Having released their debut full-length studio album Eyelid Movies five years ago, New York duo Phantogram has slowly and steadily built a loyal following in dream-pop/street beat circles. In that sense, they're an antidote to an Internet-fuelled culture that has so many artists gambling on viral sensations. Mind you, teaming up with Outkast's Big Boi and The Flaming Lips has certainly helped to keep them well out of the shadows they so often sing about. "We gravitate towards sad art in general," Sarah Barthel (Phantogram's vocal half) told Indie Shuffle in a recent interview. "Whether it's songs or movies, I guess we gravitate towards emotional art. We always want to write emotional music." New album Voices continues on this melancholic trajectory, but it's too texturally complex to become dull, too melodic to become maudlin. Before taking their elegant grooves to the Grass, Phantogram will give themselves an Antipodean warm-up with side shows at Sydney's Metro Theatre on July 24 and Melbourne's Prince Bandroom on July 25.
If you've ever had a sneaky little go with a child's Lego blocks while their back is turned, Legoland sees you, tips you their hat… and raises you another adults-only night at its Melbourne Discovery Centre at Chadstone. And this one's fantasy-themed. With no children to get in the way (or outdo your creations), you'll score free rein of Legoland to check out its 4D cinema and rides, and build to your heart's content in the brick pits. Test your skills by taking on the build challenges or try a scavenger hunt — and vie for the prizes up for grabs. [caption id="attachment_878422" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jaz Blom[/caption] Get into the spirit of the night by dressing as your favourite fantasy character — this is the time to dust off that Frodo get-up — and having a go at some themed challenges, involving skills like archery, Orc defeat and princess rescuing. It all takes place from 6–9pm on Friday, March 31 — and you should BYO shameless excitement, a taste for glory and boundless creativity. Entry will set you back $39.99, with food and drinks available to purchase from the onsite cafe until 8pm. [caption id="attachment_878421" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jaz Blom[/caption] Top Image: Jaz Blom
Is there a fluffy, cat-shaped hole in your life? Have you been looking for an excuse to fill it? If so, consider this your calling. With the annual kitten season in full swing and an influx of rescues on its hands, the Cat Protection Society of Victoria (CPSV) is putting the call out for feline-friendly homes, mainly for kittens, but also some Mama cats. Most of the animals are either surrendered as kittens or rescued by Council rangers and in need of TLC, medical attention and loving new homes. If you're keen to adopt one of these furballs, it'll cost you $120, which includes all the necessities — microchipping, desexing, vaccinations, parasite treatment, a full vet check and a two-week health cover. Recently desexed cats will also get free follow-up vet care and CPSV will be on hand to help out with questions and follow-ups long after each adoption is complete. You'll also need lots of toys for them to play with, proper food for them to eat and plenty of attention to give. In return, you'll score a new best mate and a whole lotta cuddles. "Kittens are highly interactive and playful so make a great new addition to the family," said Natalya Dundovic, Animal Behaviour Consultant at CPSV. "As they're easy to toilet train, are small, need less formal exercise and eat less than dogs, they can make the perfect pet." With the local kitten season running from September through to April, and cats able to give birth to as many as three litters in that time, the CPSV needs your help big time, hoping to find homes for more than 700 kittens this season alone. For more information on adopting and to see some of the animals that need rehoming, jump over to the CPSV website.
Things are getting chilly at ACMI cinemas, and we're not just talking about the air-conditioning. Presented as part of the Art + Climate = Change festival, which aims to draw attention to environmental issues through art, Poles Apart will showcase four stunningly photographed documentaries set at the two coldest and most unforgiving places on earth. The season begins on April 18 with Anthony Powell’s Antarctica: A Year on Ice. Ten years in the making, and presented mostly in timelapse, this mesmerising doco reveals not only the stark beauty of the Antarctic environment, but delves into the everyday lives of the community workers who man the continent's remote research stations. On the other side of the globe, meanwhile, Last Days of the Arctic follows famed Icelandic photographer Ragnar ‘Rax’ Axelsson, as he chronicles the tangible effects of climate change in the white wilderness of Iceland and Greenland. Rounding out the program, Art from the Arctic and Expedition to the End of the World both follow groups of artists and scientists as they travel deep into the frozen waters of the Arctic Circle. For exact screening dates, visit the ACMI website.
Vegans, hold onto your tempeh — the team behind beloved vegan eateries Smith & Daughters and Smith & Deli are releasing their top-secret, work-of-genius recipes to the world. The Fitzroy restaurant and deli announced yesterday via Facebook that they'll be releasing their first ever cookbook, featuring a whole heap of Smith & Daughters' crazy how-did-they-do-that? creations from head chef Shannon Martinez. This might be your chance to get your hot little hands on their vegan doughnut recipe. Details about the cookbook are few and far between, although we know that it'll be released through Hardie Grant Books "later on this year". The reaction to the news has been predictably ecstatic, with the Facebook announcement garnering more than 500 reactions in less than half a day. It's the moment we've been waiting our whole lives for... It's really really really happening! Smith & Daughters, the... Posted by Smith & Daughters on Tuesday, 5 April 2016 Co-owners Martinez and Mo Wyse do a roaring trade in Fitzroy, and having launched lunchtime spinoff Smith & Deli around the corner from their Brunswick Street restaurant last year. They're one of our favourite vegan joints in Melbourne, so naturally we're pretty amped to try their recipes at home. We've got our fingers crossed for the recipe for their vegan mac 'n' cheese. The Smith & Daughters cookbook is slated to be released through Hardie Grant Books later this year. For more information as it develops, keep your eyes on their Facebook page.
The Melbourne weather gods have finally started to answer our post-winter prayers and the season of weekend escapes is well underway. And now you've got another great reason to round up the crew and get out of town: the return of A Weekend With, an out-of-town music, food and wine festival. This one's going down about three hours north of Melbourne, taking over a historic winemaking facility in Victoria's Rutherglen region from November 1–4. The 120-year-old venue on Mount Ophir Estate is set to host a thoughtful program filled with the good stuff, from tunes and art to great local booze. The weekend kicks off on Friday night with a Welcome to Country with Yorta Yorta artists, before a huge communal feast for 500 people. Hosted by the Social Food Project, it'll come complete with wine tastings, booze from local labels and live music by Chapter Music. Wake up the next morning to free coffer from Everyday, while DJs and local musicians play chilled, ambient tunes. In the afternoon, livelier live music will be paired with captivating installations and artworks. Throughout the day, you'll be able to head to the bar for more free wine tastings or to pick up a glass from the likes of Trutta Wines and Scion — or a pint from Bodriggy Brewing Co. It'll all culminate at a big pét-nat party on Sunday afternoon before spending a final night on the historic property. The festival's capped at just 500 punters and you've got the opportunity to stay on-site, either camping, glamping or in one of six properties. First release tickets are currently on sale for $230.
Films about the holocaust will never be considered easy viewing. Revisiting one of the darkest chapters of human history is a confronting experience, as is facing the specific details of the atrocious deeds committed. Some movies try to temper their bleakness by honing in on unlikely heroism, like Schindler's List, or the comedy of tragedy, like Life is Beautiful, or offering a child’s view of events, like The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. Hungarian filmmaker László Nemes does none of this. Son of Saul doesn’t just contemplate challenging material — it is designed to immerse viewers in the horrific ordeal that was life in a concentration camp. While charting the daily misery of Jewish prisoners might sound familiar, it's the inner workings of the Sonderkommando that are thrust into the spotlight here. Those unacquainted with the term may be startled to discover its meaning, referring to a unit of detainees that assisted the Nazis with the very worst aspects of their final solution. Sonderkommando workers escorted their fellow inmates into the gas chamber, then cleaned up the aftermath. Their compliance was coerced, unsurprisingly; by hastening the deaths of others, they avoided their own for a few months. In a film fictional in its specifics but inspired by actual testimonies in the book The Scrolls of Auschwitz, Saul Ausländer (Géza Röhrig) is one of many men caught in this unfortunate situation — but when he tries to help a boy that crosses his path, he stands out from the rest of the group. Over the course of a turbulent 24 hours in 1944, he attempts to find a rabbi to give the child a proper burial. As he's searching, endeavouring to evade the camp's guards in the process, other members of the Sonderkommando plot their own larger acts of rebellion. Though there's no doubting the powerful nature of this story, Nemes' stylistic choices prove just as potent as the predicament he explores. It is impossible not to notice the feature's boxed-in aesthetics and constrained atmosphere, nor its concerted efforts to ensure the audience feels as trapped and claustrophobic as the on-screen characters. The filmmaker shoots in the Academy aspect ratio of 1.375:1, and keeps the camera as close as possible to his protagonist. The parallels he's trying to cultivate might be obvious, but that doesn't lessen their intensity. For viewers and Saul alike, there is simply no escape. Nemes isn't the feature's only standout, however — and while the writer-director is forceful in his approach, his leading man offers an understated counterpart. In his first film role, and in a performance conveyed through mannerisms more than dialogue, Röhrig makes Saul's struggle seethe beyond its historical context. Striving to aid another, even in difficult circumstances; putting someone else's needs before our own; choosing empathy, not just endurance. Ultimately, aren't these the things that make us human?
Which do you love more: picking up a haul of new plants at bargain prices or enjoying that much cherished weekend sleep-in? If your answer is both, you'll be pleased to know you can have your cake and eat it too when Ellis Street Studio plays host to a couple of after-dark plant sales later this month. Greenery-loving pop-up Wandering Jungle invites punters to drop by after work, pick up some lush new foliage for their collections and then party on into the night. Kicking off at 6pm on both November 28 and 29, the event will showcase a variety of indoor plant species for you to browse and buy, from devil's ivy to ponytail palms to the good ol' fiddle leaf fig. To round out the late-night shopping experience, the bar will also be serving a selection of tasty libations, while local DJ favourites work their magic on the decks.
Last month we found out that Melbourne Music Week was planning to take over Queen Victoria Market, now we know their full plan: they want the whole city. Released this morning, the full MMW program will see 250 artists take part in 110 events over 10 days of festivities in 40 locations. While your usual bars and bandrooms are all accounted for, this year you'll also be seeing music in laneways and trams, at Rooftop Cinema, the NGV, MPavilion, and power stations. It'll even be in elevators. No kidding — elevators. This enormous reach comes in an effort to showcase not only Melbourne's music, but the city itself. "Melbourne is one of the world's greatest music cities," said Councillor Beverley Pinder Mortimer from the City of Melbourne. "[In this festival] the city becomes the stage." Kind of like in that film with Kiera Knightly and Mark Ruffalo... but better. This morning's announcement saw local favourites Midnight Juggernauts, Remi and The Harpoons added to a lineup that already included Architecture in Helsinki, Cut Copy, Tangerine Dream, The Church and World's End Press. Further international artists like longstanding Detroit techno collective Underground Resistance, German dance duo Pachanga Boys and Oneohtrix Point Never were also added to the bill. The latter are definitely shows you should jump on quick. Underground Resistance are presenting a night of techno jazz with label founder Mike Banks, and Oneohtrix Point Never is lighting up Queen Vic with the help of local legend Robin Fox. If you don't have the time to comb through the program for gems like that, we suggest heading along to the Live Music Safari on Thursday, November 20. Back for another year, this marathon event will offer you a whole night of amazing free gigs in 14 venues across the city. Or, if you're hesitant about heading out on a school night, there's always the Self-Made series. With impromptu performances popping up on trams and elevators, you might just encounter something great on your way to work. Whether you're having a quiet drink or simply walking around the city at night, music is bound to find you in one way or another. And, with over half the events in this year's program free of charge, there's no reason to not get involved. Even 90 per cent of the ticketed events are under $50. If you'd like to get your hands on some, ticket sales have just opened. Melbourne Music Week runs from November 14-23. Check out the festival website to see the full program.
Got a thing for a good cuppa tea? The folks at South Yarra's contemporary tea bar Yugen sure do; which is why they're celebrating International Tea Day (May 21) with not just one event, but a whole swag of them. If tea is your cup of…well, tea…you won't want to miss this program of workshops and tasting events paying tribute to the world's most widely consumed bev. On Wednesday, May 18, Yugen's expert sommeliers will share their passion via a 90-minute Tea 101 session ($75), complete with tastings, sweet treat pairings from the pastry chefs and take-home goodies. On Thursday, May 19, you can celebrate two great loves at the Tea and Cheese Pairing, hosted in collaboration with Maker & Monger ($85). If rice-based booze is your thing, head along to the May 20 Tea and Sake Pairing, where you'll dive into the origins and intricacies of both drinks under the guidance of sake specialist Simone Maynard ($85). And on Saturday, May 21, Yugen is teaming up with Kyneton's Animus Distillery for a full-blown tea-matched feast ($150), which'll see you sit down to a six-course spread, with each dish paired carefully with either a fine tea or a signature cocktail made on Animus' Tea Gin. [caption id="attachment_853773" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Sean McDonald[/caption] Images: Sean McDonald and H. Trumble
One of the Mornington Peninsula's hottest arrivals of 2017, Pt. Leo Estate has clocked up a whole year of life — and to celebrate, it's throwing open the gates for a weekend of art, entertainment and summertime revelry. Over December 1 and 2, the property's famed sculpture park will open to the public for free, allowing visitors young and old to wander the collection of over 50 large-scale works. To coincide with the birthday fun, the park will also unveil the newest additions to its ever-growing collection, including Mirri — the latest piece from contemporary indigenous artist Reko Rennie. Littlies will be kept entertained with a range of kid-friendly activities, while grown-up appetites are well catered for with a special barbecue menu from culinary director Phil Wood and his team. Plates like pork sausage sliders with braised cabbage and roast leg of lamb with Greek salad feature in a classic Aussie grill offering, with mains priced at around $25. You'll also find classic sausage rolls and house-made lamingtons with cream — perfect for capping off a spin around the sculpture park.
Every year when Easter rolls around, there's always a mad scramble to figure out which bars, restaurants and sites will remain open over the holiday. You don't want to stay cooped up at home all long weekend. So, we've teamed up with our mates at QT Melbourne to make things a little bit easier by creating a staycation guide to spending Easter weekend in Melbourne. Set on the historic site that used to house Russell Street's Greater Union Cinema, QT hotel is an excellent setting for a CBD getaway. The hotel boasts an impressive view from its rooftop bar plus the hotel's signature restaurant is certainly worthy of a meal or two. The one-hatted Pascale Bar and Grill somehow manages to seamlessly unite Parisian-chic with industrial cool, while also featuring a menu that uses produce fresh from the secret rooftop garden. While you're not digging into the various cuts of beef, spiced eggplant with green tomato chutney or the lemon verbena iced parfait with gin marshmallow and cucumber, head out for a weekend full of buzzing markets, cracking comedy shows and all sorts of activities that'll have you more than a little bit excited for the next time you can spend a weekend exploring the CBD. [caption id="attachment_672350" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eugene Hyland.[/caption] BE A GOOD SPORT AT HOLEY MOLEY If a neon-lit indoor mini-golf course complete with cocktails and a 90s soundtrack sounds like your idea of a good time, then plan a visit to Holey Moley. Found on Little Bourke Street and filled with an array of weird and wonderful decor, the venue's walls are just the beginning. Pick up a game of mini golf, and you'll find yourself tap, tap, taping your ball through The Simpson's living room and across an enlarged spinning turntable playing nostalgic hits like Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. Oh, and you can sip punny cocktails all the while. After you've made it through the 18 holes, keep the night going and head to the downstairs karaoke rooms to belt out some more nostalgic tunes. SIP COCKTAILS AT FANCY FREE Opened in February and only around for six months, Fancy Free on Collins Street has already become a local favourite. Slinging signature drinks like an iced coffee spider and a salty-sweet pink grapefruit and Campari number, the cocktail list is divided into three categories: 'No meaning alcohol-free, 'Low' equating to a slight buzz and 'Full' steering you towards a large night. Plus, the neighbourhood joint has a rotating roster of food on offer, with the kitchen currently graced by the team behind Mary's — one of Sydney's best burger places. So, take a seat at the narrow bar, order some food and drink, and watch the world turn for a while. GO ON AN EASTER EGG HUNT THROUGH QT MELBOURNE It's simply not possible to celebrate Easter without eating your weight in chocolate, and it's even better if you get said chocolate from an Easter egg hunt. So, as a guest of QT Melbourne, you'll awake Sunday morning to realise the Easter bunny has paid a visit and has hidden choc eggs all over the hotel's 11 levels. And these aren't your standard Easter eggs — these oblongs are from premium chocolate purveyors, Koko Black. Plus, there'll even be special prizes on offer for anyone who finds the special QT marked eggs. But if egg hunting isn't exactly your thing (bah humbug) or you just can't seem to find any, you can beeline it to The Cake Shop on the hotel's ground floor where Koko Black has taken over. And you don't need to be a hotel guest to treat yourself to fresh-baked sweets like a chocolate and hazelnut gateau, flourless orange cake, chocolate fudge brownies made with 73% dark chocolate and caramel choc chip cookies. Hot tip: if you're after a real chocolate hit, order one of Koko Black's signature hot chocolates, available in hazelnut, chilli and classic belgian chocolate. GET CRAFTY AT THE ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE SUNDAY MARKET Every Sunday, the sidewalk and lawn area stretching between the Arts Centre Melbourne and Hamer Hall transforms into a bustling market that showcases the wares of local artisans and craftspeople. Pop by early for some freshly cooked poffertjes (a type of Dutch mini pancake — you can thank us later) and take a gander at all the treasures the stalls have to offer. With handmade lime- and mint-scented soaps to colourful resin jewellery and moody photography prints, you'll be spoiled for choice when selecting something to take home from one of the talented makers. [caption id="attachment_661799" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jim Lee.[/caption] CRACK A SMILE AT THE MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL For over 30 years, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival has made sure that April is always the funniest month of the year — and the 2019 edition is no different. Having delivered a varied lineup of local and international acts that put the whole city in stitches, the festival's closing weekend — which just so happens to fall on Easter — is your final chance to catch some of these hilarious acts. From Alice Tovey's insightful and whip-smart Garbage Monster to the deadpan and unpredictable stylings of Aaron Chen's Piss Off (Just Kidding), there's something for every sense of humour. Treat yourself this Easter and book a staycation at QT Melbourne. Top image: QT Melbourne Rooftop.
The guys who brought all three Human Centipede flicks to Aussie cinemas are back with a new late night lineup of weird and wonderful films. Returning to The Lido in Hawthorn, the now-monthly Friday Fright Nights program features an expectedly surreal selection of eye-popping genre cinema, and will serve as a teaser for the full-blown mayhem that hits once Monster Fest rolls into town in November. The first film on the bill is the evocatively titled Cat Sick Blues, a strange supernatural slasher film from Australian director Dave Jackson. Next up comes I Am Not A Serial Killer, a well received American thriller featuring Christopher Lloyd and Where The Wild Things Are star Max Records. And if you think those sound weird, just wait until you hear about Aaaaaaaah!, a British horror-comedy in which the entire cast speaks in animalistic grunts. Rounding out the program is a post-Monster Fest screening of The Eyes of My Mother, a critically acclaimed gothic horror film that took this year's Sundance Film Festival by storm.
This is poetry like you've never heard it before – and yes, we mean that literally. Presented by Arts Access, Victoria's leading arts and disability organisation, and the Australian Theatre of the Deaf, this free two-hour slam session will see some of the country's best deaf poets delivering their latest works via sign language. A truly unique way to experience poetry, the performance will be followed by a public work shop, where you can pick up a few new verses of your own. This event is one of our top ten picks of the Melbourne Fringe Festival. Check out the other nine here.
Alabama Shakes have been hailed as one of the most exciting bands in the world right now. They've earned glowing reviews from The Telegraph, Pitchfork and the New York Times, and not just because they're impossible to hate (fact). Tingle-worthily humble origins are one reason you can't help but fall in love with these guys, another is postwoman-turned-frontwoman Brittany Howard. Howard has ceased delivering mail and is now charged with the responsibility of delivering rapturously powerful vocals, which she does with a soul-heavy wail that has been compared to Howlin' Wolf and Janis Joplin. Backed by stomping swamp rock and woefully twanging guitar strings courtesy of her classmates-turned-band members, it'll move you in more ways than one. With their acclaimed debut Boys & Girls still running on high rotation, Alabama Shakes are heading to Australia for the first time in January for Big Day Out. They'll play one sideshow at the Forum Theatre. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Le-3MIBxQTw
You don't need to go far to find creativity in Melbourne. Each suburb is brimming with street art, independent boutiques and quirky food vendors. But the smaller guys — those with side hustles, passion projects and small businesses in their garage — are a little harder to find. That's where The Melbourne Collective comes in. The design market brings all of these local creatives together to showcase products — and this year, it's partnering with the Queen Vic Market for a special Christmas edition. The market's festive outing will take place across three weekends: November 17–18, December 1–2 and December 8–9. Running from 8am–3pm on Saturdays and 9am–4pm on Sundays, the market will offer everything from home decor and ceramics to stationery and fashion. There'll also be food and prosecco on tap for your inevitable realisation that you've been shopping for a whole day without sustenance. Entry is free so you can save your dollars for gifts for all your mates.
Two sit-down courses for $40 in the inner north sounds almost to good to be true, and — to be honest — it almost is. Lucky for us, the only catch here is that you'll be helping out some young hospitality trainees whilst enjoying some delectable food at the same time. Doesn't seem like much of a compromise. Scarf Dinners are back for 2016, and for their first season of the year, they'll be taking over Collingwood's Rupert on Rupert every Tuesday evening until May 24. While the venue would usually be closed on Tuesdays, Scarf trainees (marginalised youth who otherwise may not be able to get the hospitality experience they need) are given the opportunity to open the restaurant to the public for an otherwise normal night of dining. Rupert head chef Megan Morgan will be designing and cooking a special seasonal menu, which will include dishes like heirloom tomato with goats' curd, spicy jerk chicken and a chocolate kingston tart, served with gelato from Pidapipo. All food will be served by Scarf front-of-house trainees and their mentors. Previous dinners have been held at Top Paddock, Green Park and Three Bags Full. The autumn Scarf Dinners will be held on Tuesday nights from April 5 until May 24. You can make a booking on their website from 6pm onwards.
Over the past year, The Griswolds have scored every Australian band's dream trifecta: a gig at Parklife, a successful European tour and a global record deal. "It feels like a dream come true," they said in an April interview with FBi, "but to be honest, it's been a really trippy twelve months, and we still can't believe what is happening." As you're reading this, the Sydney-based group's cheeky lyrics, fine-tuned harmonies and idiosyncratic percussion are hitting airwaves in the Northern Hemisphere, via the US release of their debut EP. The boys themselves, however, have been on home soil of late, recording a new track with 2012 Unearthed Artist of the Year nominee Chance Waters. Having done their time in the studio, they're now about to hit the road together on a lightning-fast, four-date east coast tour, More than Just Friends. https://youtube.com/watch?v=58iSZlM_8hY
From its little pocket in The Rocks in Sydney, Maybe Sammy has been making some big noise. The innovative cocktail bar is not just a regular on the World's 50 Best Bars list, but is currently Australia's highest ranked, last year coming in at number 22. And now, this legendary drinking spot is shaking and stirring its way down to Melbourne, for a one-off takeover of W Melbourne's cocktail bar, Curious. From 5pm on Tuesday, July 12, you'll catch three of Maybe Sammy's finest mixologists descending on the glam hotel bar, whipping up five of their signature sips as they show off their theatrical flair. [caption id="attachment_860285" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Maybe Sammy team[/caption] To match, expect carefully paired tunes courtesy of W Melbourne's Music Curator Rachel Phillips, aka DJ Minx. Plus, Curious' usual high-quality snack offering will also be up for grabs — think, tuna tataki, tempura bugs, scallop tostadas with truffle ponzu and ssamjang lamb tacos. Entry to the takeover is free, though you'll need to book a table online to secure your spot. [caption id="attachment_799205" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Curious[/caption]
While its doors remain shut through another extended lockdown, celebrated South Melbourne restaurant Lume is helping to add some fine dining flair to your at-home routine. Famed for its innovative, seasonal fare, it's just launched a new ready-to-eat take-home menu on offer every Thursday through Sunday, for as long as the current lockdown continues. Give yourself a break from the stuck-at-home rut by whipping out the good tablecloth and diving into clever dishes like house-baked sourdough with black artichoke butter, the wild venison short loin teamed with homegrown kimchi and thrice-cooked veggie chips, and a salted kelp caramel cheesecake. Each multi-course shared feast for two comes in at $240, including a 200-millilitre pour of sommelier-selected wine from Lume's cellar. There's also a full plant-based set menu on offer, starring the likes of a whole-poached globe artichoke with desert lime mayo, and a roasted millet risotto finished with pumpkin and wild garlic. The same menus will run for the next few weeks, though with some small tweaks depending on what seasonal ingredients the kitchen gets their hands on. Lume Take-Home is available for both click-and-collect and delivery each week — order here. [caption id="attachment_824056" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Duncographic[/caption]
It sure is tough to farewell another stretch of daylight savings — even if it does mean getting a bonus hour of sleep when those clocks turn back on Sunday morning. Thankfully, one St Kilda spot will help soothe any Monday morning fragility by handing out free coffee for an excellent cause. The Prince Hotel is teaming up up with Niccolo Coffee to run the caffeinated pop-up, serving up complimentary coffees from its Acland Street entrance from 7–11am next Monday, April 8. The coffee cart will be sticking around the rest of the working week, too, offering two-buck coffees up until Friday, April 12. All of the profits from these will be heading to Sacred Heart Mission's St Kilda Dining Hall, which dishes up over 400 hot and nutritious meals daily to those experiencing disadvantage and homelessness — people for whom the end of daylight savings means even tougher times ahead.
Yabun Festival is an annual event held on January 26 at Victoria Park in Camperdown, on Gadigal Land. It's the largest one-day celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture in Australia. This year's festival will be a closed event due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions. Despite this, it'll be more accessible than ever, as it will be live streamed online, allowing people from across Australia and the world to tune in. This year, Yabun (which means "music to a beat" in Gadigal language) is taking place across three venues. The Yabun Stage, located at the Seymour Centre, will host performances from 12–5pm, featuring the likes of Vic Simms, Barkaa, Emma Donovan and Kobie Dee. As well as being live streamed, the event will have a small crowd in attendance — tickets can be won in the lead up to the event via Koori Radio. At its usual home of Victoria Park, Corroboree will feature a Welcome and Smoking Ceremony, as well as dance performances from groups Gawura, Koomurri, Buuja Buuja, Gomeroi Dancers and Ngaran Ngaran. It'll be live streamed from 11am–4pm. The Speak Out stage will be live streamed from the New Law Building at the University of Sydney from 12.30–4.30pm. Speak Out will host three panel discussions on themes of love, justice and success, with panelists including Pastor Ray Minniecon and Lynda June Coe. Another core part of the annual festival is the market stall, which have been taken online, too. Here, you can shop for art, jewellery, food and drink from storeowners that would usually set up within the festival. You can also shop for merchandise from the past three years of Yabun and support the festival and Koori Radio by donating to help ensure both continue to operate for years to come. To access the live-stream, head to yabun.org.au. Top image: Yabun Festival 2017
Celebrate the long weekend and the last days of Melbourne Fringe in style. And by style, we mean wrapped in double denim getting down to the fly tunes of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, Backstreet Boys and B*Witched. That's right party people, the glorious '90s are back with a vengeance at the Fringe Club in North Melbourne. Hosted by dance master Anna Go-Go and musician Talei Wolfgramm, 1992-1-Oh! is shaping up to the biggest blowout this side of Y2K. Doors open at 10pm and won't close until the early hours of the morning, giving you plenty of time to dust off your heaps rad '90s dance moves. There'll be Britpop, boy bands, grunge, nu metal and plenty of early R&B, along with a conveyor belt of one-hit-wonders that history has tried to forget. Cowabunga dudes.
Summer's definitely just around the corner — Melbourne’s Rooftop Cinema is back for 2015-16. And the first session to have sold out is A Girl Walks Homes Alone At Night — the world’s only ‘Iranian vampire western’ (so far), showing on Tuesday, December 8. Missed out on the chance to mix your bloodsucking with your Persian? Despair not. There’s no shortage of thrills to come. Opening proceedings on December 5 is Ridley Scott’s The Martian, starring Matt Damon as an astronaut stranded on Mars. The following evening, George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road will flood the screen with its post-apocalyptic desert car chase. Other adventurous flicks on the menu include Jurassic Park on December 19, followed by Jurassic World on the 20th, Everest on January 7, Aliens on January 16 and Interstellar on January 31. Meanwhile, several classics will get a good look-in. Warm up for Christmas with a December 23 showing of Home Alone and recover on the 27th in the company of Casablanca. Then there’s The Talented Mr. Ripley on January 10 and, for a fitting marking of Australia Day, Muriel’s Wedding on the 26th. Levi’s is also sponsoring a quartet of documentaries. See the film that made singer-songwriter Rodriguez world-famous on January 19 with Searching for Sugarman, learn about the frustrations with racial quality and police violence that inspired N.W.A.’s debut studio album on January 20 with Straight Outta Compton, find out what The National gets up to backstage on January 21 with Mistaken For Strangers and follow Amy Winehouse’s tragic life on the 22nd with Amy. Rooftop Cinema happens in the Melbourne CBD, on top of Curtin House, Swanston Street (between Little Bourke and Lonsdale Streets). The bar opens daily between 11am and 1am, with films starting at 9.30pm in December and January. The Feburary to April program will be announced in late January. Rooftop Cinema kicks off December 8. Check out the whole first half of the program at the Rooftop Cinema website.
The duo behind Thornbury's Casa Nata, Ruben Bertolo and Nelson Coutinho, have gone south and opened a pop-up shop filled with creamy pastéis de nata. Located along Toorak Road, the shop is open from Thursday-Sunday from 9am — until sold out. So, we suggest you head in as early as you can. If you haven't yet been acquainted with Casa Nata's tarts, you'll want to, quick smart. Each tart takes three days to produce and the recipe is kept firmly under wraps. Both children of Portuguese parents that migrated to Australia in the 80s, the pair is more than familiar with the custard-filled pastry, but felt it wasn't being properly represented here on Aussie shores. So, they decided to do something about it, got cracking on perfecting a recipe and opened the doors to Casa Nata in April this year. The menu is a testament to the idea of quality over quantity, featuring nothing more than Atomica Coffee alongside just one version of the signature dessert. Casa Nata Toorak Village Pop-Up is open from 9am–sold out Thursday–Sunday.
If you’ve ever wanted to dip a toe into the world of classical music or maybe you’re already a convert, you’ll be pleased to hear that the world-renowned classical music festival BBC Proms is heading to Melbourne in 2016 for a limited debut season between April 13-16. BBC Proms has never ventured outside of the UK before, so it’s kind of a big deal they're hitting our side of the pond. They’ll be setting up shop in Hamer Hall for a series of performances across a broad range of styles and genres, including a show by Aussie beatboxer Tom Thum (who’ll perform a hybrid beatbox/orchestral piece) and a show based around excepts of David Attenborough’s landmark BBC series Life Story with accompanying footage. The Proms is steeped in egalitarian ethos — they began as a series of cheap standing concerts held in London and designed to bring classical music to the masses. Tickets to their season at Hamer Hall will start from $79.
Chair design might seem simplistic to the amateur eye but, in reality, there are hundreds of years of evolution and thought behind this everyday object. Paying homage to the humble piece of furniture, Germany's Vitra Design Museum has spent the past 20 years building up a collection of precise miniature replicas and has transformed it into a world-renowned touring exhibition. And for the very first time, it's touching down in Australia. Presented by Living Edge, Vitra 100 Miniatures features tiny versions of chairs created by legendary designers including Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier and Otto Wagner. These miniature versions are all presented precisely in 1:6 scale of chair designs from distinct periods in history — from art nouveau to Bauhaus, postmodernism and the trends of the present day. They also stay true to the originals in every conceivable way, including construction, materials and colour. Showcasing 100 classic examples, the exhibition illustrates the importance of the chair and how it has become a marker of progress within the wider field of industrial design. To complement the Vitra 100 Miniatures exhibition, there's also an impressive range of photographs, sketches and assorted documents that explore the importance of the medium. The exhibition is presented at the Living Edge Melbourne Showroom from Friday, December 21 to Thursday, January 31. It's open Monday to Friday between 9am–5pm, Saturday between 10am–4pm and Sunday from 11am–4pm. For more information, visit Living Edge's website.
After first setting up shop in Brisbane last year, and then announcing plans to open more Australian stores last month, Taco Bell has revealed the location of its second Australian outpost: Robina on the Gold Coast. The US Tex-Mex chain is headed to a spot adjacent to Robina Town Centre later in 2018, with construction currently underway on its new digs. While the exact opening date hasn't yet been revealed, fans of burritos, quesadillas, nachos and, of course, tacos, can expect to start munching away before summer hits. Taco Bell's Queensland expansion will come as no surprise to anyone who's seen the lines at the company's existing Annerley store, and it doesn't look as though the company is done with the region yet — with job listings presently open for not only Robina, but for Brisbane and the surrounding suburbs. In good news for those eager for a Mexican-inspired bite in Sydney and Melbourne, more Australian shops are planned by the end of the year. It'll be a case of out with the old and in with the new, actually, with previous reports indicating that Taco Bell will take over old Sizzler spots. Find Taco Bell at a to-be-confirmed Robina location near Robina Town Centre later this year. We'll keep you updated on the opening.
Two of our favourite things — good food and fantastic film — are coming together at Caulfield Racecourse this March. After a sold-out debut season last year, Gourmet Cinema will return for two weeks starting on Thursday, March 2 to pair menus from some of Melbourne's top restaurants with a critically-acclaimed film. So bring your picnic blankets, but leave the baskets at home. Each film on the program has been matched to a corresponding restaurant. Lost in Translation should go quite nicely with poke and pork belly bao from Tokyo Tina, while Slumdog Millionaire seems better paired with one of Horn Please's much-loved samosas. Alternatively, you can 'find yourself' in a salumi pizza from Baby during Eat Pray Love, watch Frida with a fish tacos from Fonda, or revisit Amélie with a croque monsieur and a plum tart from L'Hotel Gitan. Other vendors on the list include Kong, Saigon Sally, Meatmaiden and The Atlantic. While each restaurant will present a specific screening, you don't have to worry about picking your favourite, as each night a rotating roster of five restaurants will be slinging film-friendly foods. You won't have to line up for it either — you can just have it delivered to your picnic blanket via Deliveroo. Gourmet Cinema will run for 11 consecutive days, and will this year include two matinee screenings. For all the others, gates open at 6pm with the film set to commence around 8pm. Tickets are $22 (plus booking fee) for adults, or you can shell out $35 for a reserved deck chair.
Your Sunday lunch plans are sorted thanks to the slow cookin' team at Fancy Hank's. Starting this weekend, the Bourke Street barbecue joint is teaming up with acclaimed local chefs for a series of collaborative lunches on select Sundays throughout 2017. To kick things off, they're teaming with Embla's sous chef Charley Snadden-Wilson. Diners will be treated to Snadden-Wilson's take on modern Australian cuisine, cooked using Hank's two-tonne smoker Buffing Billie. That means glazed whole smoked goat along with sides such as smoked ceviche, salt-baked vegetables, scotch eggs and roasted apricots. The lunch is $60 for three courses plus snacks. "These collaboration lunches are such a great way to celebrate other venues and some amazing chefs at the top of their game," said Fancy Hank's executive chef Mike Patrick.
This year, the heart of all the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival action can be found at The House of Food and Wine, a laneway haunt decked out with lounge areas, dining rooms, and even a gallery space. Across all ten days of the festival, this little spot will play host to a lively program of sit-down dinner feasts, rollicking parties, and tasting sessions. Meanwhile, as artist-in-residence, designer-illustrator of Good Food Crap Drawing, Anna Vu, will be plating up a feast for the eyeballs, showcasing her food drawing style, and each day adding a new work inspired by the festival dishes she's eaten. And of course, expect all kinds of culinary goodness from the on-site bar, which will open daily from midday until late. Here, chef Morgan McGlone (Belles Hot Chicken) will be dishing up a range of small plates that nod to some of the past festivals' food legends, while sommelier Mark Protheroe (The Recreation) has curated an all-Victorian wine list, including a couple of Patrick Sullivan low-intervention wines, crafted especially for this year's MFWF.
3D imaging has come a long way since the first experiments in the early 1900s. Take James Cameron's Avatar, which used multiple cameras to produce a three-dimensional visual masterpiece. Plus a blue alien race and the beautiful world they inhabit. 3D doesn't just make for larger-than-life films. This innovation in 3D imaging could enhance scientific research. Researchers from Ohio State University have created the first single, stationery lens to create microscopic 3D images by itself. Usually multiple lenses are required to produce a 3D image, making the invention quite incredible. The prototype lens is around the size of a fingernail and was cut by a computer-programmed ultraprecision milling device. The lens will allow more accurate viewing of microscopic objects, Associate Professor of Integrated Systems Engineering at Ohio State University Allen Yi said. "For us, the most attractive part of this project is that we will be able to see the real shape of micro-samples instead of just a 2D projection." [Via Fast Company]
Your novelty festival gumboots are going to get a big ol' workout this summer. Returning for its fourth year to the banks of the Murray River at Echuca-Moama, Riverboats Music Festival has Sarah Blasko, Dan Sultan and Tex Perkins at the top of their 2015 lineup. One of Australia's most laidback riverside festivals just 2.5 hours from Melbourne, Riverboats is a three-day camping, indulging and dancing affair running February 13–15. Melbourne's Dan Sultan and Sydney's Sarah Blasko headline a super rootsy local lineup: Tex Perkins and The Dark Horses will showcase their new album, legendary Sydneysiders The Whitlams follow up their 2013 sold-out national orchestra tour while unmissable festival favourites The Bamboos are sure to be a Riverboats highlight. Also on the Australian artist-only bill is Adalita, Mick Harvey, Diesel, Fraser A Gorman, Matt Walker and The Lost Ragas, Sal Kimber and The Rollin' Wheel, Stella Angelico and The Switch and Raised by Eagles. Snuggled within the natural amphitheatre of Echuca's Aquatic Reserve, Riverboats is one of the Murray River's most anticipated music festivals. Festival producer David Frazer sees the event as a more chilled-out alternative for festival enthusiasts and hardcore foodies alike. "Riverboats provides festival-goers with an opportunity to experience a truly beautiful part of Australia without the queues, ticket prices and hassle of larger events," he says. "We are particularly proud of the fact Riverboats has remained boutique in both its size and philosophy, yet continues to attracts artists of the calibre of Dan Sultan, Sarah Blasko, Tex Perkins and the Whitlams." Riverboats isn't contained to the river bank; there's also a bunch of side quests you can buy tickets for alongside the main festival. If you're keen to get entirely thematic with the festival's name, punters can hop on a two-hour river cruise aboard a century-old paddle steamer — with locally-sourced brunch and live music from Sal Kimber and The Rollin' Wheel. One of the best (and tastiest) bits of Riverboats will also return for another year: the Beechworth Bakery will host Sunday's Official Festival Breakfast on the top floor of their bakery with a live set from alt-country Melburnians Raised by Eagles. Break out the picnic rugs and cheese platters, Riverboats is a solid summer option for punters wanting the camping music festival experience without the drunken drongos. RIVERBOATS MUSIC FESTIVAL 2015 DATES AND LINEUP: FRIDAY 13 FEBRUARY Raised by Eagles Stella Angelico and The Switch Diesel SATURDAY 14 FEBRUARY Fraser A. Gorman Mick Harvey The Whitlams Adalita The Bamboos Dan Sultan SUNDAY 15 FEBRUARY Sal Kimber and The Rollin’ Wheel Matt Walker and The Lost Ragas Tex Perkins and The Dark Horses Sarah Blasko Image: Riverboat Music Festival.
A thumping al fresco DJ set is one thing; but this month, Victoria's new music program Always Live is serving up something approximately 180 times better. It's hosting a massive free, 11-day celebration of dance music, soundtracked by more than 180 artists and spanning a hefty 200 hours of tunes. The inaugural Nonstop DJs will be taking over the Melbourne Museum Plaza from Sunday, November 20–Wednesday, November 30, centred around a see-through Spacecube that'll play host to a jam-packed rotation of DJ talent, from 7am–11pm daily. [caption id="attachment_878396" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Millú[/caption] International heavyweights like Toro Y Moi and Tony MF will be hitting the decks, alongside scores of homegrown legends including Andee Frost, Millú, DJ JNETT, Soju Gang, MzRizk, Crown Ruler DJs and PBS DJs. You'll even catch some familiar culinary names entering the cube, including Smith & Daughters' Shannon Martinez and Raph Rashid of Beatbox Kitchen. Speaking of food, you'll have a solid offering of eats and drinks to fuel your dance floor endeavours, thanks to the fest's pop-up refreshments precinct. Mornings are taken care of with baked goods and free filter brews courtesy of Everyday Coffee, while a roster of food trucks takes the reins each afternoon (12pm weekends, 4pm weekdays). You'll also find a pop-up bar from the folks at Four Pillars and Stomping Ground, stocked with an array of dance-friendly sips. [caption id="attachment_878395" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Torcasio, via Unsplash[/caption] [caption id="attachment_878397" align="alignnone" width="1920"] MzRizk[/caption] Top Image: Bongani Ngcobo, via Unsplash
French food is one of the most technical and sophisticated cuisines out there. Or is it? Resto BoBo, the latest haunt to join Chapel Street's restaurant lineup, is out to prove that simple (and unpretentious) French food exists with a menu that you can mostly eat with your hands. Resto BoBo's signature dish is tarte flambée, which is basically a French pizza. A traditional Alsatian offering, the crispy, pizza-like base is topped with crème fraîche or melted cheese and a simple smattering of meats, vegetables and herbs. Tarte flambée has a rich history in France, gaining popularity as a snack food at local village gatherings. It's about bringing people together, which is exactly what the folks behind Resto BoBo wanted to recreate with their Windsor eatery. Owner Dan Xerri spent four years living in Strausbourg eating his way through the city's many exceptional restaurants when he realised he wanted to bring a slice of the country's culinary culture back home. After three months working with local chefs and learning to perfect tarte flambée, Xerri returned to Melbourne to open BoBo. Dan hopes the simple space can provide an insight into lesser-known French foods and give punters a place to enjoy good conversation and great company. While tarte flambée takes centre stage at the venue, those who venture beyond the restaurant's signature dish will find a selection of gourmet salads, cheese and charcuterie boards on offer, with both French and Victorian ingredients making an appearance. Keeping on theme, the wine list consists of French and Victorian drops for the ultimate French feast. Resto BoBo is now open at 110 Chapel Street, Windsor from 5.30pm till late, Wednesday through Sunday. For more info visit restobobo.com.au.
If you're a fan of a pub roast — or just want the wintry vibes to stay around a little while longer — we've got some good news for you. Richmond's Harlow will be dishing up a different roast each Sunday — with bottomless wine. The roasts (as you may have guessed) are available every Sunday, for both lunch and dinner, until the end of October. For $20 per person, you can opt for a traditional meat roast, which will rotate between smoked beef short rib, chargrilled chicken or smoked brisket, and there's a veg option of blackened spiced eggplant, too. Of course, you'll get all the trimmings — think fat chips, peas with maple bacon, honey roasted carrots, Yorkshire pudding and the always necessary gravy. Or, you can turn it into a full-blown Sunday session with bottomless wine to go with your meal for $49 a head. You'll be sipping away for two hours, between 1–3pm for lunch or 6–8pm for dinner. Harlow's Sunday roasts, with the additional option of bottomless wine, is running every Sunday, from 12pm, until Sunday, October 27. To book a table, head here.
Tragedy, deceit, treachery: these are all words associated with Bell Shakespeare's latest production, Julius Caesar. The Australian theatre troupe is stopping in Melbourne for ten performances of the Shakespearean tragedy, as part of its 2018 national tour. Led by the company's associate director, James Evans, the political thriller will appear at Arts Centre Melbourne from July 18–28. Julius Caesar explores the damaging effects of betrayal, as audiences witness how "mob violence erupts, relationships fracture and the republic crumbles" throughout the tense plot. Kenneth Ransom (Gods of Egypt) is set to present an emotional, encapsulating rendition of the title character alongside an ensemble cast. Since 1990, Bell Shakespeare has taken the words crafted by Shakespeare and presented them to spectators as eery commentary on the current state of the world. In speaking on this production, director Evans highlights the idea of dystopias and "the way in which yesterday's dystopia becomes today's normality". With tickets starting from $45 for under 30s, Julius Caesar is sure to be an enlightening, exciting production filled with takeaway lessons for today's society. For more information on tickets and shows, head to Arts Centre Melbourne's website.
Call the team at Guinness and get them down to Speakeasy HQ. Over five nights in the lead-up to Christmas, Melbourne's home of cabaret and burlesque will present a 30-act vaudeville show with a twist in its tail: every evening, the performance will finish with a different, jaw-dropping world record attempt. People, this could be history in the making. The first attempt, on the evening of Friday, December 18, will see Miss Lucy La Parr try and top the record for most knives revealed in a single burlesque performance. On Saturday, Ryan Lovat will attempt to shatter the greatest number of twerks performed in under a minute, while on Sunday, Baroness Mischa will give swallowing the longest steel blade sword ever swallowed a red hot go. Next up is dancer Liberty Foxx, who will attempt to break the record for most pasties simultaneously worn and used for tassel propellers (we swear we're not making this up). Finally, Camilla Cream will attempt the record for highest number of fans used simultaneously in a burlesque performance, incorporating ten huge feather fans in an act inspired by the ballet Swan Lake.
The hit rock musical based on Green Day's iconic album American Idiot is coming to Melbourne for the first time in 2018. Following a hit season in Brisbane in 2017, this next run of Green Day's American Idiot will see Grinspoon frontman Phil Jamieson reprise his lead performance as St Jimmy — a role played internationally by the likes of Melissa Etheridge, Chris Cheney and Green Day's own Billie Joe Armstrong. The acclaimed Aussie musician will again be joined on stage by Phoebe Panaretos, whose performance as Whatsername during the show's Brisbane run scored her a Helpmann nomination. Hailed as a bold and explosive production, the Tony and Grammy award-winning show features every song from the band's eponymous album, along with a number of tunes from Green Day's follow-up record, 21st Century Breakdown. It's the tale of three lifelong mates, torn between remaining in their safe, aimless ruts, and challenging the status quo to embark on a journey of self-discovery. The American Idiot 2018 tour will begin with a brief season at the Sydney Opera House, before runs in Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane. Images: Dylan Evans.
I love a good rom-com as much as the next person. Austenland is not a good rom-com. The film tells the tale of Jane Austen-obsessed, 30-something singleton Jane Hayes (Keri Russell), who spends her life savings on visiting an Austen 'theme park' in England in her quest to find her own Mr Darcy. The foundations for a predictable and enjoyable rom-com are set. All we have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride as she battles obstacles before eventually learning that the fantasy exists in real life. Right? Right on all accounts except the most crucial: this film is not enjoyable. Actually, my apologies, there was one laugh, only it was so fleeting and unmemorable that I have already forgotten what induced it was. Likely it came from the repeatedly cumbersome attempts at a regal English accent by Miss Elizabeth Charming (played by Jennifer Coolidge in the same vein as every character ever played by Jennifer Coolidge). At least Austenland will not force you to think too much. It is predictable, which is a staple of most films of the genre — the protagonist will always find love. However, that is where we would like the predictability to cease. Unfortunately, the film's events and 'twists' are so glaringly foreseeable that you could sit at home and write the script in the time it takes you to watch it. In fact, just buy a Jane Austen novel with the money you would spend on seeing this. Perhaps the most frustrating element of this film is how unvisitable and inhospitable the actual resort it. From the instant Jane arrives she is treated horribly, due to purchasing the basic package. However, this unfathomable business plan destroys any realism in this resort, for me at least. It would have been better if this theme park had roller-coasters and fairy floss throughout. I will say that Russell is lovely to watch, and that JJ Feild will have ladies swooning as the film's resident Mr Darcy. However, that is it for the positives in this film. So use your sense and sensibility and give Austenland a miss, or at least wait until it ends up in JB Hi-Fi's bargain bin. Even then, save your $4.95.
Hudsons Road Wine & Beer out in Melbourne's west is celebrating the return of winter by serving its mulled wine (longingly known by locals as the Spotswood Latte) at a one-off sausage sizzle. On Saturday, June 1, from 10.30am until sold out, folks can head down to the bar and grab gourmet kranksy sausages right off the barbecue and cups of hot mulled wine. Sausages will be going for $11 each, mulled wine for $13 and a combo of both is just $20. This classic pairing of sausages and mulled wine is served up at most European winter markets — especially those in Germany and Austria — and is perfect for warming you up on a cold arvo. Either sit in and enjoy the feed with some mates or get the sausages and wine to go. The team's mulled wine became fairly famous during the Covid-19 lockdowns when locals would run down to Hudsons Road Wine & Beer during their lunch break or after work to score a cup of the hot spiced bev. Served in a takeaway coffee cup, it became known to locals as the Spotswood Latte. And while the kranskies are only on the menu for this event, the mulled wine will be served all winter long.
If you're watching a film in a darkened theatre without some sort of snack in your hand, are you really at the cinema? Lovers of popcorn and choc tops certainly don't think so. And while whipping up a bowl of popped corn kernels in the microwave is a rather easy way to help recreate that movie magic at home at the moment, enjoying a choc top — a proper cinema-quality choc top, not just your own attempt — isn't quite that simple while Victorian picture palaces are temporarily closed. To help satisfy the country's choc top cravings during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bulla's choc tops range hit Australian supermarkets earlier this year — but only for a limited time. Now that Victoria is under strict coronavirus restrictions again, the ice creams are making a comeback from today, Wednesday, August 26. Again, it's a short-term arrangement; however if you'd like to grab a few next time you're doing your essential grocery shopping, now you can. This time, two different flavours are on offer, too — so you can lick your way through chocolate and boysenberry varieties. Old favourites vanilla and mint are also available and, to grab them, you'll need to head to Coles. Bulla and Coles haven't revealed just how long the choc tops will be on the freezer shelves, other that they're only there while stocks last. Prepare to eat a few — a four-pack will cost you $10. Find Bulla's choc tops in the Coles freezer aisle for a limited time. For further details, visit the Bulla or Coles websites.
How better to banish those dreaded post-holiday blues than a sparkling summer Sunday spent frolicking on a rooftop? The ever-colourful Good Heavens has teamed up with its mates at Fixation Brewing Co, serving up a series of monthly Sunday sessions guaranteed to get your 2019 off to a very solid start. Head along on Sunday, January 6 — and the first Sunday of each month after that — to wrap up your weekend in true summer style. There's a $60 bottomless barbecue brunch to feast on, perfectly washed down with hoppy Fixation beers, plus green tea and mango mimosas. Further fun comes in the form of a holiday-worthy $10 spritz menu from 12–4pm, super-sized board games and activities, and DJs spinning those weekend beats all day long. There are two sessions available for each event — book in for the 12–2pm time slot, or round out your afternoon with a 2–4pm visit.
It's time to shed those layers of black because Melbourne's spring fashion festival is here to mark the end of winter and get you into some crisp whites and florals. The week-long event — which has ditched the 'spring' from its name and is now known as Melbourne Fashion Week — kicks off on the first day of the season, with Vogue American Express Fashion's Night Out and the Emporium Opening Night Runway setting the sartorial scene for a week of runway shows. Labels like local PAGEANT, Melbourne icon Gorman and the polished Michael Lo Sordo. RMIT's student runway returns to showcase emerging designers, and one show will be help in a car park. Ethical fashion is under the spotlight this year at the Ethical Clothing Showcase, proving that transparent production is on-trend. MFW has teamed up with the city's arts institutions to present the lives and works of two fashion heavyweights – the NGV's House of Dior retrospective is unmissable, while ACMI's screening of Yohji Yamamoto: Dressmaker, offers a rare insight into the world of the revered Japanese designer. No cash? No problem. Free i-D Magazine-curated live music from the likes of Jennifer Loveless and HABITS will keep you moving in your designer shoes, and the revolving Creative Collective Exhibition at Melbourne Town Hall will introduce you to the city's most exciting emerging artists and designers.
There's no longer any need to save that big, lavish seafood feast for a special occasion. The folks at New Quarter are now whipping up ocean-fresh magic every weekend with their new Cajun-Vietnamese lunch banquet, Hook, Line and Drinker. On offer from 12pm Saturdays and Sundays for groups of two or more, the seafood feasts promise a gloriously messy ol' time, filled with punchy flavours like lemongrass, hot chilli, XO sauce and black pepper. Leave your light-coloured clothes safely at home so you can dig into piles of blue swimmer crab, tiger prawns and chargrilled corn, teamed with bahn tieu savoury doughnuts and rice noodles. Even dessert is sorted, with a coconut yoghurt concoction featuring puffed rice, and sweet and sour mango. Your lunch will set you back $60, but if you're thirsty, you can add on bottomless sips for an extra $50. Boozy options run to the likes of makrut lime margaritas and bloody marys by the carafe, local vino, and tap brews including Hop Nation's organic lager and the Bodriggy Cosmic Microwave.
Get ready for a wing extravaganza at BEAST City this week. On Friday, May 24, from 3pm–5pm, the Swanston Street spot will be dishing out up to six free wings to all guests. Yep, that's half a dozen crispy Southern-fried chicken wings on the house. You can also add on sauces like buffalo, pickles and ranch, or BEAST City's signature HOT AS F**K sauce for $1–$2 each. Can't make it for the free wings? The diner slings wings for $1 every Wednesday. Claim your share of free wings by signing up at the BEAST City website.
There are very few names in world cinema today as exciting as Xavier Dolan. Bold, prolific and monumentally talented, the Montreal-born prodigy already has five critically acclaimed features under his belt, including I Killed My Mother, Heartbeats and the recent Cannes Jury Prize Winner, Mommy. It's a resume that would make any veteran filmmaker proud. For Dolan, aged just 25, it borders on the revolting. Tom at the Farm is technically Dolan's fourth film, made in between the epic length transgender love story Laurence Anyways and the yet-to-be-released Mommy (we caught the latter at the Sydney Film Festival and can confirm it's a bona fide masterpiece). An adaptation of Michel Marc Bouchard's play Tom a la Ferme, at first glance the film seems to be a significant departure for the French-Canadian director; a gripping, single-location thriller more heavily indebted to the works of Alfred Hitchcock than his own earlier romantic dramas. Look a little closer though, and you'll have no trouble locating Dolan's signature thematic hang-ups. Twisted love. Sexual prejudice. An uncomfortable obsession with his mother. Dolan himself plays the Tom of the title, a young copywriter who travels out to rural Quebec for the funeral of his boyfriend Guillaume. When he arrives, however, Tom discovers that no-one in Guillaume's family knew that he was gay, save for his hyper-masculine brother Francis (Pierre-Yves Cardinal), who will do anything to keep his grief-stricken mother (Lise Roy) from finding out. Trapped on the family's dairy farm, Tom is forced to help maintain the fiction of Guillaume's life while resisting Francis's twisted mental games. But as the days slowly pass and Tom learns more about the family, the dynamics on the farm begin to change. The isolated locale proves the perfect backdrop for the film, one that plays simultaneously like a psychological horror story and an examination of abusive relationships, homophobia and gay self-loathing. The film's sparse colour palette — mud browns, fog greys and dead cornfield yellows — evokes a stomach-lurching sense of menace and unease. Likewise, the Bernard Herrmann-inspired score from Oscar-winner Gabriel Yared, full of gorgeously eerie string compositions that foreshadow danger at every turn. The introduction of a fourth character late in the second act diffuses some of the film's claustrophobic tension. Like everything in Dolan's filmography, Tom at the Farm works less as a narrative and more as an exercise in crafty emotional manipulation. In this case, that emotion is disorientating dread. https://youtube.com/watch?v=GLOJpY6DfAE
Melbourne has just scored a sparkly new beachside day party, where the headline act is none other than 'inclusivity' (and Seth Troxler). The charmingly named All Sorts is one big, vibrant celebration of diversity, set to grace the beachfront at Riva St Kilda for the first time on Sunday, January 27. It's run by the team behind Melbourne's beloved gay rave Poof Doof, along with Untitled Group — who's organised hits such as Beyond The Valley, Ability Fest and Pitch Music & Arts — which should give you some hint of the multi-sensory, inclusion-focused fun to come. A dance-worthy All Sorts music lineup is headed by US DJ Seth Troxler, along with the likes of Robin S — yep, the songstress behind that classic 90s jam 'Show Me Love' — Poof Doof resident DJs Casey Leaver, Argonaut, Gay Roberto and Ben Renna, Ministry of Sound favourite John Course, and Sydney legend DJ Sveta. But this event is about much more than just the tunes, too, also dishing up a dazzling lineup of performances by some of the country's best-loved LGBTQI+ artists. You'll catch drag superstar Art Simone, award-winning cabaret act Yummy, performance art duo The Huxleys and even an appearance by Poof Doof's own drag hostess crew, Doofettes. All Sorts will take place at Riva, St Kilda on Sunday, January 27. Pre-sale tickets are available from 6pm Thursday, January 17, and you can sign-up for them here. Images: Poof Doof and Beyond the Valley.
Everyone loves a good food collaboration, especially when it involves a couple of longtime favourites. And Melbourne's latest joint culinary creation is a doozy; the brainchild of Mexican-accented restaurant group Fonda and the masters of soft, fluffy bao at Wonderbao. They've joined forces on a new limited-edition bao-centric menu to star at all Melbourne and Sydney Fonda stores until the end of July. On it, you'll find two pillowy steamed bao varieties; loaded with your pick of crunchy zucchini ($9) or crisp fried chicken ($10), along with chipotle aioli, cabbage, pickled carrot and onion. Also on offer is the newly launched Mexi-bun, which features classic Mexican flavours piled into a pillowy Asian-style bun. With a filling of Fonda's beef chilli con carne, these beauties are deep-fried until golden, then teamed with a queso dip and the Jane Fonda Salsa. A serve of two Mexi-buns will set you back $17. The Fonda x Wonderbao menu is only available for dine-in — you can make a booking at your local Fonda eatery online.
Everyone's going wild these days, at least as far as films are concerned. Cameron Diaz caused chaos in the classroom, Seth Rogen and Zac Efron demonstrated how not to be neighbourly on two separate occasions, and now the one group you probably thought was immune to displays of errant behaviour has joined in on the inappropriate fun. Yes, Bad Moms shows just what happens when some over-stressed, under-appreciated mothers let loose. It's as raucous as you might expect, and as formulaic too — but thanks to its warm message and committed cast, it has both heart and spirit. With a happy family and a cool job at a coffee company, on the surface it looks like Amy (Mila Kunis) is the type of woman who has it all. She doesn't quite view it that way, though – in fact, she sees her life as a constant struggle. When she's not looking after a husband (David Walton) who doesn't appreciate her, she's appeasing her younger boss (Clark Duke), ferrying her kids (Oona Laurence and Emjay Anthony) to their extra-curricular activities, and attempting to avoid the wrath of the bossy PTA president (Christina Applegate) at their school. But after one particularly hectic day, she decides to stop trying to be everything to everyone. Instead, with fellow outsiders Carla (Kathryn Hahn) and Kiki (Kristen Bell), she determines to unleash her own kind of mothering. As written and directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, Bad Moms is mainly an excuse to make a party flick about ladies trying to find a way to cope with their considerable responsibilities. That the pair also helmed 21 & Over and wrote the script for The Hangover is telling. Thankfully, while giving Kunis, Hahn and Bell an excuse to act like teenagers, the film also unpacks the many expectations placed on women who have children – and women in general for that matter –, including the standards they impose on themselves and the scathing judgments they level at each other. The combination makes for a movie that's funny, thoughtful, and offers the kind of non-schmaltzy ode to motherhood that the interminable Mother's Day showed no signs of mustering. Though it trades in a few too many stereotypes and straightforward situations, the film does at least manage to subvert the former on occasion, while finding plenty of jokes in the latter. Like women-centric comedies Sisters and Bridesmaids before it, it's the cast that keeps Bad Moms moving. The rapport between the three leads brightens up every scene they share. That said, as she has repeatedly in television series such as Parks and Recreation and Transparent, it's Hahn that really steals the show. Not only does she nail the blend of irreverence and affection Lucas and Moore are aiming for, but she also makes the movie's most outrageous character more than just the source of laughs. The end result is a film that, although outwardly about the kind of behaviour your own mum might not encourage, ends up playing as an amusing and empowering tribute to being the person you really want to be.
