One of Melbourne's cult burger heroes is headed across state lines. Master purveyors of awesome, unpretentious, American-style hamburgers, Huxtaburger is firing up its grill at Harpoon Harry in Surry Hills for one weekend only. Expect queues. Big ones. The pop-up Huxtaburger will be flipping wagyu patties from 5–10pm on Saturday, July 25 and again the same time on Sunday. Hungry carnivores will be able to choose from a number of different varities including the classic Huxtaburger (beef patty with mustard, mayo, tomato sauce, tomato, cheese, lettuce and pickles), the Denise (regular huxtaburger with jalapeno and sriracha mayo) and the Clair (southern fried chicken with slaw and mayo), while the Sondra (tofu burger with sesame mayo) means there's an option for vegetarians as well. They'll also be serving up crinkle cut chipotle chips and plenty of cold, cold beer. The pop-up cook-out will also double as the launch party for head chef Daniel Wilson's new book, The Huxtaburger Book: The Art & Science of the Perfect Burger. 'Perfect' is a pretty bold claim, but frankly we'll be too busy licking our fingers and lining up for seconds to argue with him. Wilson will be on hand in case you want to pick up a signed copy, in either ink or tomato sauce. Harpoon Harry's previously hosted a weekend residency for Melbourne fried chicken joint Belle's Hot Chicken in June, to considerable success. Assuming the long distance foodie loving continues, we've got our fingers crossed for a Shawcross Pizza pop-up in August. Huxtaburger will pop up at Harpoon Harry on Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26 from 5–10pm. Find Harpoon Harry at 40/44 Wentworth Ave, Surry Hills.
Usually you'd have to fork out quite the cash bundle to enjoy some apres ski wonderment, but there's a brand new pop-up coming to Sydney that skips the ski lodge bill. Making a little winter wonderland of the former space of Darlinghurst's Victoria Room, The Chalet is set to be Sydney's temporary little winter ski lodge. According to Good Food, the space will come decked out with an in-house snowmaking machine, fondue stations, a jaffle bar and even a chairlift above the entrance stairs (yeah, it's probably not exactly a working one but can you imagine if it carried you upstairs?). Now, that's theming. So who's behind this adorable wintry endeavour? Some of Sydney's finest theme-happy hospotality kings are at the helm of The Chalet, namely The Lobo Plantation's Eddie Levy and Michael Hwang and The Island's Adam Abrams and Julian Tobias. Taking time off their upcoming restaurant at the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay, the foursome have created quite the winter go-to; blending their proven decorating skills with all the mulled wine and hot chocolate you could want after a long cold day's trudgery. The Chalet will be open for three months where The Victoria Room used to be. According to GF, the space will then be handed over to a yet-to-be-announced team for a more permanent new spot. Find The Chalet at 235 Victoria St, Darlinghurst from Thursday, June 25 at 5pm. Via Good Food. Images: Dollar Photo Club and The Chalet. View all Sydney Bars.
This weekend the Wayward Brewing Co. is throwing a serious bash down their Camperdown laneway. Gehrig Lane will close to traffic and the weekend will focus on a live art display by well-known Sydney street artists Skulk and Birdhat, along with other local artists exhibitions inside the brewery’s 1900s wine caves. The music side of things will take over on Sunday, with local DJ Michael McGlinn spinning in the laneway while a host of Sydney musicians front acoustic sets inside. Food trucks and drinks will be available from noon each day, so you can see some awesome art, listen to tunes and enjoy all things craft. The Wayward Laneway Arts Festival is one of 58 stops on the Leichhardt Open Studio Trail (LOST) held in conjunction with Art Month and Spectrum Now Festival. It will take place on Saturday, March 12 from 11am-10pm and Sunday, March 13 from 11am-9pm. WAYWARD LANEWAY ARTS FESTIVAL SUNDAY MUSIC LINEUP 12pm — Tenderfoot 1pm — Jamie Lindsay 2pm — Crystal Cities 3pm — John Dixon 4pm — Craig Woodward 5pm — Hannah Robinson 6pm — Hannah Brewer
Attend the Sydney Festival without leaving the comfort of your couch. Dutch composer Michel van der Aa and Aussie singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke have collaborated to bring you a dreamy, digital choose-your-own-adventure. In fact, you can pop over here and download it right away. The Book of Sand is not just any swashbuckling pirate's tale. It's an artwork, combining beautiful visuals with sound. Visitors choose between three different worlds (or 'film layers'): a stone gallery, a cellar or a desolate desert, where they meet Miller-Heidke singing while exploring her surroundings. Deftly defying conventions, the music moves from one genre to another, shifting between abstract electronica, alt-pop and a cappella, which is where Nederlands Kamerkoor, an extraordinary independent Dutch choir, comes in.
Sydney's Royal Botanic Garden turns 200 in June — and it's landed itself one humdinger of a birthday present. Meet The Calyx, the Garden's new world-class horticultural experience. Opened to coincide with the official opening date of the Botanic Gardens on June 13, 1816, 200 years ago, this dazzling new UFO-shaped public space not only houses thousands and thousands of plants, but gives Sydneysiders an escape from the city's busy streets and relentless traffic. It also provides a new outdoor home for fun, innovative exhibitions. The first, now open, is Sweet Addiction, an interactive adventure through the botanic story of chocolate, from bean to bar. Starting your journey deep in a tropical rainforest, you'll see, touch and smell your way through ancient lands and chocolate plantations, before reaching a tasty pop-up shop — the site for many future chocolate activities and tastings. Also part of the show is a collection of 18,000 plants, which are arranged as living artworks. Together, they form the biggest green wall in the Southern Hemisphere, measuring six metres in height and 285 square metres in area. Move over, Patrick Blanc. (Mind you, we can't deny that One Central Park's wall is looking prettier with every passing day.) Of course, the coming of The Calyx hasn't been good for the Pyramid Glasshouse, which, as you might've noticed, has disappeared into the night. That said, things are looking up for The Arc. Designed by Ken Woolley, the impressive piece of architecture is staying put and has scored a mega revamp. In fact, it's set to become part of the new building, which will be made up of a blend of indoor and outdoor spaces. Their north facing position will let in oodles of light, maximising environmental performance and providing plenty of sun-drenched spots for you to kick back in. "The Calyx is a fusion of art, theatre and flora, with themed exhibitions that address conservation and environmental issues in an imaginative, accessible way yet to be seen in Australia," said Jimmy Turner, Director of Horticulture Management at the Royal Botanic Garden. "It's Broadway for plants."
Australia's creative industry is about to get pretty damn employed — the new Alien and Thor movies will be filmed in Australia. Announced by the Federal Government in a press conference broadcast on ABC News 24 today, the films will start filming in 2016. The Australian government is fronting $47 million so the two films can be made in the country. "What it means is 3000 direct jobs for Australians," said senator Mitch Fifield. "This helps develop skills, skills that couldn't be developed on smaller budget productions." When briefing the cabinet, Senator Fifield apparently got pretty excited about the fact that Prometheus had a character called Fifield, until ol' mate industry and innovation minister Christopher Pyne piped up, "He died." Sir Ridley Scott's new Alien film and Marvel's new Thor film will start filming in 2016. We're pretty sure the casts of both movies will be advised to leave their dogs at home. Via SMH.
Your favourite late-night venue is throwing a halloween house party. It's this weekend, not next weekend (Halloween is on an awkward Monday this year). As is the Kings Cross Hotel party tradition, each level will have a different DJ playing their own style of music. Go underground for R&B and hip-hop favourites, to the ground floor for celebratory halloween pop anthems (we bet Thriller will play multiple times), the balcony will be all about guilty pleasures that tread a fine line between cringe and glory, and the rooftop will host the DJs you know and love from Kings Cross Hotel. FlexMami, Palms DJs, Shag and Mowgli May will all be spinning their tunes across the four floors. Entry is $10 on the door, and it all kicks off at 9pm. Dressing up is, of course, encouraged.
This Easter long weekend, there's a damn good new reason to ditch the road trip plans. Glebe is set to host the inaugural Coloursound Festival, a brand new music, craft beer, food and culture festival happening from March 24-27. Yup, that's one big mouthful of awesomeness. The four-day event is being organised by local Glebe resident and event manager Joshua McBeath, in partnership with The Record Crate. In an effort to bring the community together with independent bands, artists and local businesses, McBeath has curated one serious lineup of live acts, performances, exhibitions and craft beer events. The Record Crate has long been a champion of the live music and craft beer combo, so their involvement is a no-brainer. With 70+ performances across 13 Glebe spaces, the suburb will be rocking nonstop for the entire weekend. Local Sydney bands like Dead Radio and Suixx will be joined by Victorian imports Terrible Truths and Contrast, among many, many others. That's just the music side. Staves Brewery will also play a major role, including the 'world record tankard challenge', a craft beer showdown, tastings and giveaways from the likes of Merchant, Feral, Badlands and Nomad brewing companies. These events will run alongside an Altairzine photography exhibition, zine fair, and Mug and Kettle comedy festival. Markets and live art installations will also be popping up throughout the weekend. Discounts and special offers will be available across upward of 10 popular Glebe Point Road joints, including Flying Fajita Sisters, Badde Manors, and one of Glebe's newer favourites, Thievery. Tickets range from $5 one-day passes to $75 all-access — which includes access to, well, everything, but most notably to all 25 bands that will play at The Record Crate's upstairs live room. For a lineup this jam packed, it's some serious bang-for-your-buck action. Coloursound Festival will run from 8pm on Thursday, March 24 through Sunday, March 27. Checkout Eventbrite for the full program. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
Get your hands on some high quality art, craft and furniture, via a new online auction service that donates all of its proceeds to charity. Created with Care is the result of a partnership between maker community marketplace Handkrafted and artist-to-buyer platform Bluethumb. Launching earlier this month, the online auction room has recruited a select number of Australian artists and furniture makers, who are auctioning off unique, handmade pieces for charities of their choice. Visitors to Created with Care can currently place bids on five different items, including a 3D artwork by Erin Nicholls and Lars Laug, and a hand painted wooden bowl by Stephen Ziguras and Anne Ellison. A number of additional pieces will come up for auction in the coming weeks, with bidding on all items closing at 5pm on Friday, June 10. Nominated charities range from bushfire relief to animal rescue to asylum seeker aid. Current bid only $525... Furniture maker Ben Percy @benpercydesigns and artist Salleigh Olsen @salleigholsenart collaborated to produce this beautiful work of art - with all proceeds of it's sale to be donated to StreetWork, a charity helping young troubled teenagers turn their lives around. You can place your bid and explore more of the #CreatedWithCare16 collaborations we have curated together with @bluethumbart at www.createdwithcare.com.au Made by re-sawing solid American Hickory (donated by @britton_timbers) and as the seat and backrest are separately supported, the laminated legs 'flex' as individuals sit down. A photo posted by Handkrafted (@handkraftedco) on Apr 25, 2016 at 12:49am PDT "Every day I look at incredible art, yet these pieces are beyond my greatest expectations," said Bluethumb co-founder Edward Hartley. "They have set the bar for future artists and crafters." To see what's up for auction and to place a bid, visit www.createdwithcare.com.au.
Confetti cannons up, we've got something bloody huge to celebrate. Announced this morning, Concrete Playground has been nominated for a 2016 Webby Award, in the category of General Website - Cultural Blog/Website. Look, we're not pulling your leg, here we are, with fellow nominees VICE, Nowness, Jazz at Lincoln Centre and Polygraph. So we're drinking prosecco for morning tea, what of it? Celebrating their 20th year, The Webbys have seen the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences handing out top tier awards since 1996, celebrating "excellence on the internet including websites, interactive advertising, online film and video and mobile content." Along with our mates and website designers Canvas Group, Concrete Playground is now celebrating our first ever Webby nomination. Concrete Playground founder and director Rich Fogarty was understandably excited. "FUUUUUUUUUCK!" he said in a statement this morning. Fellow Australian/NZ nominees include triple j's Hottest 100 site for Music (they're up against Beyonce's official site, kudos), and Trusted Housesitters — based in Australia as well as globally — for the Community category. Best part of the Webbys? Once the nominations have been announced, the winners are internet-voted. So you can give us a hand! Used CP to find your never-fail date spot (with BYO)? Chase more waterfalls nowadays? Look, we told you what nap desks are, so show us some love and vote for us. How about some ol' fashioned incentive? We're giving readers the chance to win a cheeky $1000 from your good mates at CP. To enter, all you have to do is vote for us on the Webby's website, email us a screenshot of the vote confirmation screen to cpftw@concreteplayground.com. That's it. Get on it. VOTE FOR CONCRETE PLAYGROUND HERE
Dating can be pretty tiring, but meeting a fellow dog lover is rather effortless. The speed dating experts at Dear Pluto know this better than any, so they've teamed up with Sydney Dogs and Cats Home to combine pups and love and bring us a rather smart dating idea. Puppy Love is the hopeless romantic, dog-loving, human-loving speed dating social. For an entire three hours you can hang out with a collection of pups while mingling with 20 eligible singles. You don't have to have a dog to attend, but you're encouraged to bring them along if you do — there will be more than enough water and treats to go around. There'll be a pop-up bar by Trolley'd, because speed dating can often benefit from a little liquid courage. With 100 percent of profits going towards the Home, there's no reason to avoid getting to know someone new over a drink and a playful game of fetch. If things don't go as planned, you can always follow your furry friend's lead and play dead?
Fact: having great camping gear automatically makes you good at camping. Or, it at least makes you look like you know what you're doing when you're outside of the city. Whether you're a seasoned camper, just a beginner, or just someone who hits up music festivals occasionally and wants to be that friend with a quality tent — everyone could do with a little camping gear. Thanks to Teva, we've got a whole bunch of it to give away. Whether you're hitting up a music festival this summer, or just planning on a weekend away, getting your hands on this camping gear will make your life a whole lot easier. There are two pairs of Teva's classic Arrowood Boots, a water bottle, two camping mugs, a beanie, a hat, a tent, a sleeping bag and a National Parks pass. That's a lot of really handy stuff. Enter your details below, say yes to the terms and conditions and you're in the running to win. Entries close on Sunday, December 4. Go go go. [competition]595510[/competition]
Film festival season is well and truly upon us, with the Scandinavian Film Festival the latest to unveil their 2017 lineup. Taking place across July and August, the Nordic-focused movie showcase will bring 20 new features to Palace Cinema screens around the country. Heading to the festival after its Australian premiere in Sydney Film Festival's official competition, The Other Side of Hope will kick off the Scandi cinema fun with a big-hearted look at one refugee's attempt to start a new life in Finland. Directed by Aki Kaurismäki (winner of the Silver Bear for best director at this year's Berlinale), it's an amusing yet insightful look at an important topic — as well as an enjoyable way to get the Scandinavian Film Festival underway for its fourth outing. With the 2017 selection also boasting titles from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland, other highlights include World War II drama The King's Choice, which was shortlisted for this year's best foreign-language film category at the Academy Awards; biopic Tom of Finland, about one of the country's unorthodox international heroes; and closing night's A Hustler's Diary, which follows a petty criminal in the suburbs of Stockholm. Bittersweet romance One-Two-Three-Go!, Copenhagen-set arts scene satire The Man, stunningly shot coming-of-age effort Heartstone, and a theatrical version of popular Danish TV show 1864 also feature, as does Sami Blood, which explores the cultural oppression of Sweden's Sami people. Of course, because Nordic noir is everyone's insatiable genre pick since The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo became such a literary and film hit, the festival will also delve into darker territory. Audiences can get their brooding mystery fix with crime action-thriller Darkland, which has been compared to the films of Nicolas Winding Refn; black comedy Small Town Killers; and A Conspiracy of Faith, the third feature in the Department Q book-to-screen adaptations following The Keeper of Lost Causes and The Absent One. The Scandinavian Film Festival tours the country between July 11 and August 6, screening at Sydney's Palace Norton Street and Palace Verona from July 11 to August 2, Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay and Palace Westgarth from July 13 to August 2, and Brisbane's Palace Barracks from July 20 to August 6. For the full program, visit the festival website.
And we thought reading was all headed for Tabletsville. Turning the book sales tide, Amazon has just opened its first physical bookstore, a first for the online retailer and an unexpected turn of events for book lovers worldwide. Opening this week in Amazon's hometown of Seattle, inside the University Village, the bricks and mortar version of the website comes 20 years after Amazon initially went live. It's just 510 square metres large — teeny tiny compared to colossus stores like the now-defunct Borders. Sitting on the shelves are titles that have wildly positive online reviews (most will be four stars and above), strong preorder and sales numbers, popularity on Goodreads and Amazon's own assessments. Each book will sit face-out (instead of spine-out) with an Amazon.com customer rating and review card, and the prices will be the same on the site as in the store. You can also test drive Amazon’s devices — Kindle, Echo, Fire TV, and Fire Tablet series — and buy eBooks instore, which seems like a pretty superfluous service (just buy 'em on your Kindle/tablet). "Amazon Books is a store without walls", said VP of Amazon Books Jennifer Cast in an online announcement. "We’ve applied 20 years of online bookselling experience to build a store that integrates the benefits of offline and online book shopping." Amazon Books is located at 4601 26th Ave. NE in University Village, Seattle. Open Monday through Saturday from 9.30am to 9pm and on Sundays from 11am to 6pm. Via Seattle Times. Images: Amazon.
Anyone who's played for G-Funk's best hip hop artists knows their groove. And that's exactly how DaM-FunK spent the '90s — as one of the most in-demand musicians on the G-Funk scene. Then he decided to go out on his own. After being snapped up by Stones Throw Records, he released his debut album, Toeachizown (2009) and followed up in 2015 with Invite the Light, which features guest appearances from Snoop Dogg and Ariel Pink. Dam-Funk plays the Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent on January 15 at 11.45pm. $39 + bf. This is just one of our ten picks for Sydney Festival's best gigs. Check out the whole list.
Want to sample some of Australia's most unique cocktails, rub shoulders with the bar teams that made them and feast on delicious canapes in one of Sydney's glitziest inner city bars? Australia's obsession with bar teams and their unique concoctions has been realised in a nationwide competition run by Auchentoshan, dubbed Distilled Different. Twelve of Australia's best bar teams have created a cocktail incorporating Auchentoshan American Oak — the only triple distilled Scottish single malt whisky in the world. They're going head-to-head to win bragging rights and a huge team trip to Glasgow. Before the winner is crowned, all 12 bar teams will appear in the national Dare to be Distilled Different photography exhibition. Their talented faces and creative cocktails have been captured by three up-and-coming photographers, all chosen by Art Pharmacy. It's a photography exhibition centred around bartenders and cocktails — of course there's going to be a big party. Auchentoshan are throwing a big launch for the exhibition on Tuesday, October 18 at Sydney's swish Gilt Lounge at the QT, and we're giving away 20 VIP double passes. You'll get to sample unique Auchentoshan cocktails, enjoy delicious food, experience the photographic exhibition, as well as the chance to rub shoulders with the crew associated with the project — including some of Sydney's best bartenders. Enter below. [competition]591029[/competition]
When it's so cold your fingers are stiff, you can't feel your nose and going outside seems as much of a challenge as running Tough Mudder, we're all inclined to reach for the radiator. Which is fine. But here are a few more creative, money- and planet-saving winter warmers to try first. DIY TEA LIGHT HEATER The suitably named Dylan Winter — journo, YouTuber and boat lover — has come up with an ingenious way of getting more than you'd ever imagine possible from your average tea light. He's able to keep his house warm for eight hours or so using just four candles, a bread tin and two flower pots. We have convection heat transfer to thank. Check out his instructional video to find out how you can DIY (and score a quick science lesson while you're at it). GET BUSY ON ETSY Etsy's creative types don't want to see you suffering any more than we do and quite a few of them have come up with the products to show it. First up, if the tiny cracks and crevices in your house are sending icy draughts your way, get your hands on a lovingly handcrafted snake, or equivalent. Those who aren't into handmade reptiles can opt for pretty much whatever they are into — be that cats, snowmen, crocodiles, tiger prints, abstract patterns or plain colours. Second up, keep your hot water bottle warm with a super-cosy, hand-knitted cover. SPICE UP YOUR LIFE For some reason, winter never seems quite so unbearable when you're holding a warm, mulled beverage in your hand. Hot toddies, mulled cider, mulled wine; these are your go-to buds over the next three months. There are plenty of top notch recipes online, all featuring glorious combinations of whiskey, rum or red wine with lemon juice, honey, cinnamon sticks, cloves, aniseed, vanilla, even chilli — seriously, give it a go if you're feeling both cold and brave. [caption id="attachment_231862" align="alignnone" width="636"] Yumi Sakugawa.[/caption] RECYCLE YOUR SOCKS - ON YOUR TOILET SEAT We really don't need to go into detail regarding the ins and outs of mid-winter toilet-going, but before you toss those holey, good-for-nothing socks in the trash, think again. If your toilet seat doesn't quite cut a full oval, you can slide a sock on each 'arm' and thus bid a warm and cheerful farewell to unpleasant experiences. For circular seats, try an old T-shirt or jumper. GET CREATIVE WITH CARDBOARD Cardboard is one of the most effective (not to mention cheapest) insulators around. So next time you head to a winter festival or sports match or just want to perch on your front lawn, arm yourself with a box or two. Lay the card out on the grass, throw a blanket on top and there you have an enviably toasty picnic blanket. Add a tarp underneath if the ground is wet. REWARD YOUR DOG WITH A SLEEPING BAG Earlier this year, Seattle-based designer Andy Storms successfully crowdfunded the BarkerBag. It's a tear-drop shaped sleeping bag designed especially for your dog. By zipping it to yours and strapping your friend in via a cinchable collar, you're in the position to take advantage of some serious doggy body heat throughout the long, dark night. Whether your best mate's a chihuahua or a German shepherd, there's a BarkerBag for him/her. It's available in small, medium and large sizes. GET OFF YOUR COUCH Once the cold's set in, it's ridiculously tempting to let yourself transform into a sloth — just ask black bears, ground squirrels, hedgehogs, wood frogs and box turtles. But the bad news is, despite extensive Googling, we couldn't find you on a hibernating creatures list — anywhere — so we'd think you'd best keep moving. An enthusiastic leap off the couch, five minutes of intense cardio or yoga and you'll be warm in no time. [caption id="attachment_231922" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Flickr.[/caption] FIX YOUR FAN Sure, you might usually associate your ceiling fan with warm summer days (*sigh*), but did you know that it can work in your favour in winter, too? All you have to do is set it to low and ask it to spin in reverse (i.e. clockwise). Warm air that's trapped close to the ceiling will be recirculated and sent downwards — where it should be.
Superheroes are taking over Brisbane — and if you're a fan, it's marvellous. Between May 27 and September 3, Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe brings caped crusaders, their costumes, props and the artistry that makes them soar — both on the page and on the screen — to the entire ground floor of the Gallery of Modern Art. Featuring more than 500 objects (including more than 60 costumes), the exhibition provides a peek behind the scenes of one of the biggest film franchises ever made. In fact, it's the largest amassing of Marvel movie artefacts of its kind in the world, ever. You could dub it a blockbuster, and you'd be right. Launching the exhibition, QAGOMA director Chris Saines was eager to explain that some of the items on display have Chris Hemsworth's DNA on them; however getting up close to objects touched and worn by Thor — including on the forthcoming Thor: Ragnarok, which was shot on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane last year — is just part of the fun. Casting your eyes over original and concept artwork, exploring the interconnected realm that has been splashed across cinemas for the past decade, and playing with the pre-and post-production techniques behind the movie magic are also on offer. Indeed, Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe endeavours to show that popular mainstream entertainment and art can be one and the same, especially given the level of detail that goes into both comic books and their movie adaptations. Walking through areas dedicated to the exhibition's three key themes — 'The Cinematic Assembled', 'Decoding the Universe' and 'Behind the Scenes' — delves into both individual and interconnected narratives, and highlights the creativity involved on a movie as well as an overall cinematic universe level. Along the way, you'll say "I am Groot" to giant humanoid trees, pretend you're a smart-talking racoon, peer into a yet-to-be-seen planet and star in your own Marvel poster too. Discovering the full collection is something best experienced for yourself, and, if you can make it to GOMA before September, here's five things to look out for. THE ASGARDIAN THRONE ROOM The eagerly anticipated Thor: Ragnarok mightn't hit cinemas until October; however Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe offers a glimpse of just what's in store (don't worry, there's no plot spoilers). You can't miss the giant, gleaming throne room that takes centre stage in the exhibition, and nor would you want to. Just look at it! Costumes and weaponry from 2013's Thor: The Dark World also feature. HULK'S BED Speaking of Asgard and its famous warrior, he's not alone in his next cinema outing. The giant green mass of muscles that is the Hulk is set to tear things up on screen — and, as you'll see here, take a rest as well. What kind of bed does the Hulk sleep on? This one. Saying that it's huge is an understatement — this photo really doesn't do it justice. Also on display are his weapons, which make Thor's mighty mjolnir seem absolutely tiny in comparison. IRON MAN'S SUITS He's the reason the Marvel Cinematic Universe even exists, and, in typical Tony Stark style, he gets his own room. It was back in 2008 when Iron Man demonstrated that the world wanted more superhero movies, and one of the suits from that pioneering flick lines GOMA's walls — alongside versions from 2010's Iron Man 2 and 2013's Iron Man 3. As you can see, over the years he's had quite a few upgrades. THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF SPIDER-MAN Spider-Man just keeps slinging his way into cinemas, but 57 years ago, he was only starting to crawl his way across paper. With the initial movie in what will be his third film series in the past 15 years due to drop in July, checking out the first piece of artwork to feature his image proves quite a timely experience. It might seem amazing now, but these kinds of things were usually thrown away back in the day — no one knew just what a big deal they'd become. DOCTOR STRANGE'S MIND-BENDING WORLD Every one of the 15 films that comprise the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date is represented in the exhibition — and, thanks to the forthcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming and Thor: Ragnarok, the 16th and 17th flicks too. Doctor Strange mightn't get quite as much space as some of the bigger titles, but the GOMA folks sure know how to make the movie's costumes stand out. With Inception-like visuals playing a bit part in the flick, expect to witness them in person thanks to some mirrored fun. Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe is on display at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art from May 27 to September 3. For more information, visit the exhibition website. Images: Sarah Ward and Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe' Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, 2017 / © 2017 MARVEL.
Laneway has come a long way since the early days of '05, spreading good vibes and great tunes from Melbourne to Singapore. Now it's back for yet another summer, with arguably one of its most eclectic lineups in years. From Tycho to Chet Faker Nick Murphy, we're feeling seriously spoiled for choice. Of course, with so much going on, figuring out what to see (and what to eat) can be a bit of a challenge. That's why we've put together a quick and easy guide to this year's Laneway Festival. Whether you're in Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne, these tips should hold you in good stead. [caption id="attachment_559317" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Andy Fraser.[/caption] LISTEN Well, you're at a music festival, so chances are you want to catch a few of the artists. Up-and-comers Julia Jacklin, Genesis Owusu and Tash Sultana seem destined to hit it big in 2017, so get in while they're still (relatively) unknown. Sampa the Great, Koi Child, Clams Casino, Mick Jenkins and the UK's Glass Animals all front one heck of a live set, and we guarantee NAO's 'Girlfriend' will go off. Speaking of which, expect Briggs and Trials of the excellent A.B. Original to have plenty to say, especially with the Brisbane festival falling smack bang on Australia Day. And whatever you do, be sure to catch D.D. Dumbo, whose album Utopia Defeated was named best Aussie album of the year by triple j — and quite rightly, too. [caption id="attachment_607112" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Laneway Festival.[/caption] EAT When it comes to grub at Laneway you've got plenty of options, with some of the best food vendors in each city jumping on board. In Brisbane, you can chow down on German sausage courtesy of Brat Haus, feast on vegetarian soul food from Govindas, and mack on mac 'n' cheese by Mac from Way Back. In Melbourne, your options include American-style barbecue from the teams at both Bluebonnet and Burn City Smokers, plus cheese from Milk the Cow and fucking hot poultry from Belle's Hot Chicken. Belles will also be on hand at Laneway Sydney, along with pizza from Happy as Larry, paella from Paella Time and sangas from Boon Café. That's just the tip of the iceberg, by the way: for the full food lineup in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney go here, here and here. [caption id="attachment_510542" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Andy Fraser.[/caption] EXPLORE There's plenty to discover at Laneway this year, no matter which city you're in. Each festival leg will feature a pop-up market and vinyl store, with scheduled signing times by various Laneway acts. In Brisbane, they're also hosting a Hottest 100 backyard party with Violent Soho and DZ Deathrays in attendance. In Sydney, meanwhile, a contemporary art exhibition will showcase the work of current and recently graduated students from the Sydney College of the Arts. There's even a festival podcast, if you want to get in the Laneway frame of mind ahead of schedule. LANEWAY FESTIVAL 2017 DATES Brisbane — Thursday, January 26 Melbourne — Saturday, January 28 Auckland — Monday, January 30 Adelaide — Friday, February 3 Sydney — Saturday, February 4 Fremantle — Sunday, February 5 Check Laneway Festival's website for more details and tickets. Top image: Andy Fraser.
The butt-numbing marathon that is the Melbourne International Film Festival has once again come to a end, but we're not quite ready to stop talking about the movies. For 18 days straight our critics devoured all the festival program had to offer, uncovering hidden gems and suffering through the worst of the worst so that you, dear reader, won't have to. From 3D sex epics to psychological thrillers and an early look at one of the mostly hotly anticipated Shakespeare adaptations ever made, here are our picks of the best, the worst and the most utterly bizarre films of MIFF 2015. THE BEST FILMS MACBETH On paper, the latest film adaptation of Macbeth has all the makings of a winner. William Shakespeare's tragedy of power and ambition has regaled audiences for four centuries; Aussie director Justin Kurzel showed he knows a thing or two about making moody, brooding movies with serial killer chiller Snowtown; and stars Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard are among the finest actors of their generation. On screen, this bubbling potential isn't just realised — it is exceeded in brutal, blistering fashion. Nary a piece of cinema this year will gift audiences with such a sensory yet stark audio-visual showcase while uttering such iconic monologues; however it is the tackling of the original play's sound and fury with raw energy and a western-like savagery and sorrow that truly lingers. Fassbender and Cotillard are breathtaking, as are supporting players Sean Harris, Paddy Considine and Jack Reynor. A finer film in 2015, we may not see — all hail Macbeth, indeed. -Sarah Ward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM2tblIkL4g TEHRAN TAXI Of the three films veteran director Jafar Panahi has made since the Iranian government sentenced him to a 20-year ban on filmmaking in 2010, Tehran Taxi is by far his best. Gone is the (justifiable) atmosphere of frustration and impotence that coursed through This Is Not a Film and Closed Curtain, replaced instead by a renewed sense of purpose and political resolve. Shot almost entirely within the confines of a taxi that Panahi himself is driving, this surprisingly light-hearted film takes us around the streets of the Iranian capital and introduces us to various colourful characters, including an illegal DVD salesman, a pair of superstitious old women and even the directors own quick witted niece. Thing is, not all of whom seem to realise they're in a film. By blurring the line between documentary and fiction in such a playful manner, Panahi is able to deliver an impassioned cry for social change. Rarely is a film so clearly important while also being so much fun. -Tom Clift THE LOBSTER After wowing arthouse viewers with the Oscar-nominated Dogtooth and the Sydney Film Festival-winning Alps, Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos makes his English-language debut with something that both is and isn't a little bit different. Here, he enlists a recognisable cast, including Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Ben Wishaw, John C. Reilly, Olivia Colman and Léa Seydoux, to enact a situation that skewers society's penchant for pairing off; in other words, his players might have changed, but his fascination with slyly cynical exaggerations of societal norms remains. That The Lobster's story revolves around single folks trying to meet their match to avoid being turned into animals demonstrates the humour on display, but the film's beauty must be experienced to be believed. That the end product is as satirical as it is movingly sweet and wryly amusing isn't just emblematic of its shifting tone — it's a stroke of cinematic genius. -SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0E2Qh6wLS4 THE GUEST As late night genre films go, they don't get much better than The Guest. A follow-up their 2013 home invasion horror movie You're Next, director Adam Wingard and screenwriter Simon Barrett pay homage to the crazed war vet films of the post-Vietnam era with this intense, clever, hugely entertaining action thriller. Downton Abbey star Dan Stephens is simply brilliant as David Collins, a mysterious soldier who arrives on the small town doorstep of the Peterson family with a message from their eldest son Caleb, who was recently killed in action. But it soon becomes clear that there's more to David than he's letting on. Funny one moment, frightening the next, with a couple of fantastic action scenes thrown in, The Guest is the kind of movie that knows exactly what it wants to be, and nails it every step of the way. It hits DVD and VOD next month, so make sure to track it down. -TC THE BOLDEST EXPERIMENTS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-S6xiie4RQ LOVE 3D Hands down the most divisive film of MIFF 2015, Love is the latest picture from provocateur Gaspar Noe, who previously shocked audiences with his gruesome rape-revenge thriller Irreversible before taking them on a drug-fuelled afterlife trip through neon-lit Tokyo in his follow up Enter the Void. Both those films are tough acts to follow, but this two hour 3D sex epic certainly delivers. Plenty of people hated this movie – and yes, some of the dialogue is unforgivably clunky, and the protagonist is one of the most unlikeable leads we've been burdened with in quite some time. And yet even its detractor's would be hard pressed to deny the film's visual panache, including what is for our money the most artful use of 3D since Avatar reinvigorated the format (and no, we're not talking about the 3D cumshot, although that's definitely memorable.) Whether it'll ever get another theatrical screening in this country isn't really clear, but if it does then you should jump at the chance to check it out – even if it's just to say you did. Just maybe leave the kiddies at home. -TC QUEEN OF EARTH After tackling sibling and romantic bonds in The Color Wheel and Listen Up Philip, respectively, writer/director Alex Ross Perry turns his attention to another kind of connection in his latest feature. In Queen of Earth, long-term female friendship is in the spotlight, with Catherine (Elisabeth Moss) and Virginia (Katherine Waterston) seemingly in the final throes of their bond. Over the course of a week spent at a remote cabin, their differences are heightened — as is Catherine's already-fragile emotional and mental state. The story might sound straightforward, as the BFFs fight and recall better times; however the ever-versatile Perry — his handling of internal battles as much as external conflicts, and his crafting of a claustrophobic character thriller — is anything but ordinary. Comes complete with textured 16mm cinematography, a haunting score, and equally demanding and devastating lead performances. -SW MOST WTF MOMENTS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftOMkr9eYS8 SPRING When is a body horror movie not a body horror movie? When it's actually a deeply touching love story. Written and directed by relative newcomers Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson, Spring is a weird beast indeed. The film contains all the trappings of a gruesome creature feature, and yet it never quite goes in that direction. Instead, we're treated to a surprisingly affecting tale about a young American backpacker who falls head over heels for a pretty Italian girl, only to discover that she's harbouring a fairly significant secret. This low-budget production benefits from great central performances and some pretty elaborate makeup effects, but its biggest strength is that it consistently refuses to follow the expected path. A thoroughly strange but extremely gratifying flick that has us excited to see what the filmmakers tackle next. -TC RYUZO AND HIS SEVEN HENCHMEN In Ryuzo and His Seven Henchmen, legendary Japanese actor and director Takeshi Kitano ponders three questions. First, he wonders what a yakuza gets up to when his action-packed days are long behind him. Next, he applies the same query to filmmakers known for making yazuka movies. Finally, he explores what happens when both get back into the crime and violence game. The amusing, crowd-pleasing offering that results careens between kinetic laughs and outlandish action — as such a film should — as it attempts to answer all three concerns. Expect antics and insights to combine, even if the momentum of the first third can't quite be maintained. An effort that's perhaps less "what the fuck" than "why the fuck not." -SW DISHONOURABLE MENTIONS THE NIGHTMARE Back in 2012, Rodney Ascher made the conspiracy movie to end all conspiracy movies, with Room 237 delving into theories surrounding Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. What it lacked in polish it made up for in the affection it showed in indulging its subjects, and in celebrating its inspiration. Sadly, his latest effort — the part-documentary, part-thriller offering The Nightmare — is all pandering and no purpose, apart than repetitively rambling about and reenacting what sufferers of sleep paralysis experience. The concept is fascinating, but Ascher seems more concerned with scaring the audience — and referencing A Nightmare on Elm Street and Insidious — than actually exploring the topic. His purpose might be to make you not want to go to sleep, but his outcome achieves exactly the opposite. -SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kmOX11PdR4 THE ASSASSIN Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien took home the Best Director Award at the most recent Cannes Film Festival for his slow-moving martial arts drama The Assassin – and far be it from us to question the decision of the esteemed Cannes jury. Actually, scratch that. Sure the film may look pretty (although it's got nothing on last year's The Grandmaster), but that's little consolation when you're struggling to stay awake. The narrative, about a young female assassin in ninth-century China, is totally inscrutable, which wouldn't be as much as an issue if the characters weren't likewise. It's very difficult to care about anything happening on screen when you don't care about the people it involves. The film does contain a few impressive fight sequences, shot from a distance in a manner that emphasises the balletic qualities of martial arts. Ultimately however, it's nowhere near enough. -TC
Anything could happen at this one-night-only pooling together of Sydney's most fearlessly creative and fiercely swaggering musicians. We're banking on a visionary fusion of Italo funk (courtesy of Donny Benét), walls of guitar sound (from Kirin J Callinan), revolutionary rhythms (thanks to PVT's Laurence Pike) and surreal balladeering (delivered by Jack Ladder). But, then again, your guess is probably as good as ours. Dreamland plays the Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent on January 16 at 11.45pm. This is just one of our ten picks for Sydney Festival's best gigs. Check out the whole list.
A new craft gin distillery in Sydney has begun production with a bang, after its Pozible crowdfunding campaign drew in $25,000 in under a day. The initial run of Poor Toms Gin sold out less than 24 hours after their Pozible page went live in mid-June, with pledges exceeding the label’s initial target by a whopping $5000. A second batch is currently available — although if recent history is any indicator, it might not be so for long. “We were really surprised,” admits Poor Toms co-founder Griffin Blumer. “We thought that we would sell the first batch over the month. But to sell the first batch in a day was really shocking, and exciting. We’re happy to see that there are lots of people out there in Australia who want a new, sophisticated gin.” Operating out of a rented warehouse space in Marrickville, Poor Toms produce a gin they describe as “distinctively Sydney". Distilled under veteran gin maker Marcel Thompson, it’s made using Australian wheat infused with ten botanicals, including green apples, lemon myrtle, camomile, and native strawberry gum. Poor Toms isn’t Pozible’s only boozy success story in recent times; last year Blood Moon tonic syrup took less than three days to hit $10,000. “Craft spirits have always done really well,” says Pozible spokesperson Claire Merquita. “But even so, it's rare to see a campaign hit its target as quickly as Poor Toms did!” “Pozible was a really good platform,” says Blumer. “Apart from a couple of my grandmother’s friends who keep emailing saying they can’t make it work, everyone else seems to understand what crowdfunding is, and see it as a way of giving a boost to a brand they want to see more of.” With fourteen days left to go on their campaign, Poor Toms currently sit at more than $48,000. Pledges of $71 will get you a 700mL bottle, while $136 gets you two bottles plus a Poor Toms legionaire hat. For the time being Poor Toms can only be purchased through the crowdfunding platform, although Blumer and his co-founder Jesse Kennedy plan to start approaching bars and bottleshops in the near future. To purchase your own bottle of Poor Toms Gin, head on over to their Pozible Page, which will be live until July 16.
Vegans and lactose-intolerant folks, your ability to access iced confectionery goodness just leapt up a giant notch. Over The Moo, innovative Sydney creators of dairy-free ice cream, are set to launch their very own vegan ice cream truck. And, to celebrate, they'll be giving away free goodies. You heard us, free ice cream. If you're in Sydney, get down to the Over the Moo headquarters on Thursday, March 2 from 6.30pm to indulge. You won't be able to miss the 1981 Ford Transit truck, which has had a fun, retro makeover. At the launch, you'll be treated to beer, Prosecco or cocktails, accompanied by vegan cheese boards and dips. Then, of course, it'll be time for the sweet, sweet goodness to roll out. Gear up for sundaes loaded with brownie bits, cookie chips, gooey sauces and sprinkles — all entirely dairy-free. Also on the menu are classic cones (vegan too, "all the wow without the cow" according to the team), topped with Over the Moo's nine signature flavours – from Ginger Ninja Karate Choc and Matcha Made in Heaven to mmMangooo and Vanilla Bean Missing You. Once the launch is done and dusted, you can expect to see the truck popping up all over the place — fingers crossed for interstate road trips too. Whether you're making all the moves at your favourite festivals or kicking back at the beach, keep an eye out. Want to head to the launch? It's happening on Thursday, March 2 from 6.30pm at OTM HQ, 62 Glebe Point Road, Glebe. RSVPs required imthere@overthemoo.com.au.
The good folks at Sydney's Dendy Newtown have announced they'll be offering discount student tickets to same-sex parenting documentary Gayby Baby when it opens at the cinema next week. Students will be able to see the film for $12 on opening weekend (September 5-6), reduced from the usual $16. Gayby Baby producer Charlotte Mars expressed her support for the move, saying that, "While we are disappointed with the decision to ban the film during school hours, we are extremely grateful to Dendy Newtown for making the film accessible to as many students as possible." The directorial debut of Sydneysider Maya Newell, Gayby Baby documents the experience of four Australian children between the ages of 10 and 12 years old who are growing up with same-sex parents. The film received extremely positive reviews following screenings at the Sydney and Melbourne International Film Festivals earlier this year, and is currently set to be released in select cinemas around the country on September 3. If you've somehow managed to miss the furore surrounding Gayby Baby, then congrats on living in a far less infuriating world than the rest of us. On Wednesday, NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli banned public schools in the state from showing the film during school hours – a decision that, by an astounding coincidence, came just hours after Sydney's Daily Telegraph stirred up controversy by claiming that kids were being "brainwashed with propaganda." Funny how the timing worked out there, isn't it? Oh, and it should also probably go without saying that he hasn't actually seen the film. Now before you start banging your head repeatedly into your desk, you should know that most people (not named Premier Mike Baird) have actually reacted to this story in the way that rational, compassionate human beings should. Federal Labour MP and gay parent Penny Wong gave an impassioned speech in Federal Parliament, while the prefects at Sydney's Burwood Girls High – which was specifically singled out by the Daily Telegraph – issued a statement pledging their support to the LGBTIQ community. They're also planning on hosting an after school screening of the film in the near future. Legends. You can also register to host your own screening via the film's website.
Sydney's got a brand new pop-up bar — but it's a little bit different to the ones we're used to. It's not a whisky bar or a wine bar, or a craft beer hole-in-the wall. Nope, this bar's poison of choice is water. An installation art piece in the Paddington Reservoir Gardens, the H2O: Water Bar resembles something between a laboratory and a speakeasy. The work consists of various flasks of water collected from different spots along the east coast, which will be served up to visitors to sample. In tasting the subtle differences between each type of water, visitors are asked to consider its importance and fragility, lest we continue to squander our planet's most important natural resource. The bar is the brainchild of Janet Laurence, an acclaimed local artist whose work often intersects with the natural world and humanity's relationship to it. Having exhibited her art everywhere from London to Tokyo to the recent global climate summit in Paris, Laurence hopes that her new work "will make people realise that water is a real treasure". As the H2O: Water Bar opens up to Sydneysiders for the first time, we spoke with Laurence about the origins of the project, the relationship between art and politics, and how water can be a lot like wine. [caption id="attachment_559821" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Janet Laurence and her buddy, Muddy.[/caption] Where did the idea for the H2O: Water Bar come from? "Well, funnily enough, it came from seeing inside the Paddington Reservoir, when it was being renovated years ago. I was captivated by this beautiful space, and I just thought that we had to have a water artwork in here of some sort. I have in the past done some works using water. I did a big piece for the Olympic site that was all about water chemistry, and I did a piece that emulates the hydrology of the CH2 [Council House 2] building in Melbourne. And they were both very research-based works about water. So you develop this knowledge and it becomes part of your language, so every work is more researched, and develops a bit further." What are you interested in exploring through your work with water? "My area of interest in my art has always been our relationship to the natural environment. Which is quite broad. It can take us into really focusing on particularly fragile or extinct species, right through to more atmospheric things — things like water. It's about trying to create an immersive installation that will bring the audience in to recognising that there are issues to be considered. At the same time, it's an aesthetic experience. It's not a purely didactic thing." What should people expect when they visit the bar? "Firstly, the visitors are going to be brought into the most beautiful space. People often see the park above, but they don't realise that underneath is this magnificent reservoir that has been restored into this magical inside-outside garden. So they have to walk through this to arrive at the inner chamber, which is this very solid structure, and at the end they'll see a very fragile treasure chest of all the flasks housing water. These will then be offered to [visitors] by water bearers — or 'water conductors' as I'm calling them — who will walk around [with] all these different waters in test tubes. It's sort of like, if you go for a wine tasting or a cheese tasting, you're not going to sit there and drink down gallons of wine. It's about tasting and sampling and trying to experience different tastes of water according to where it's from, and questioning why it tastes different...at a time in the world when water is becoming so precious, we really have to think about all of these things." So, we have to ask, it really is possible to distinguish between the waters by their taste? "In actual fact, you can. You probably notice yourself when you travel how different water tastes in all the different places that you go. But we don't know how to talk about that elemental aspect of it...the difference in the rock they've passed through, how long water takes to reach a place. All of these things we don't consider." What do you hope visitors will take away from their visit to the H2O: Water Bar? "What I hope the whole project will do is make people realise that water is a real treasure...these waters connect us to the earth, and I think that's really important. Especially in a country like Australia. Indigenous people have always treated water as sacred and precious, whereas we've been so indulgent with it, and wasteful, and think it'll never end. I'm very much interested in art having a voice in those issues, because artists can speak about things in a way that politicians and scientists often can't. H2O: Water Bar will run at Padding Reservoir Gardens until Sunday, February 28. For more information on the pop-up, visit their website. Images courtesy of City of Sydney. Photography by Nikki To.
Looking for a fancy new dinner destination? Perhaps you've got a hot date lined up, have guests in from out of town or are looking to impress the in-laws. Whatever the reason, if it's stylish surrounds you're after, the winners of the fourth annual Eat Drink Design Awards have it in spades. Revealed yesterday at a ceremony in Melbourne, the awards celebrate the very best in hospitality design across Australia and New Zealand — although this year, the podium was crowded with Aussies alone. From a shortlist of 88 venues, eight took home gold while a further 26 received high commendations. Best Restaurant Design was awarded to Italian eatery Beccafico in Sydney, with the panel of judges citing "the unfinished joinery of recycled and fire-charred hardwoods, a sculptural beauty to the circular neon tubes that line the walls [and] a resort-like feel to the slatted boardwalk that bisects the space with wire-brushed timber banquets". The Best Cafe Design was shared by The Kettle Black in South Melbourne, described by the judges as "the apotheosis of cafe design right now — light, airy, spacious, where everything is carefully considered yet it all comes across as insouciant in the extreme," and Abbots & Kinney in Adelaide, commended for "the play between the radical simplicity of the overall concept and the extraordinary accomplishment of the execution and finish". Best Bar Design, meanwhile, went to Smalls in Melbourne, where judges highlighted "the colour and materials palette — moody, muted putties, flat blues and concrete greys offset by the occasional glimmer of glassware and brass," as well as artisanal touches such as "handmade ceramic tiles" and "open joined banquettes," and fine detailing seen in "marble tabletops, aged black leather and charcoal velvet upholstery". The remaining awards included Best Retail Design, awarded to The District food court in Sydney's Chatswood Interchange shopping mall (home to Tim Ho Wan and Hello Kitty Diner); Best Identity Design, awarded to casual Bangladeshi restaurant Bang Street Food in Sydney; and Best Temporary Design, awarded to the Australian Pavilion Installation at Cafe di Stasio in Melbourne. Last but certainly not least, Bondi's Icebergs was inducted into the Eat Drink Design Hall of Fame. Have a flick through the gallery for some serious hospitality design porn.
It's been three decades since Sydney institution Golden Century opened its doors in Haymarket. The late-night Chinese restaurant is famed for its unbeatable midnight feasts and the queues of chefs, celebrities, hospo workers and everyday diners that line up to partake into them. And in September last year, the Golden Century Group announced it will be opening a new restaurant in Darling Square in late 2019. While the group didn't divulge much information then, it has just announced the name of the new spot: XOPP by Golden Century. Those who have eaten at the restaurant might recognised the name as a homage to its pipis in XO sauce, a dish that's so revered that even David Chang has called it "the best dish in the world". The new 160-seat restaurant will be helmed by Billy Wong — son of original owners Eric and Linda — who will develop a more contemporary dining concept that he's hoping will speak to a whole new generation of diners. Most notably, there will be a bar serving snacks and smaller dishes. So it won't be the same as Golden Century in Chinatown, but you can expect to see a few nods to the OG restaurant — including the pipis in XO, we assume. [caption id="attachment_686701" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The XO pipis, shot by Parker Blain.[/caption] The venue will be located on the mezzanine level within Darling Square's striking new six-storey Exchange building designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. It's one of a dozen dining options opening on the ground floor of the building, which include a second outpost of Andy Bowdy's Saga, a new bar from craft beer specialists Bucket Boys and an exciting new Japanese pasta shop created by Hamish Ingham and Rebecca Lines of Banksii and Kerby Craig of Ume. The original Golden Century will remain open until 4am each morning as usual, and will even score the addition of a fancy new upstairs 'wine bank' for private dining and events in June. Along with The Century, which opened at The Star in 2012, this will be the group's third restaurant. XOPP by Golden Centry will open in Darling Square in August 2019. Stay tuned and we'll let you in on more info and an opening date as it's announced. Images: Katje Ford and Parker Blain.
This month, 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art hosts An Omen Near and Far, an exhibition of the work of Vietnamese-Australian artist Dacchi Dang. Curated by Pedro de Almeida, the show embraces three decades of Dang's photography, printmaking, video and installation, including a brand new work commissioned for the exhibition titled 'Et in Arcadia Ego' – a wax bamboo forest that will be set alight and melted in a series of performances. Opening on June 9, An Omen Near and Far also presents historical material from the archives of both Dang and 4A, including documentation of the creation of his work 'The Boat' (2001), a significant and memorable artistic consideration of Australia's treatment of refugees. Dang himself arrived in Australia as a refugee after fleeing war-torn Vietnam. His artistic practice is fed by an ongoing redefinition of what both place and home mean, and an ongoing attempt to articulate the complexity of diasporic experience. Through what he calls a "visually poetic language", Dang aims to preserve stories for present and future Australian Vietnamese generations. Image: Dacchi Dang, Untitled (from the series Spectacle II), 1996.
There's a fair bit going on at Chippendale's Sneaky Possum. Part cafe, part bar, part restaurant and part function space, with a multipurpose area upstairs, the newly opened venue on Abercrombie Street defies easy categorisation — to the extent that even its owner isn't entirely sure what to call it. "It's a hybrid of a few different ideas," Phil Anderson tells Concrete Playground. "To try and encapsulate it in one go we're telling people it's a 'gastrobar'. That's probably the best way to describe what we're doing." Whatever Anderson wants to call it, the corner venue can be easily identified thanks to a pair of distinctive murals on its outside. One, by Fintan McGee, depicts Naomi Mayers, former lead singer of The Sapphires and founder of the Indigenous Health Service. The other, by Scott Marsh, is an ode to Sydney's ibis population. Wander through the doors and you'll find Sneaky Possum is split into a number of different sections. A large, brightly lit front bar leads through to a room full of pinball machines and retro arcade games, while out back you'll find a casual dining area complete with custom built wooden booths. A large open space upstairs, meanwhile, can be everything from a band room to a communal dining area to a gallery. But perhaps the most important space of all is the kitchen, where chef Briony Bradford has crafted a menu with a strong focus on local produce. Standout dishes include South Australian kingfish ceviche with avocado, radish and finger lime; roasted lamb with tomato, onion and burnt bread; kangaroo tartare with egg yolk, cornichon and pepperberry dressing; and Wapengo oysters with your choice of either passionfruit and lime dressing or eschallot and black pepper vinaigrette. Likewise, the drinks list draws heavily from local brewers and winemakers. They've got five beers plus a rosé on tap, including their very own Sneaky Possum Pale Ale. Even the non-alcoholic offering has a distinctly Australian flavour, courtesy of a partnership with a local tea supplier. "We've got a house blend tea which has river mint, strawberry gum and rosella, which just tastes fantastic," says Anderson. Find Sneaky Possum at 86 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale. Open Monday and Tuesday, 6.30am–3pm, Wednesday to Saturday 6.30am–12am, Sunday 8am–9pm.
Power chords may soon be going the way of floppy discs and VHS, with Intel unveiling a new wireless phone charger that can be built right into your wooden desk. The concept, which was revealed by the company at the Computex conference in Taipei, could mark a big step in wireless charging, with Intel hoping to have the tech ready for consumers within the next 12 months. Looks like IKEA has a wireless charging competitor. Intel's new concept charges your devices through magnetic resonance, according to Gizmodo. This is opposed to previous examples of wireless charging technology which pass a current directly through a surface, creating the unwanted side effect of heating up other objects that happen to be placed near the charging plate. Although the technology currently only generates enough power to charge a phone, Intel is working on advancements that would allow you to charge other devices such as tablets and laptop computers all at the same time. Wireless phone charging has been around on certain devices for some time now (and IKEA's new range of wireless charging furniture caused quite the buzz), but has previously been hindered by rival companies being unwilling to agree on a universal standard — meaning that you need different chargers for each of your devices. Once this problem is solved the technology could easily become ubiquitous, with the potential for public charging stations in airports, hotels, and cafes, as well as basically anywhere else where you’re likely to find a horizontal surface. Via Gizmodo. Images: Dollar Photo Club and AFR.
Who says bricks and mortar can't have personality too? Naysayers, meet James Gulliver Hancock, an illustrator and cityscape doodler with a difference. The offbeat drawings filling the pages of his latest book, All the Buildings in Sydney (That I've Drawn So Far) have captured the hearts of locals and architecture nerds alike. And now you can try your hand at Hancock's signature style, alongside the man himself, as an adjunct to the Finders Keepers markets. A killer arts-and-crafts party or what? Also the designer responsible for the oh-so-cute promo posters for Finders Keepers, Hancock is putting on a series of 60-minute interactive workshops to share the secrets of his trade. Pens and paper are provided, all you need to bring is a photo of your home to work from. (Pro tip: You might want to bring a photo of your mum's home, it being perilously close to Mother's Day. After all, when was the last time you gave her an artwork to proudly display on the fridge?) With signed copies of his book thrown in to sweeten the deal, this workshop is sure to transform the way you see the world (and buildings) around you.
During the working week, time away from your desk is a rare and precious commodity. We're all guilty of killing time mindlessly trawling the web, but as excellent as cat GIFs may be there's far more exciting things we could be doing on our coffee break. Make even the shortest of respites count and carve out time in your day for a bit of adventure, whether it's a morning mission or an after-work moment to blow off steam. Take the break you, as a hardworking human being, deserve. [caption id="attachment_583618" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Alex Jones.[/caption] LEARN TO MAKE POTTERY Replace your usual wine after work routine and get your hands dirty at a pottery class. Over the course of three weeks, The Pottery Shed in Surry Hills will teach you the basics of throwing, trimming and glazing. While you can't expect to enjoy it quite as much as Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore so famously did in Ghost, pottery is an activity that you can easily lose yourself in for a couple of hours. It's challenging and takes time to master, but it sucks you in and is a great way to switch off at the end of the day. JOIN A BOOK CLUB Somewhat of an institution, Better Read Than Dead in Newtown has won the hearts and minds of countless bookworms in Sydney. Not just a bookshop, Better Read Than Dead host regular events such as book signings, author talks and even high teas. Though it's their free book club that really sets them apart. Open to anyone, you simply look up the book online and then turn up at Better Read on the third Tuesday of the month. There's even a specific Jane Austen book club and one off meet ups such as the Harry Potter book club. To fuel the literary wisdom there's cheese supplied. TRY YOUR HAND AT LIFE DRAWING Fancy a bit of creativity to top off your Tuesday? 107 Projects is a not-for-profit organisation that has turned what used to be a garage in Redfern into a space where everyone from amateurs to artists can come and get creative. They run a number of regular events and workshops, of which life drawing is one. There's a limited number of easels, so you'll want to book in, and they also ask that you bring your own supplies. If you're feeling a bit sheepish about the idea of staring at someone in the nude for two hours, get a glass of wine and remember, it's art. [caption id="attachment_548085" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Giant Dwarf.[/caption] LAUGH OFF YOUR WEEKDAY WOES There are few better ways to forget the finicky foibles of your workplace than chuckling at a comedy night. Most nights in Sydney, local comedians are also experimenting, pushing boundaries, and putting on innovative work that might one day see them stepping out on to the world stage. Check out our list of the ten best comedy rooms in Sydney you haven't heard of yet, unique, weekly nights everywhere from Giant Dwarf to Cafe Lounge — you might catch a visiting international comedy bigwig if you're lucky. THROW SOME CASUAL SHAPES Whether it was pure intrigue or a genuine desire to learn, Big Freedia and Miley inspired most of us to give twerking a go — even if it was just that one time. Dance Central's Jamaican dancehall classes are a chance to tackle twerking against a wall with well-versed supervision. When a class is described as rough and feverish — and you're told all you need to bring is your booty — you know it's going to be a good way to blow off steam. From NYC hip hop to Hawaiian hula, French Cancan and even ballet, whatever your jam, Dance Central has a class to cater for you.
It's been a long, long wait, but it's finally time for Dinner. After months of build-up (punctuated by bouts of anticipatory drooling by overexcited local foodies), Heston Blumenthal's first permanent Australian restaurant — and his first outside the UK — is due to start service next week. Here's all the information we have so far. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal is located on the third floor of Crown Towers Hotel in Melbourne and will be open for dinner seven days a week along with lunch on Fridays and Saturdays. Like its two-Michelin-starred London equivalent, the 120-seat restaurant will serve contemporary food inspired by 500 years worth of historical British gastronomy. Standout dishes will include Black Angus rib eye with mushroom ketchup, and 'rice and flesh' (a starter consisting of saffron, calf tail and red wine). Head chef Ashley Palmer-Watts will make use of Australian ingredients and will also introduce certainly historic local dishes including a Heston-style take on the lamington cake. Tony Conigliaro will tend the bar, serving bespoke cocktails that reference the history between Britain and Australia. The interior of the restaurant, meanwhile, has been designed by local company Bates Smart (responsible for The Fat Duck Melbourne), who have incorporated a mixture of elements including wood, leather and iron. Guests will enter via a 20-metre dark wood corridor before being greeted by the dining room, decorated by custom-made porcelain jelly moulds, sculptures commissioned by Australian artist David Bromley and a mechanical moving art piece by UK artist Robert Higgs. An open kitchen will allow diners to observe their food being prepared, with chefs making use of the latest culinary technology along with pulley-operated spit roasts. Those wanting to get even closer to the action can book a spot at the six person chef's table, located inside the kitchen itself. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal begins service on Tuesday, October 20, with online reservations opening the same day. For more information, visit www.dinnerbyheston.com.au. Images: Bates Smart, Ashley Palmer Watts.
The Federal Election is almost here, and if you're anything like us, you're probably dead sick of politicians. From buses to billboards to your righteously indignant mate's never-ending status updates, it's impossible to look anywhere at the moment without catching a glimpse of some polly's grinning mug. And yet despite this, we can't say we're not a little bit intrigued by a strange new public art installation featuring those very same faces. A joint project between Instagram, Facebook and Walkley-winning Fairfax photographer Nic Walker, the Election 2016: Our Leaders series consists of ten moving image portraits that attempt to capture, however briefly, the unfiltered emotions of our nation's political leaders. The subjects, which include Malcolm Turnbull, Bill Shorten, Barnaby Joyce, Tanya Plibersek, Nick Xenophon, Anthony Albanese, Richard Di Natale and Penny Wong, were each shown six images chosen specifically to elicit an emotional reaction, which Walker then photographed at a rate of nine frames per second. "During an election campaign, you get the sense that politicians go into a mode where their image is very crafted and manufactured," said Walker. "This project was all about eliciting a very human response to remind people that love or hate their ideas, politicians are people too." The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald been publishing the portraits via Instagram, and the results are... kind of unsettling. A video posted by The Sydney Morning Herald (@sydneymorningherald) on Jun 28, 2016 at 7:01pm PDT A video posted by The Sydney Morning Herald (@sydneymorningherald) on Jun 28, 2016 at 6:59pm PDT A video posted by The Sydney Morning Herald (@sydneymorningherald) on Jun 27, 2016 at 6:49pm PDT A video posted by The Sydney Morning Herald (@sydneymorningherald) on Jun 27, 2016 at 11:30pm PDT What do you reckon the chances are they showed Barnaby a picture of Johnny Depp? If you want to see the portraits in real life, you can find them on display today only at Martin Place in Sydney, and until tomorrow at Federation Square in Melbourne. And please, for the love of God, remember to vote tomorrow. If the thrill of democracy isn't enough of an incentive, try using this map to find the best Election Day sausage sizzle near you. Visit @federationsquare for a series of 10 moving vignettes of "Our Leaders" captured by Fairfax photographer Nic Walker @nicwalker101. The 10 x portraits involved capturing micro-expressions over a nine-second shoot. Each politician was shown six images that were chosen specifically to elicit a reaction (we won't be revealing what they were, but you can have a guess). Nine frames were shot per second - 81 frames in all - so what you are seeing is reactions to images captured by the camera with no time for the subjects to consciously construct their expressions. 📸📸 A photo posted by The Age (@theagephoto) on Jun 30, 2016 at 5:19pm PDT
Wizards of drinking age have a new spot to drown their sorrows about You Know Who — there's now a Harry Potter-themed bar in Toronto. Named The Lockhart, after Hogwarts' cheesy fraudster of a Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, the bar is full of super niche HP references and enough wizardy bits and bobs to make JK Rowling ponder legal action. With less actual magic than The Leaky Cauldron or the Three Broomsticks, The Lockhart is run by two self-described Hufflepuffs (lol), Paris Xerx and Matt Rocks. Of course, it's not the first HP-themed bar in the world, but we're glad to see one more. The cocktail menu, while it's missing butterbeer (for now, they're coming) or Madam Rosmerta's famous mead, is full of themed potions like the Shacklebolt, Befuddlement Brew and Ludo's Debt. There's also a cocktail on the menu which you can have for free if you can figure out the seriously niche HP ref. Dare to try the potions & elixirs on the cocktail menu at Harry Potter themed @thelockhartto? #newrestaurants #toronto #harrypotter A photo posted by Toronto.com (@torontodotcom) on Sep 9, 2015 at 2:26pm PDT The food menu hasn't a Harry Potter reference at all. No Bertie Bott's? No Cauldron Cakes? No self-propelling custard pie? This is bit of an opportunity lost here. Design-wise, the bar is truly subtle, looking more like a regular casual, cocktail bar than a Disneyland-like novelty bar. The Lockhart, instead, is full of obscure references for serious fans. You can find the Deathly Hallows sign hidden in the bar, a little apothecary, and there's a big neon sign glowing with the famously terrible last line, "All was well." Ugh. So if you're flying to Toronto, apparating or using the floo network, pop in to The Lockhart. Just be wary of cloaked strangers happy to part with dragon eggs in poker. hey it's wednesday A photo posted by robyn hoja (@rohojahoja) on Sep 9, 2015 at 5:06pm PDT Serving our full menu this evening. Specialty popcorn tonight is a sweet and savory, lightly buttered popcorn with Cadbury chocolate drizzle. Yummmmay. A photo posted by The Lockhart Bar (@thelockhartto) on Sep 10, 2015 at 1:21pm PDT Via The AV Club.
So, you've binged on The Jinx and Making a Murderer, and now you need another outlet for your factual film and television fix. Announced back in February, the brand new Australian offshoot of Hot Docs promises to take care of your need to consume compelling real-life stories — and they've just announced the program to prove it. Packing quite the punch in their first year, Hot Docs at Palace Cinemas will bring 24 films from 15 countries to Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra in June and July. If exploring the story of James Foley, the journalist murdered by ISIS in 2014, piques your interest, or if finding out how the humble VHS helped defeat Romanian communism takes your fancy, then the likes of Jim: The James Foley Story and Chuck Norris Versus Communism well and truly have you covered. Elsewhere on the lineup, League of Exotic Dancers pays tribute to burlesque, What Tomorrow Brings explores the fight to educate young girls in Afghanistan, and Raving Iran looks at a couple of DJs working the country's underground techno music scene. Plus, two Aussie-made films will receive their world premieres: Charlie Hill Smith's Motorkite Dreaming, which focuses on a microlight aircraft adventure, and Helen Kapalos' A Life Of Its Own, which delves into the topic of medical marijuana. If that doesn't get you excited, perhaps a bit of background info about the original Hot Docs will. Also known as the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, it isn't just a small-scale event. Screening more than 200 films, it's actually North America's largest doco-focused showcase, and has been running for 23 years. Until now, it had limited its factual film smorgasbord to the nation in its name; however, with this Australian leg, that's no longer be the case. Hosted by Palace Cinemas and curated by Aussie artistic director Richard Moore, the local run really is everything documentary fans have dreamed of (as long as they dream about spending a week or so holed up in a cinema, that is). And it's just the latest new film fest to reach Australian screens, too. Palace just keeps building their annual calendar of events, with the cinema chain hosting another new festival dedicated to American independent cinema this month. Hot Docs at Palace Cinemas screens Sydney's Chauvel Cinema from June 21 to July 3, Melbourne's Palace Westgarth from June 14 to 26, and Canberra's Palace Electric from June 15 to 26. Check out the full program by visiting the festival's website and Facebook page. Image: Motorkite Dreaming.
Aussie documentary Punks For West Papua has no intentions of turning the noise down. Following April's craft beer screening at Sydney's Wayward Brewing Co., this must-see doco has been gaining volume over the last few weeks and will begin a tour of screenings (and paired live gigs) across Australia's bars this month. Never heard of Punks For West Papua? No sweat, we'll clue you in. PFWP is an Australia-wide movement organised by Jody Bartolo and his band Diggers with Attitude. Released earlier this year, the movement's documentary follows the Australian punk scene's fight for people in West Papua, who've experienced genocide at the hands of the Indonesian government since the 1960s. "Punks are used to raising their voice against the government, so this is a natural cause for them," says the doco's Australian director Ash Brennan. The documentary uncovers some shocking truths, including the seemingly deliberate blind eye-turning by the US, UK and Australian governments, who co-own the world's largest gold mine in West Papua (that casually makes a profit in the billions each year). The West Papuan peace protests against the devastation of their land and natural resources have been repeatedly met with massacre by their Indonesian occupiers, who have been systematically stripping the West Papuan identity for over 50 years. This tragic story has been kept quiet by the ban on journalists and foreign aid in the region, so the film aims to raise money and awareness for the Free West Papua cause. "It's happening right next to us and people know nothing about it, but once they do we find they really want to take action," says Brennan. The doco, which has already won the 2016 Documentary Feature Award of Merit at the IndieFest Film Festival in San Diego, features an interview with two time Nobel Peace Prize nominee and long time WP political prisoner Benny Wenda. The Nelson Mandela of the WP cause, Wenda will introduce each screening, most of which are followed by a live punk gig. This punk cause won't stop there, with an annual, global concert planned for the end of June. "The point was to raise real awareness, and seeing the cause go international is a victory, says Brennan. "The film has done its purpose," he adds. What started as one gig back in 2015 is now spanning five countries, including US, UK, Australia, South Africa, Spain and Japan. That's going to be one loud roar for injustice. PUNKS FOR WEST PAPUA SCREENING TOUR DATES: May 4: The Rosemount Hotel, Perth May 11: The Elephant and Wheelbarrow, Melbourne May 24: Law Faculty at University of Sydney May 25: Crowbar, Brisbane May 26: Italo Club, Lismore May 27: Pighouse Flicks, Byron Bay (presented by five-time AFI winner and two-time Academy Award nominee David Bradbury) Can't make the screenings? You can rent or buy the film here, which includes the complete Benny Wenda interview. Proceeds from the rental of P4WP go to the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.
Marrickville's newest craft bottle shop, Bucket Boys, is launching this Sydney Craft Beer Week with a history lesson. Owner and self-proclaimed beer geek Johnathan Hepner (ex-Lord Raglan and Batch) knows more about craft beer history than anyone we've ever met. They'll be recreating recipes from five major brewing civilisations and Hepner will take you on a journey through beer, from ye olden days to present.
Binge-watching back episodes of all those TV shows you meant to catch up with is about to become easier than ever. Telstra have just announced a partnership with American digital set top box manufacturers Roku on an Australian platform that will be compatible with rival video-on-demand services Netflix, Stan and Presto, as well as free-to-air catch-up players and BigPond Movies. Telstra will launch the service, named Telstra TV, in September, at which point it will become the first device on the local market that offers easy access to all three competing streaming services – although you can technically get all three through a Chromecast. A Telstra spokesperson told news.com.au that Netflix and Presto would be available from the launch date, with Stan jumping on board soon after. The device will also support certain TV catch-up services, although Telstra has not yet specified which ones, and could not confirm whether Foxtel Play would be among them. A full list of supported apps will become available closer to the launch. Likewise, the pricing for Telstra TV is yet to be finalised, although the company is reportedly trying to negotiate a subscription package that includes all three major streaming options for under $30 a month. The device itself is expected to retail for $109 flat out, or $89 when included as part of a Telstra broadband plan. Via news.com.au
Scenario: you’re having a few drinks with friends, eating corn chips, playing Cards Against Humanity and really trying to connect with your dark side… like, really trying to let all those politically incorrect thoughts out so they may guide your horrifying choices towards a CAH victory. There’s nothing too gross or inappropriate and everyone is cackling like ghouls and bonding over mutual evilness. And then there’s one friend who’s really uncomfortable. That one saintly friend with so much moral fibre they can barely stand the game and tut disapprovingly at all your funniest card drops. A real wet blanket. Imagine for a second that this party pooper was in charge of the entertainment for the evening and, in an attempt to foster neighbourliness and goodwill to all men, brought a new game... Cards for Humanity. “It’s fun, you guys! It’s a real winner!” they say, pouring virgin margaritas and placing a fruit tray down on the table. “I got it from Kickstarter, it’s meant to spark meaningful and insightful conversations!” “I have to go,” you scream, swiftly running off into the night “I left my hairdryer… in the oven.” And fin scenario. We don’t mean to alarm you but this could be a reality soon. Cards For Humanity, a card game that trades on your innate goodness, is in the works via the maker of dreams, Kickstarter. It was created by two good kids called Betsy and Hannah. Just look how goodhearted and sunbeamy they are: Although it lacks the nasty appeal of Cards Against Humanity, we concede that it would be good to play in any scenario where you can’t be your most evil self, such as work, church or with your grandparents. The pack includes such horrifically warm and fuzzy questions such as “What’s the craziest thing you have ever done for love?” and “If happiness was the national currency, what would make you wealthy?” and (oh god) "What would you wish on a shooting star?" that will really highlight your moral corruption and make you question your entire life. However, Cards For Humanity doesn’t include an answer deck allowing you craft warm, meaningful answers… or use a Cards Against Humanity answer deck to really spice things up. Check out Cards for Humanity's Kickstarter page over here.
Smash-hit musical Once has garnered an impressive array of awards. First, as an indie film by John Carney, and later, as a Broadway production adapted by Enda Walsh — its quirky telling of guy-meets-girl, along with its otherworldly lyricism, has seen Once captivate audiences worldwide. And thanks to Darlinghurst Theatre Company, this winter will mark the Sydney debut of the stage production. Director Richard Carroll's rendition will boast a star-studded local cast and feature the show's peerless musical score — one that has seen it score a Grammy, a Tony and an Academy Award. Once will run for a limited season at Darlinghurst's Eternity Playhouse. A brief synopsis: Once opens in a charming and grungy Dublin pub. There, we meet Guy, who plays gigs at this sort of locale while pining over his unfaithful ex-girlfriend (a backstory wonderfully evoked in the song 'Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy'). guy is packing up his guitar when Girl, a young Czech immigrant enchanted by his music, approaches him. We soon discover that Girl is also a musician. And, perhaps more importantly, for Once's narrative purposes at least, Girl is the owner of a broken 'hoover'. The rest of the show charts the transient but intense intimacy Guy and Girl form through their shared love of creating music. To borrow the reviewer's now well-worn catchphrase: a show like this only comes around Once. Images: Robert Catto.
Neither the cash nor inclination to hotfoot it to Byron Bay this Easter? Folks no longer willing to stash eggs in your backyard? Despair not. Take a staycation and get into some good ol' hometown fun. Find beachside shenanigans, live music, banquets and aqua egg hunts on the harbour. Say farewell to one of the last of the openair cinemas for the season, or take a bike tour along Sydney's foreshores. For those who like to spend their Easter weekend with a bucketload of hip hop and '00s R&B, there's more than one party for you.
Forty years ago, a filmmaker wanted to journey to a galaxy far, far away, and he needed a republic cruiser's worth of epic tunes to go with it. Enter John Williams and the theme everyone now knows. When the first notes of Star Wars: Episode VI — A New Hope's score started playing over the film's opening crawl, movie and music history was made. Neither Williams nor George Lucas could've known just what they'd unleashed, nor that Luke and Leia, Han and Chewie, and the next generation of wannabe jedis and empire lackeys would still be gracing cinema screens decades later. To celebrate not only the space opera saga's longevity, but the upcoming release of Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi in December, St Kilda's Palais Theatre is hosting the Star Wars event to end all Star Wars events: Star Wars: The Force Awakens in concert. We've got a good feeling about what promises to be a force-filled evening of sound and vision, with the last film in the franchise screened in all its Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac and Adam Driver-starring glory, and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra picking up their instruments to perform the corresponding score. Conducted by Nicholas Buc, who'll be living out one of his dreams, they'll play Williams' Oscar-nominated music from the saga's seventh flick live across three concerts on December 8, 9 and 10. Following in the footsteps of the similar Harry Potter shows enchanting audiences this year, also featuring a score by Williams, this is not a trap — but BYO lightsaber, droid and wookie. And if you're a Sydney jedi master or Brisbane rebel who can't make it south, try taking Yoda's advice and trusting the force. The Melbourne gigs have been badged as the series' Australian premiere, so this mightn't be your only hope. Fingers crossed the show will jump on the Millennium Falcon and tour the rest of the country. Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens will screen at the Palais Theatre on December 8, 9 and 10, 2017. Grab tickets here.
As much as we like to pretend we are all digital natives who will soon have our consciousness transferred into a gel-like neural network and live forever on the I N T E R N E T, the truth is that underneath it allwe're just tactile creatures who can't help but cry at sunsets. There’s nothing we like more than having something we can hold in our hands – and the people behind the droPrinter know exactly how we feel. Developed in Melbourne(!) by Zhenxun Yu, the droPrinter is one of the first portable, wireless smartphone printers available on the market – and despite being new to the scene, it isn’t as prohibitively expensive as you’d imagine. Like all cool things these days, the production of the droPrinter is being funded via Kickstarter and has already raised $43,967 – nearly three times its initial target – since launching on July 7 (see, people really love tangible old-school paper). The device clocks in at a tiny 10cm wide by 2.5cm deep and is operated via an Android or iOS app. With a 120 hour battery life you can print out literal reams of information: anonymous love notes, shopping lists, lists of baby names, wanted posters or maybe just miles and miles of emoticons – the world is now your oyster. It can even be used as a mobile power pack to charge your phone. Best of all, the droPrinter is affordable. The printer is expected to retail for $99, but for a pledge of $80 or more you can reserve yourself a printer (with an expected shipping date of March 2016) and one roll of paper. Further proof that the droPrinter folk aren’t trying to steal your hard-won Simoleans is that the device takes standard thermal paper, which can be purchased cheaply in office supply stores or online. For more information, check out the droPrinter Kickstarter.
Actual human soft-mist-hanging-over-pines Sufjan Stevens is returning to the Opera House for a four-night series of shows as part of Vivid LIVE, following the release of his seventh studio album Carrie & Lowell earlier this year. After the 'neon-explosion' that was 2010's The Age of Adz, Stevens returns to his roots on this new record, with a series of delicate, polished folk songs plucked out on banjo and acoustic guitar. It's inspired by the death of his mother (the Carrie of the title) and family holidays they took to Oregon when he was a boy. Take this friendly reminder to pack tissues for 'Fourth of July’ — though you can also expect banjo-accompanied Christmas classics, US regional history (from the time he told us he'd write an album for each of the 50 states and we all believed him because he's Sufjan Stevens), and inimitable tenderness with musical instruments.
Dinner tonight could take you through Jordan, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine — an epic Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurant has arrived in Newtown. It's called Old City and you'll find it in Newtown, at 189 Missenden Road. Every aspect of the eatery — from the menu to the interior design — draws inspiration from a region called the Levant. This covers a large area on the Mediterranean's eastern shore, including the countries of Jordan, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine. Get ready for familiar classics, as well as a slew of flavours that, up until now, haven't been easily found in Newtown. Choose from starters, like shankleesh (aged cheese rolled in herbs topped with tomato, shallots and olive oil) and mains, like samke harrah (pan-fried barramundi marinated in chilli and spices), or invite a bunch of mates along and get sharing. There's a big list of hot mezze and share platters, from batanjan (fried eggplant slices with fresh yoghurt and dried mint) to the Old City banquet, which comes crowded with all kinds of tasty morsels. The restaurant is split into a range of spaces, including a marble-topped bar, where you can relax with a cocktail or take your pick from the mostly Australian and New Zealand wine list. Alternatively, visit the terrace or, for a quiet chat with friend, book a table in a tucked-away corner. There's also a luxe dining room, available for private hire. Old City is open seven days a week at 189 Missenden Road, Newtown.
Rally up your mates and plan one long picnic because Tropfest is back for its 25th year. This time around, the world's biggest short film festival will be held in Parramatta Park for the first year, a shift that's being heralded as an exciting opportunity for growth. With this change comes the introduction of a 'Pick Your Patch' option, allowing Troppers to reserve a premium patch of grass and gain exclusive bar and hamper access for $49. Or, you can rock up for free — but get there early. Despite the slight changes and a recent brush with closure, one aspect guaranteed to remain is the impressive quality of the lineup, which features 16 films, all uniquely inspired by this year's iconic Tropfest signature item — a pineapple. This must appear at least once in every film, in any way, shape or form. In an industry largely dominated by males, founder and chairman of Tropfest John Polson is proud that half of the 2017 finalists are women. "The calibre of films submitted this year was outstanding," he said. "It's wonderful to see the entrants this year reflecting a vast range of diversity and gender." Further boosting female representation is the legendary Rose Byrne, who will be heading a stellar group of judges featuring actor Sam Neill, directors George Miller and Rachel Perkins and producer Bruno Papandrea.
Sydney-based singer-songwriter Elizabeth Rose is taking a stand on marriage equality, with a brand new single out today. Titled ‘Division,’ the pulsating electronic pop track tackles the issue of same-sex unions head on, with lyrics like ‘I got friends who need the satisfaction of equality,’ leaving little doubt on where the singer stands. Even better, the musician is putting her money where her mouth is, with sale proceeds being used to help fight discrimination. “Australia is tipped as the ‘lucky’ country, but reflecting upon what we stand for, I'm not sure that we are all that we’re cracked up to be,” says Rose. “Our peers fall victim to acts of discrimination and are denied the right to equality.” ‘Division’ is currently available to download from the singer’s website on a pay-what-you-want basis. The proceeds will be donated to Australian Marriage Equality. The single comes at a significant point in the national marriage debate. After Ireland passed marriage reform via popular referendum last month, Australia remains one of the few holdouts in the developed world. Polling suggests the Australian public is overwhelmingly in favour of marriage equality, but politicians continue to lag behind. Opposition leader Bill Shorten introduced a private members bill to a depressingly empty Parliament on Monday, with only five Liberal MPs bothering to attend. “We are moving towards this significant moment in Australian history,” affirmed Rose. “I urge people to accept and embrace this need for equality in our country.” To download ‘Division,’ visit Elizabeth Rose’s website. To learn more about the goals of Australian Marriage Equality, go here.
Dim sum powerhouse Tim Ho Wan, the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant in the world, has picked Australia as its first ever venture outside South-East Asia. Set to open in Chatswood on Saturday, March 28, Tim Ho Wan is one of the year's most anticipated restaurant openings we've seen in a while. The original Tim Ho Wan eatery in Hong Kong, led by ex-Four Seasons Hong Kong dim sum chef Mak Kwai Pui, has been attracting hordes of local and international visitors ever since it opened in 2009. A star rating by arguably the world’s most prestigious food guide the year after raised the dim sum stakes and a chain of Tim Ho Wan restaurants in the region quickly followed. Now, it’s Australia’s turn to break open a piping hot pork bun and see what all the fuss is about. The dim sum specialists are set to open three stores in Sydney, starting with the Chatswood outlet this weekend. A flagship Sydney store on George Street is scheduled for an October 2015 opening and Burwood's eatery will open in the third quarter of 2015. Melburnians can expect some Tim Ho Wan goodness in late April and a Brisbane store is possibly in the works too. So what's in store for the menu? Of course, Tim Ho Wan's 'Big Four Heavenly Kings' will be making an appearance: think pan-fried carrot cake, baked pork buns, vermicelli rolls stuffed with pig's liver and steamed egg cakes. Including these four signature dishes, Chef Mak Kwai Pui will be teaming up with acting executive chef Eric Koh to create a menu of 25 fresh made-to-order dim sum treats. And how cheap is the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant? A Tim Ho Wan in the Philippines has no menu item over the equivalent of $5.17 so similarly bang-for-your-buck prices can be expected when the chain trickles into the country this year. With an emphasis on freshness and made-to-order everything, Tim Ho Wan is likely to follow in the footsteps of fellow fawned over international imports, Ippudo and Hot Star. For everyone except the Sydneysiders who can make reservations, that means some long queues and serious waits. Anything for cheap, Michelin-starred dim sum though, right? Tim Ho Wan is located at Corner of Victoria Avenue and Railway Street, Chatswood. Open daily from March 28, from 10am to 9pm. For more information head over here.
In a year that saw Sydney's cultural ecosystem and the legislative shackling of certain elements of it become a more polarising subject than ever before, the city's most innovative, forward-thinking residents have made outstanding lemonade. Those aiming to truly transform the city permanently have made headlines with long-awaited new cultural and food precincts, transforming Sydney neighbourhoods with gargantuan, smart and beneficial new precinct developments. At Concrete Playground we encourage exploration and showcase innovation in our city every day, so we thought it fitting to reward those most forward-thinking teams pushing Sydney to be a better, braver city. And so, these six new precincts, launched between 2016-16 and developed this year, have been nominated for Best New Precinct in Concrete Playground's Best of 2016 Awards. Vote for your favourite.
