon-neutral whisky distillery and they've been bottling some of the country's best single malts for over 30 years. White Oaks is a staple on the Prahran scene, with some of the best cocktails and desperately-need-a-napkin barbecue going around. The dinner itself will kick off at 7.30pm and run till 10pm. Tickets are $149, which gets you an incredible, three-course set menu with seven dishes. Wash it down with a gimlet on arrival and four carefully paired whiskies from the guys at Lark. For food, expect White Oaks Saloon's southern spread set menu, which runs to the likes of twice-cooked jalapeno poppers, Louisiana crab cakes, fried chicken and cajun fish tacos. If you like your whisky neat and your BBQ sticky, this is the party for you. Seats are filling up fast, but there are still some tickets available. Bookings through the website. Images: Supplied
It's time to make the pilgrimage to the Supernatural Amphitheatre once again, Golden Plains has opened the ballot for 2017. Taking place over a long weekend under a full moon, Meredith's other beloved festival returns for three days next March 11-13. And they've announced on heck of a legend to top the bill: Neil Finn. As always, the lineup will appear on one stage in the Supernatural Amphitheatre, fronted by one of history's greatest songwriters. Crowded House legend Neil Finn will play a special career-spanning set under the full moon. It's been seven years since Finn played The Sup', so this should be pretty special. Also on the lineup is Nicholas Jaar, The Specials, Kurt Vile, Chain & the Gang, Princess Nokia and Teenage Fanclub, as well as local faves Total Giovanni and Camp Cope. Meanwhile, Golden Plains is set to be the same festival you know and love — no dickheads, no need to hide your goon sacks, no commercial sponsors — but with a new sound system, new campground, new foods and kids under 12 can attend the festival free. GOLDEN PLAINS 2017 LINEUP Neil Finn Nicolas Jaar The Specials Chain & The Gang Total Giovanni Margaret Glaspy Kurt Vile Princess Nokia Teenage Fanclub Camp Cope The Damned Olympia Wax'o Paradiso HABITS ORB Cash Savage And The Last Drinks J A Z Z Party Ausmuteants Benny And The Flybyniters The Dusty Millers Brooke Powers The Peep Tempel [embed]https://youtu.be/j8U1gC2JilQ[/embed]
Couldn't make it to the Cannes Film Festival this year? No, neither could we. Thankfully, this year's Melbourne International Film Festival is serving up the next best thing, with no fewer than 30 titles heading straight from the French Riviera to MIFF. Yes, it's the festival's biggest Cannes haul in recent years; however this isn't a quantity over quality situation. From Nicolas Winding Refn's highly anticipated modelling thriller The Neon Demon starring Elle Fanning, Christina Hendricks, and Keanu Reeves, to Asghar Farhadi's best actor and screenplay-winning The Salesman, you'll find new flicks from everyone's favourite directors and award recipients alike among the lineup (as well as a few films we've been keenly hoping would make their way to Australia). Other highlights include psychological thriller Elle by Showgirls, Basic Instinct and Starship Troopers director Paul Verhoeven; The Unknown Girl by Belgian filmmaking siblings Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne; Staying Vertical, the latest transgressive exploration of desire and masculine identity by Stranger by the Lake's Alain Guiraudie; and animated delight My Life as a Courgette, which is scripted by Girlhood filmmaker Céline Sciamma. And for those after other awarded and applauded efforts will find Cristian Mungiu's Best Director-winning drama Graduation, 2016 Prix Jean Vigo recipient The Death of Louis XIV, Cannes Critics Week Grand Prize winner Mimosas, and Un Certain Regard standouts The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki and Harmonium among the bustling bunch. Plus, in good news for Melburnians that weren't able to go along to this year's Sydney Film Festival either, a heap of Cannes flicks that just had their Aussie premieres in NSW over the last fortnight are also on the bill. SFF prize winner Aquarius, ghostly Kristen Stewart vehicle Personal Shopper and Park Chan-wook's deliriously over-the-top The Handmaiden were among our picks of the fest, should you need any help choosing something to see. Elsewhere, offbeat Viggo Mortensen-starring family drama Captain Fantastic, Pedro Almodovar's colourful melodrama Julieta, gorgeous Studio Ghibli animation The Red Turtle and German workplace comedy Toni Erdmann are well worth a look, as are the Jim Jarmush-directed duo of Iggy Pop doco Gimme Danger and poetic character study Paterson. With the list of MIFF-bound Cannes features joining the festival's other announcements thus far — including their opening night selection, Next Gen section and a batch of other sneak peek titles — this year's cinema showcase is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever. The rest of the program won't be announced until July 5, with tickets on sale on July 7, but based on the lineup to date, we're certain that it won't prove us wrong. The Melbourne International Film Festival runs from July 28 to August 14. For more information, visit the MIFF website — and check back on July 5, when the full program is announced.
When you have a favourite local haunt you usually like to keep it all to yourself. But Mark Zito of Fractures, one of Melbourne's best upcoming experimental bands, isn't greedy like us. After the secret acoustic gig he played last weekend in Melbourne thanks to Cloudy Bay, he took us beneath Melbourne's pretty facade and showed us the wonderful spaces where true locals like him spend their days and nights. From underground places to eat and drink, to secret green spaces and cinematic hidey-holes, you're not going to find these spots in a Trip Advisor top ten. Next time you're in Melbourne, spend a weekend walking in Fractures' shoes. COOKIE, CBD This has been a mainstay for me. The whole building in fact. On a good night, I'd make it up the entire building. Start at Cookie, grab some quality nosh, chuck it down my pie hole, consume with beverage. Perhaps repeat. Then probably skip a few levels up to Rooftop if it's warm enough, worst case would get warmth off a stranger for as long as I could before they realised I was standing behind them. Then down to the Toff for further iced beverages and perhaps an informal dance to loud music. The theme of all venues is 'solid vibe'. They lack pretension. MAGIC MOUNTAIN SALOON, CBD This one came out of nowhere for me. A friend led me in. As obvious as it is once you've been, it doesn't stand out so the secluded feel it has makes sense. Melbourne does pretty well with bars, this one for whatever reason ticks all of my boxes. It's good to start at, good to finish at, and good in between. A classic all-nighter, I'd say. I'm also a sucker for anything with a neon light logo. Take note. [caption id="attachment_582059" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Mick Stanic.[/caption] DIGHTS FALLS, ABBOTSFORD This is a local spot, just around the corner from home. It's a nice spot on the Yarra, usually filled with cyclists and families picnic-ing. So that's when I avoid it. The falls themselves are manmade but they're surrounded by volcanic rock, trees, and nearby is an old flour mill. I've hung down here later at night a few times (with people, I'm not a total shut-in) and it's more or less silent — if you discount the sound of the falls — and people don't tend to pass through. It doesn't involve a whole lot of action, just sitting really, stopping for a bit. I dunno, it's nice. I like it. And also it's very close to my house. UNCLE DREW, CLIFTON HILL Another local shoutout. Without exaggerating, I'd say this cafe is 25 metres from my front door so I was always going to head in there a bit out of laziness. Luckily for them they do a great job. I'm not a foodie at all. Pretty happy to microwave most things and then spoon them into my small mouth and I'm a happy chap upon swallowing, but these guys have all the things you'd want in a cafe — eggs, bread, and the list goes on! Typically I test a cafe with a scramble, they've passed with flying colours every time I've gone in. Next time you're in the area, pop in, tell them 'Fractures sent me' and you will receive a zero percent discount. SHELLEY BEACH, PORTSEA Portsea lifestyle isn't usually for me. There's not much about the polo or the pubs that interest me, and despite my heritage (Italian/Surry Hills), my pasty complexion doesn't lend itself to large doses of the hot Aussie sun. It's a bastard of a thing, excuse my language of course. This beach is a beauty during the day. It's very much a front beach, with no waves, beach boxes, and pretty cut off from the main strip, so it feels a bit like a secret. A sexy secret. I love it at night even more, especially when it's more or less deserted except for the dogs being walked. Ideal for pensive moments/night time love making/petty crime. CORNER HOTEL, RICHMOND I haven't actually played a gig here yet. I'd love to given its a staple of the Melbourne music scene. It's ever-reliable otherwise for that purpose: hosting great gigs. Good for a feed too. A tasty dish known as the chicken parmigiana, which I call a 'parma' just for a laugh with close friends, is a delight. I'm sure their other dishes are great but once I find what I like then you're not going to budge me.
It's not quite Melbourne International Film Festival time just yet; however that hasn't stopped Victoria's premiere cinema showcase from teasing movie buffs with a glimpse of the film fun set to come. Think local, sci-fi and delightfully quirky, because this year's fest — MIFF's 65th — is kicking off with the world premiere of The Death and Life of Otto Bloom. There's a reason that the feature's title mentions the character's end before his actual existence; played by Xavier Samuel, he's experiencing his life in reverse. Neuropsychologist Dr Ada Fitzgerald (Rachel Ward) is called in to determine if he's a psychic, time traveller, madman or living proof of Einstein's theory of relativity. We know you're dying to know the answer, and you can find out at MIFF's opening night on July 28. Sure, it all sounds a little like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, however don't expect the first feature from Melbourne writer/director Cris Jones to simply rehash its Brad Pitt-starring predecessor. In fact, 2014's The Infinite Man and Predestination already proved that Aussie filmmakers can handle intriguing concepts like time travel and multiple versions of the same person with the best of them, so consider The Death and Life of Otto Bloom the latest effort in a growing local group of science fiction-leaning content. That's not all the news MIFF has up their sleeve so far, with the full program for their youth-focused Next Gen strand also doing the rounds, as well as details of a special virtual reality storytelling seminar with Eric Darnell, the writer/director behind the animated Madagascar series. With all this on offer — and the complete lineup still more than a month away — we've just got one thing to say: bring on the end of July. The 2016 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from July 28 to August 14. Tickets for opening night go on sale at 9am on May 18, with the full 2016 program revealed on July 5. Keep an eye on the festival's website for further information.
No one likes a boring lunch, or spending hours meal prepping — though we all know how quickly the cost of midday food splurges can add up. Those lunch dramas will soon be a thing of the past, with nifty food app MealPal arriving in Melbourne. The brainchild of ClassPass co-founder, Mary Biggins, and Katie Ghelli (formerly of ZocDoc), the meal subscription service has proved a hit across the USA and UK since first launching in Miami, in January 2016. It launched in Sydney in May this year, and now, having dished up over two million meals to time-starved office workers, the MealPal concept is heading to Melbourne. Through the website or app, subscribing members are able to order a daily lunch meal from the huge selection of great local restaurants, schedule a convenient time to skip the queues and pick it up, and enjoy a tasty feed for blissfully minimal effort. Use it Monday to Friday, and the service clocks in at less than $8 per day. More than 100 of Melbourne CBD's lunchtime go-tos are already on board, including Empire Steak, Sumo Salad, PappaRich, Mr. Burger, Belleville, Henrietta's Chicken Shop, Famish'd and more. Sign up here. Image: Empire Steak.
On the lookout for a dope new denim jacket? Or do you want to be rid of that weird-looking lamp taking up space in the living room? Then, by golly, you're in luck. The Garage Sale Trail works with local council partners Australia wide to get as many trash-and-treasure troves happening on the same day as possible. Last year, more than 8000 garages opened their doors to bargain hunters, and they're doing it for the sixth time on October 24. Aside from the retro goodies up for grabs, the Trail is all about sustainability. Instead of ending up in landfill, unwanted clutter becomes a fantastic find. So get that tight pair of sunnies for peanuts and help the environment at the same time. The Garage Sale Trail began humbly in Bondi in 2010 and is growing bigger every year. Register online to make a quick buck from your old junk and hang out with the friendly folks in your hood.
The 2017 Melbourne International Film Festival is already slated to start with a Jungle trek, take audiences on a retro sci-fi trip and showcase a hefty dose of Cannes titles. But that's just the first act — there's way (way) more where that came from. Tonight unveiling this year's full lineup, MIFF has announced it will screen 358 films in total, representing 68 countries, and including 251 features, 88 shorts, 17 virtual reality experiences and 12 talks. Phew. Taking over 13 venues across Melbourne from August 3 to 20, the 2017 festival — the event's 66th — also boasts 31 world premieres and 135 Australian premieres. That's quite the batch of numbers, but cinephiles only need remember one more: how many films you can cram in over the fest's 18-day run. Leading the charge among the complete program is closing night's Gurrumul Elcho Dreaming, which will enjoy its world premiere at MIFF. The documentary explores of the life and music of Aussie artist Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, formerly of Yothu Yindi, and ensures that this year's festival is bookended with local flicks. Elsewhere, fellow Australian picks span street art documentary Have You Seen the Listers?, Melissa George and Ewen Leslie in The Butterfly Tree, and a virtual reality peek into asylum seeker life in VR short Inside Manus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJweqjIWtbg Other new titles include the Jon Hamm and Geena Davis-starring Marjorie Prime, about holographic recreations of deceased loves ones; Beatriz at Dinner, featuring Salma Hayek, Chloe Sevigny and John Lithgow; Lucky, which sees Twin Peaks' Harry Dean Stanton and David Lynch appear together on screen; and Beach Rats, this year's Sundance US Dramatic comp director winner. An IMAX screening of Terrence Malick's 40-years-in-the-making documentary Voyage of Time, the David Wenham-directed walk-and-talk effort Ellipsis, and Swedish indigenous drama Sami Blood are also on the bill, alongside a triple dose of Hong Sang-soo thanks to Yourself and Yours, Claire's Camera and On the Beach at Night Alone, as well as the world premiere of Ben Elton's newbie Three Summers. Of course, MIFF isn't just about screening films — it's also about showcasing the talented folks behind them. One of the best movies of the year so far, the Armie Hammer-starring romance Call Me By Your Name, comes to MIFF with Italian director Luca Guadagnino in attendance, while iconic Aussie filmmaker Jane Campion will introduce a screening of her new TV mini-series Top of the Lake: China Girl. Plus, diving deeper into its themed strands, this year's festival will also feature a program of '80s and early '90s Australian films directed by women, a tribute to The Party filmmaker Sally Potter's cinematic output to date and a selection of animal docos (expect chicken, rats, dolphins and more). Getting into genre territory, MIFF's usual Night Shift lineup jumps from real-life serial killer thrills with My Friend Dahmer to Takashi Miike's Blade of the Immortal to the US-made, Colombia-set The Belko Experiment from Jungle filmmaker Greg McLean, with plenty of others in between. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi2KRS_hinE All of the above joins a sizeable selection of already-revealed, excitement-worthy flicks, including The Killing of a Sacred Deer from The Lobster director Yorgos Lanthimos, '90s-set AIDS activism drama BPM, Palme d'Or winner The Square, Robert Pattinson crime flick Good Time, Michael Haneke's Happy End and the Andy Samberg-produced Brigsby Bear. Plus, more RPatz in The Lost City of Z, Aussie actress Emily Browning playing a Melburnian in New York opposite Jason Schwartzman and the Beastie Boys' Adam Horovitz in Golden Exits, swoon-inducing queer romance God's Own Country, transgender drama A Fantastic Woman, New Zealand horror amusement park-based Spookers, and Aussie efforts Ali's Wedding, Australia Day and That's Not Me are also on the stacked bill. The Melbourne International Film Festival runs from August 3 to 20, with tickets on sale from 11am on July 14. For more information, visit the MIFF website.
Get on down to Melbourne's most iconic retail precinct and party like its 1991. This September, Melbourne Central is celebrating its quarter century — and what better way to do so than by turning back that famous clock? As part of the Rewind '91 festivities, Melbourne Central and Concrete Playground are teaming up on one hell of a promotion. Simply enter below and you can go in the running to win an outrageously decadent prize that includes: - One night's accommodation for two at St Jerome's Hotel on the Melbourne Central roof. - Front of the line access to a new virtual reality experience that takes viewers back to the late 1800s when the iconic Coops Shot Tower was still in use. - A tour of Melbourne Central's hidden nooks and crannies with local history-buff Dale Campisi (September 24 or 25). - Two tickets to Melbourne Central's VIP Birthday Event (September 7). - $250 worth of Melbourne Central shopping vouchers. [competition]586681[/competition] Now you've entered, enjoy this hit of nostalgia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzeqSDvNNm0
Normally the words 'YouTube sensation' trigger an instant shudder of revulsion as the abominable lovechild of Bieber and Nyan Cat twerks into your imagination, but that's where it also began for British trip-hop trio London Grammar who will be gracing our shores in March — after last July's cancellation. Ever since the release of 'Hey Now', which clocked up over a million views in just under a month, the indie darlings have gone from strength to strength. With a platinum debut album If You Wait, three songs in this 2014's triple j Hottest 100 (including a top ten spot for 'Strong') and rave-reviewed appearances at festivals worldwide under their collective belts, the trio are set to continue their love affair with the Australian public when they hit up the Festival Hall on March 14. Fronted by the preternaturally talented Hannah Reid, whose vocal range has seen her compared to the likes of Florence Welch and Adele, London Grammar had to cancel their tour last year after Reid was struck down with pneumonia. This national tour has been long-awaited by Australian fans, many of whom were lucky enough to catch their memorable set at Splendour in the Grass just a few short years ago. Supported by Until the Ribbon Breaks + Wet. https://youtube.com/watch?v=nMEHJPuggHQ
You'll be simultaneously throwing shapes and ramen in your mouth this spring, as Melbourne's Supernormal prepares to host Melbourne's first ever Ramen Rave with New York’s new-wave ramen guru Ivan Orkin on October 28, as part of this year's Good Food Month. Now the world’s largest food festival, GFM will see more than 240 events, masterclasses, tastings and one-off indulgences taking place across the city and regional Victoria from November 1-30, including the highly-anticipated Ramen Rave. For one night only, Orkin will be serving up his signature shio ramen alongside Supernormal's Andrew McConnell, who'll be matching his favourite in-house snacks — including matcha soft serve. There'll be highballs and sake aplenty, karaoke in the basement, while local DJs Andras Fox and Zach PM get the actual rave going. Sweets, lollies, cakes, dessert and all things sugary run the show at this year’s Good Food Month. The toothache begins with Sweetfest, a mini-festival of sugary delights at North Melbourne's Meat Market on November 28-29, featuring Instagram-happy cake monarch Katherine Sabbath, dessert queen Philippa Sibley, confection wizard Pierre Roelofs and more. Plus, during GFM, there are no less than eight hectic high teas to choose from. Hardcore sweet tooths, prepare to meet New York City's Big Gay Ice Cream legends and dulce de leche injectors Douglas Quint and Bryan Petroff, as they launch two new books with an Ice Cream Social and make the ultimate fairy bread ice cream sandwiches with Melbourne food truck My Two Mums at the ever-popular Night Noodle Markets. Due to popular demand, the Birrarung Marr markets have been extended to a whopping 18 nights across November 12-29. Expect old favourites such as Chin Chin, Bao Stop and Hoy Pinoy with newbies. Good Food Month tends to attract some pretty big chef hats, and this year you'll be able to feast on expertly smoked mussels from top chefs David Moyle of Franklin Restaurant and French chef Florent Geradin in Eclade de Moyle. Learn the Peruvian ropes with Diego Muñoz, watch Melbourne's top chefs make their mentors' specialties into Cinema Nova movie snacks, then watch the bigwigs of the culinary industry debate The Future of Food, in a lively panel between editor-in-chief of Lucky Peach Chris Ying, Pulitzer prize-winning LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold and award-winning Attica head chef Ben Shewry. GFM's ever-popular returning event series will be back with plenty of citywide feasting experiences, from Hats Off Dinners to the Eat Art series. Take a culinary tour of the graffiti capitals of the world with Easey's, take an American 'Dude Food' Walking Tour, learn how to make bagels at home with 5 & Dime, see Huxtable take on Ms Collins, see Saint Crispin take on Gelato Messina, then find the very best in food goodness at Australia’s largest charity kitchen in Abbotsford, by FareShare — where you can volunteer. Check out our top event picks of Good Food Month 2015.
Melbourne's annual winter festival RISING sprawls over a lot of the CBD, but the official hub is Night Trade. And this year, the free-to-enter art, food and music labyrinth is taking over the Capitol Arcade and surrounding alleyways from Saturday, June 1–Saturday, June 15. It's where you go to get fed, plan your next move while grabbing some drinks, get a psychic reading, and gawk at incredible art installations, light shows and live performances. [caption id="attachment_958059" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ian Laidlaw[/caption] One standout installation comes from UK artist Jeremy Deller, who has converted one of the laneway shops into an exhibition that's said to made for the goths and ravers. Expect to find a video grotto, spinning druids and other visual artworks within the small space. Next door, you can feed your inner artist at RISING's Sip and Paint ($39 per person) where a different artist will help you sculpt, paint, create and drink the night away. On the calendar is Magic Steven, Sammaneh Poursh, Geoffrey Watson, Xanthe Dobbie, Ned Middleton and Tobias Richardson. Elsewhere at RISING's Night Trade, party-loving healer Sue Thompson is holding psychic readings, LA artist John Kilduff is performing a live version of the cult public access TV show Let's Paint TV — a physical and mental breakdown of painting, cooking, singing and treadmill-based synth workouts — and DJs are playing a huge range of sets. There will even be a pop-up karaoke room where you can sing your favourite hits with a bunch of strangers. Those keen to pay for some live gigs can also hit up Night Trade's Stage Door, where the team are hosting a series of artists and parties. Each of these performances only cost $20, so it's an easy and cheap way to experience some of RISING's best bits. When it comes to bevs, you can hit up the Night Trade lounge bar that's been given an 80s underwater ambient theme. Pair this with Momo Station's Nepalese dumplings; Kim Sing's dim sum and noodles; Union Kiosk's jaffles; Los Amantes' Mexican street food; or The Alley Edition's hot chips and snacks — perfect for a cold night out in the city. Night Trade is always a must-visit at RISING, not only for these formally announced offerings, but because of all the surprise events and pop-up performances that will inevitably grace the space without any notice. [caption id="attachment_958058" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ian Laidlaw[/caption]
When is a hot cross bun not a hot cross bun? When it's a doughnut instead. And of all the sweet treats we've seen in the lead-up to the Easter holiday, this might be the one we want to sample the most. Easter Bunny, consider yourself briefed. The drool-worthy rings of spiced doughy goodness are the latest creation from Shortstop Coffee & Donuts. Alcohol soaked dried fruit is mixed through a sweet and spiced dough, before being fried and covered in a milk and honey glaze. If that's not an Easter miracle, what is? The hot cross doughnuts can be ordered via Shortstop's online store. Alternatively, Prahran-based gift delivery service LVLY have partnered with the intrepid doughnuteers and will happily ferry a box to a colleague, friend or loved one on your behalf, complete with personalised message and an optional floral arrangement. Of course, that's assuming you're not just ordering them for yourself — which, if we're being honest, would be a damn shame. You can currently pre-order through LVLY for delivery between Monday, March 21 and Thursday, March 24. Fair warning though: this probably isn't a great idea for anyone who's given up junk food for Lent, especially so close to the finish line. LVLY deliver to Melbourne's inner suburbs. A box of five Shortstop hot cross doughnuts will cost $38 including delivery, and can be ordered through LVLY here.
