It's been 11 years since Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio decided to fill a Melbourne alleyway with tunes in 2005. Heading back to their collection of unconventional venues for another year, Laneway Festival has announced its 2016 lineup. Returning to Singapore, Auckland and the five established Australian Laneway go-to cities, Laneway will raise a plastic cup to the middle of summer with one heck of a killer lineup. Following the previously leaked Hudson Mohawke and Purity Ring headliner announces, Laneway will see one heck of a crew on their unconventional stages. Odd Future's super outfit The Internet will be here, alongside Ninja Tune's bass monarch Thundercat and the return of Grimes (start losing your collective shit). Epic Scottish electronic crew CHVRCHES are headed back to Australia, with a few fellow return trippers — Baltimore dreamboats Beach House, American math rockers Battles are back with their new album, as well as Brooklyn's atmospheric foursome DIIV. Plenty of love for the onstage return of Big Scary after Tom Isanek finished up with #1 Dads, and there's sure to be a big ol' ruckus for Sydney wonderkid Flume back on stage. You'll be hard pressed to find a spot at Las Vegas hypecard Shamir's set, watching young Washington rapper GoldLink or the pretty, pretty Beatles-y Tobias Jesso Jr. Odd Future's Vince Staples is headed here too, following his OFWGKTA bud Tyler the Creator's ban from Australia. With beloved local artists like Hermitude, Violent Soho, The Smith Street Band and DMA's, this year's lineup is more eclectic than a Jenny Kee jumper. Enough talk, here 'tis. LANEWAY FESTIVAL 2016 LINEUP: Ali Barter* Banoffee Battles Beach House Big Scary Blank Realm** Chvrhces DIIV DMA’s East India Youth FIDLAR Flume GoldLink Grimes Health Hermitude High Tension Hudson Mohawke Japanese Wallpaper Majical Cloudz Methyl Ethel METZ Purity Ring QT Shamir Silicon Slum Sociable** Sophie The Goon Sax*** The Internet The Smith Street Band Thundercat Tobias Jesso Jr. Vince Staples Violent Soho * Exclusive to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne only ** not playing Fremantle *** Exclusive to Brisbane only ST JEROME'S LANEWAY FESTIVAL DATES AND VENUES FOR 2016: Saturday, January 30 — SINGAPORE (THE MEADOW, GARDENS BY THE BAY) Monday, February 1 — AUCKLAND (SILO PARK) Friday, February 5 — ADELAIDE (HARTS MILL, PORT ADELAIDE, 16+) Saturday, February 6 — BRISBANE (BRISBANE SHOWGROUNDS, BOWEN HILLS, 16+) Sunday, February 7 — SYDNEY (SYDNEY COLLEGE OF THE ARTS, ROZELLE) Saturday, February 13 — MELBOURNE (FOOTSCRAY COMMUNITY ARTS CENTRE (FCAC) + THE RIVER’S EDGE) Sunday, February 14 — FREMANTLE (ESPLANADE RESERVE AND WEST END) Tickets on sale September 30 at 9am from Laneway Festival. Image: Andy Fraser. Here's one for getting psyched up.
Warm your insides this weekend at the second annual Sydney Tea Festival. Hosted at Carriageworks, this daylong interactive event pays tribute to all your favourite teas, from specialty brews to the timeless English Breakfast. With dozens of stallholders, vendors, workshops and events, it seems like the ideal location for your Sunday afternoon cuppa. This year's tea market will feature 50 different stallholders from Altitude to Zensation. Sample as much tea as you like — tasting cups are only $4 at the door — and then relax in the Brew Lounge with some music. There will be food vendors on site selling an array of tasty snacks, as well as a number of stalls who specialise in teaware and ceramics. For those not content to simply sit back and sip, there are also a number of ticketed events throughout the day. Learn how to blend chai, participate in a Japanese tea ceremony, or find nirvana with tea meditation. There's even a workshop on pairing teas with desserts — and yes, you will get to sample both.
After 15 years as a major player on the Sydney art scene, Brenda May Gallery shut its doors last December to the disappointment of many. Now, luckily for all you art aficionados, it's reopening with a new identity and a fresh direction. Come March 1, MAY SPACE will be launching at a shiny new Waterloo address, not far from the previous Danks Street location. To celebrate, MAY SPACE is presenting FOURTEEN, an inaugural exhibition featuring works by each of the gallery's — you guessed it — 14 represented artists, with the aim of introducing new and old audiences to the renewed vision and orientation of MAY SPACE. The artists, who range from emerging to established, will show one standout piece of work that displays their artistic talent and distinct style. The exhibition runs until March 25, after which MAY SPACE's impressive line up of exhibitions is set to keep you occupied for the rest of the year. Image: Catherine O'Donnell, Urban perspective 2017, charcoal on paper, charcoal wall drawing, 277 x 160cm (overall).
"Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough." Mark Twain knew. Bourbon, along with its siblings scotch and rye, has long cemented its place as one of the world's go-to spirits around campfires, in dark desert highway saloons, and in the most dim-lit of speakeasies. Barrel-aged and distilled in the United States (particularly in the South) since the 18th century, bourbon's an oft overlooked but beloved spirit, forming the base for some of cocktail history's biggest classics. We've delved into the history books to find the source of our favourite bourbon cocktails, from Don Draper's favourite, the Old-Fashioned, to the elegant Boulevardier, named after a 1920s Parisian magazine Hemingway contributed to. Plus, we've found some of the best in Sydney, so you can try them for yourself. Once you've made your way through the list, we reckon you'll be keen to get really into your bourbon. Thanks to Wild Turkey, one lucky Australian bourbon aficionado could be off to the US for a VIP behind the scenes experience at the home of Wild Turkey Bourbon in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. It's a very special five-day 'Behind the Barrel' event hosted by legendary distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russell from October 5-9, 2016. Head to Wild Turkey's Facebook page to enter. [caption id="attachment_576748" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Edsel Little.[/caption] BOULEVARDIER A strong-as-blazes bourbon cocktail named after a 1920s Parisian magazine? We're on board. It's said the Boulevardier was created by American writer Erskine Gwynne, who moved to Paris and founded The Boulevardier magazine in 1927. It apparently channelled The New Yorker, was targeted at upper-class expatriates, and included a casual piece or two from Hemingway. The publication ran monthly until 1932, but its eponymous cocktail is still alive and well on cocktail menus Sydney-wide today. If you love a Negroni (gin, Vermouth, Campari), you'll probably love a Boulevardier — it's essentially almost the same drink but with bourbon in place of gin, and slightly different ratios in the prep. High West Distillery in Utah even does a barrel aged Boulevardier, left to develop in American oak bourbon barrels for 120 days. Pew pew. Where to get a good one in Sydney: Nomad, Earl's Juke Joint. [caption id="attachment_576755" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Todd Page.[/caption] MINT JULEP A traditional Southern favourite in the States, the Mint Julep is a classic day drink for the picnickers and brunchers among you. This fresh little number sees a silver julep cup filled to the rim with bourbon, fresh mint, simple syrup and crushed ice. It's pretty much been the official cocktail for the Kentucky Derby for around 100 years (around 120,000 Mint Juleps are served every year over just two days). The cocktail has been sweetening up social gatherings since around the 18th century. Kentucky-raised US senator Henry Clay is attributed to its invention, whipping up a few at Washington DC's Willard Hotel. Every ingredient from the cup to the ice was originally meant to blatantly show-off wealth — not everyone had ice boxes or top shelf bourbon lying around in the 18th century. Where to get a good one in Sydney: Shady Pines, Papa Gedes. [caption id="attachment_562218" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Bodhi Liggett.[/caption] OLD-FASHIONED The very definition of an 'oldie but a goodie', the Old-Fashioned is one of the greats (and Don Draper's go-to). It's often referred to as one of the first ever cocktails, developed in the US in the 19th century in various concoctions of spirits, bitters, sugar and water, and officially called an 'Old-Fashioned' (as a bourbon-based cocktail) at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky. It was a gentlemen's club founded in 1881. Robert Simonson, drinks writer for The New York Times, wrote an entire book on the history of the cocktail. "No single cocktail is as iconic, as beloved, or as discussed and fought-over as the Old-Fashioned," he wrote. "Its formula is simple: just whiskey, bitters, sugar, and ice. But how you combine those ingredients — in what proportion, using which brands, and with what kind of garnish — is the subject of much impassioned debate." One of the most debated components? Using rye, scotch or bourbon. Try all three, see how they compare and make sure someone else drives home. Where to get a good one in Sydney: Stitch, Grain, Surly's, Ramblin' Rascal Tavern, Easy Eight (for a popcorn version). [caption id="attachment_576754" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Flickr.[/caption] WHISKEY SOUR Not always a rye venture, the whiskey sour gets a little sweeter with a bourbon base. Like all good cocktail histories, there are many versions of the drink's origin. The original recipe was included in Jerry Thomas's 1862 book The Bartender's Guide, and according to the Seattle Whiskey Collective, the earliest mention of the whiskey sour was on a Toronto saloon menu in 1865. Peruvian newspaper El Comercio de Iquique claimed the "whisky sour" was created by English steward Elliott Stubb in 1872. And there's a mention of a whiskey sour in Wisconsin newspaper Waukesha Plain Dealer in 1870. But the basic instructions for the cocktail could be much older than that. The constant? Those classic ingredients: whiskey (bourbon or rye), lemon, water and sugar (or simple syrup). The cocktail's defining touch, egg white, was added a little later — but makes all the difference. Where to get a good one in Sydney: The Baxter Inn, Surly's, The Whisky Room, Shady Pines, The Wild Rover. [caption id="attachment_576749" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Dexter (yeah, it's in Melbourne, but look how cute it is).[/caption] PAPER PLANE An easy mix of bourbon, amaro, Aperol and lemon, the Paper Plane is a well boozy but refreshing cocktail for those keen for a libation with legs. It was created not too long ago by Melbourne-raised, New York-based bartender Sam Ross, according to the Village Voice. Apparently Ross named it after M.I.A.'s single of the same name. It's a great intro to amaro (a bitter Italian herbal digestif), as the bitterness of the liqueur is nicely balanced with the sweetness of the bourbon. Some modern mixologists sub out Aperol for Campari, however controversial or whatever that may be to you. Where to get a good one in Sydney: The Gilt Lounge.
Tuck into a lobster roll as tasty as they make 'em in Maine, when Sydney’s newest seafood eatery opens in Potts Point early next month. Co-founded by the owner of Darlinghurst speakeasy Love Tilly Devine, Waterman’s Lobster Co. will be located on the corner of Orwell Street and the outdoor dining hub that is Llankelly Place. Serving a mix of Australian and American-style seafood, Waterman's plans to present a simple, no-frills menu that you can actually afford. Serving lunch for seven days a week and dinner Monday through Saturday, the menu at Waterman’s will be split into three separate sections. Entrees including fresh clams, smoked mussels and fish rillettes with pickles will be priced between $12 and $17, while sides such as fish Caesar and purple cabbage slaw will cost you around $4 to $8. But the main attractions, of course, are the lobster rolls. Setting you back a pretty roll-standard $16 to $18, they'll be made with a range of local produce including Balmain bugs, swimmer crabs and Spencer Gulf prawns. Purists will also be able to enjoy a more traditional Maine or Connecticut style roll, with lobsters sourced straight from the Atlantic. "In our opinion, the cold water variety just has much better flavour and texture than the local spiny rock lobsters," says Waterman’s co-founder Matt Swieboda. "But in every other aspect, we’ve gone for local, sustainable ingredients, and some very un-American flavours." The owner and operator of Love Tilly Devine in Darlinghurst, Swieboda grew up catching and eating crayfish in Waterman’s Bay in Perth. Along with his childhood friend and co-founder Tristan Blair, he’ll be joined at Waterman’s by other co-founder Nate Hatwell (also ex-Love Tilly Devine) and bar manager Alex Carter (ex-Rockpool Bar & Grill). The latter will be responsible for the restaurant’s extensive drinks menu, with options ranging from East Coast American cocktails, American and Australian beers and a selection of local wines. Swieboda and co. recommend pairing your lobster with chardonnay, which sounds pretty damn good to us. Waterman’s Lobster Co. opens for business on June 9 and is located at 29 Orwell Street, Potts Point. For more information, check them out on Facebook and Instagram.
For playwright David Greig, Norwegian Anders Breivik's shooting of 69 young people at a summer camp in 2011 stuck a chord too deep to ignore. Translating emotions into art certainly isn't a new notion, but his socially aware play The Events has really got us thinking about the aftermath of these tragic experiences. While gun-related violence is a huge global issue affecting countless lives, individual people turn to art to help them understand such heinous acts on a personal level. When it comes to The Events, we're focused on one woman and her story. Written with reference to the Anders Breivik case of 2011, the play won over crowds at the 2013 Edinburgh Festival for its delicate contemplation of community and compassion in the face of gun-related violence. Closer to home, director Clare Watson brings The Events to life for Australian audiences. Showing at Sydney's Belvoir Street Theatre from May 12 to June 12, this powerful play explores theatre as a medium for social commentary and a means to personalise the events we see splashed across the headlines. Set in the halls of a fictional community centre, Catherine takes to the stage as Claire, a church minister responsible for leading the local community choir. After a young gunman tears the fabric of this group apart, Claire is forced to rebuild herself and her band of singers. We caught up with actress Catherine McClements, the lead in The Events.
Nothing screams spring quite like the bountiful new season menus popping up at cafes and restaurants across town. And now, the best of this local spring harvest is coming right to your doorstep, as Matt Moran delivers free (yes, free) produce boxes from his new Chiswick Veggie Van across the city this month. Celebrating the new spring menus launched at his Chiswick restaurants in Woollahra and at the Gallery, the acclaimed Aussie chef will work alongside Woollahra's head chef Tom Haynes to handpick a bounty of fresh produce from the restaurant gardens. Moran and Haynes will then load it into a converted 1960s van decked out in veggie illustrations and deliver the haul to a few lucky kitchens all over Sydney each Friday throughout November. The first round of produce boxes will be filled with the likes of blood oranges, eggplants, kale and golden nugget pumpkin, along with a guide for how best to use them all. Recipients will even score the recipe and ingredients for Chiswick's famed mint salsa, so they can recreate it in their own kitchen. "Spring is such a beautiful time at Chiswick," says Moran. "We are really excited to be able to bring a selection of our favourite spring produce items to our customer's door, so they can create their own dishes." Chiswick Veggie Van boxes will be delivered on November 10, 17 and 24. For the chance to score your own restaurant-quality veggie bonanza, register your interest here.
Forget fancy dress parties. There's no weirder, creepier way to spend Halloween than spending it with Mr David Lynch. In acknowledgement of this fact, the Golden Age Cinema and Bar is holding Lynchoween, a double screening dedicated to the master filmmaker. Starting at 6pm is Lost Highway, Lynch's 1997 noir masterpiece starring Bill Pullman as jazz saxophonist Fred Madison and Patricia Arquette as his wife, Renee, in an eerie world of pre-internet tech paranoia. Then, at 9.30pm, it'll be time for Blue Velvet, the story of strait-laced college student Jeffrey (Kyle MacLachlan), who finds a severed ear in a local park. Between screenings, there'll be free live music from Terza Madre, a nine-piece collective of Sydneysiders playing their dark, dramatic interpretations of 1970s Italian pop tunes and related originals.
Lobo Plantation's Jared Merlino has had quite the week. On top of opening Kittyhawk with his fellow Plantationers, he's also launched Big Poppa's, a 134-capacity Italian bar-restaurant on Oxford Street. This new joint's three focuses? Cheese, wine and hip hop. A collaboration with Lewis Jaffrey (ex-operations manager at The Baxter Inn, Frankie's and Shady Pines), Big Poppa's occupies Hello Sailor's former digs. "We gutted and re-did the space, to make it warmer and more inviting," Merlino says. "Upstairs is a beautiful Italian restaurant, with blue leather banquettes, high stools and exposed brick work." Downstairs, you'll find a cocktail bar and lounge. Think dark wood, booths, moody lighting and a mosaic of the legendary Biggie Smalls. Heading the kitchen are Liam O'Driscoll and Jase Barron, who've worked side by side for close to 16 years, including stints at Pendolino and Glebe Street Diner. "The emphasis is on good, simple, delicious food," Merlino says. "The hero is cheese, for which we've had a 1.8 metre-high fridge custom-built. Between 15 and 25 different cheese are available at a time and the list is on constant rotation." You can expect local, Italian and French products, sourced through local suppliers. At least half the dishes on the menu are based on cheese. Key players include lamb shoulder ragu, with house-made pappardelle and three types of shaved cheese; and Roman gnocchi with beef cheek, served with polenta cake and smother in cheese. "It's perfect for winter," Merlino says. Behind the bar, you'll find around 200 wines, sourced mostly from Italy, as well as France, New Zealand and Australia. The cocktail list features classics, like Negronis and Americanos, in addition to a few signature creations. And, most importantly you're welcome to drink – lockout-free – until 3am. The kitchen is open until then, too. Big Poppa's is at 96 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst. It's open daily from 5pm-3am. Images: Big Poppa's.
Spend a day immersed in Aboriginal culture and wander around the usually tour-only Bare Island at the latest edition of Blak Markets. Thanks to First Hands Solution Corporation and Randwick City Council, the single-day festival returns to Bidjigal Country for its next instalment on Sunday, August 6, which will feature the works of Indigenous artists, designers and small businesses. Here, you'll find a variety of handcrafted items, alongside homemade baked goods showcasing Indigenous flavours and ingredients, and top-notch skincare products and native plants from IndigiGrow. The lively markets will take over the island from 10am until 3pm — officially kicking off at 11am with a traditional welcome by Aunty Barb Simms and a smoking ceremony from First Hands Solutions CEO Peter Cooley. [caption id="attachment_910232" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] After that, you'll be treated to a cornucopia of bush tucker accompanied by performances from the likes of Cowra's Dinawan's Connection and Dubbo's Isaac Compton. Among the stalls, there'll be a plethora of Aboriginal art and design, as well as jewellery, woodwork and woven goods — plus, Indigenous treats and spices to trial or take home. And, you can opt to get hands-on by signing up to the weaving workshop that'll run throughout the day. Access to Bare Island is usually restricted to tour groups, so this is also a special opportunity to wander around freely while supporting a great cause, shopping ethically and learning from Indigenous creators and sellers. Admission for adults sits at the low price of $2.50, and children under five can head along for free. If you don't mind the cooler weather, take your snorkel — we reckon it's one of the prettiest underwater spots in Sydney.
However you're beating the heat this summer, one thing's for sure: the only way to start is with a good, cooling gin. Every Thursday to Sunday from March 2-12, head down to Bombay Sapphire's open-air pop-up garden bar at the Botanic Garden Restaurant and cool down with a cocktail. The Bombay Sapphire pop-up bar coincides with the brand's magical, multi-sensory, drinking and dining experience, Project Botanicals. Project Botanicals is a sit-down dinner where guests are treated to two gin-inspired cocktails and two matching dishes by Botanic Garden Restaurant head chef Matt Fletcher. One moment you'll be sampling cocoa-ash crusted kangaroo carpaccio alongside the Paradise Lost cocktail. The next, you'll be treated to confit pork belly, honey caramel, pink grapefruit and fennel paired with the Orris Root Floradora. Tickets to Project Botanicals are very nearly sold out, but if you miss out, head down to the Botanics Gardens Restaurant anyway and sample the same gin-inspired cocktails at the pop-up bar. Cocktails are made by Sydney bartenders from The Barber Shop, The Rook and 360 among others. Perhaps take some food along and have a picturesque picnic by the harbour? The pop-up bar is open Thursday to Saturday from 4pm - 10pm, and on Sunday from 2pm - 9pm. Head here for tickets to the Project Botanicals sit-down dinner.
Where the heck were you in 2006? Were you waiting in line at the Abercrombie? Did you lovingly hand over ten bucks at the door, march triumphantly to the bar to order a vodka, coke and raspberry, elbow your way to the d-floor and throw shapes on the sticky, sticky carpet to Bloc Party? WE WERE THERE TOO. Maybe we made out on a terrible couch. It's been ten years since the early Abercrombie days, and the Purple Sneakers crew have evolved from a weekly throwdown to one of Sydney's most on-the-pulse music blogs (run by nationally touring DJs) and a sought-after management company. So, of course, they're throwing a big fuck-off party. This year, Purple Sneakers turns ten and to celebrate they're running a big party called 'Ten Years Of Taste' during Vivid Sydney with mates UNDR Ctrl and FBi Radio. On June 18, it'll take over The Lord Gladstone — where Purple Sneakers moved their weekly party back in the day after the Abercrombie shut down for a spell — and it's going to be free. FREE. Expect one heck of a rowdy shindig, as Purple Sneakers have invited their talented friends along — expect sets from up and comers like Tashka, Lastlings and World Champion; alongside heavy beats from Indian Summer, Stephane 1993 and Moonbase Commander. There'll be DJ sets from I OH YOU, Pilerats, Astral People, Motorik and their mates from the old Abercrombie days Linda Marigliano and Levins. Finally (and of course) Purple Sneakers DJs will be closing the night with an hour and a half 'retrospective' set. According to the crew, the set will be "looking back at all the bangers we've all partied, loved, celebrated and passed out to." Count. Us. In. Purple Sneakers' 10th Birthday Party is happening at The Lord Gladstone on June 18 for Vivid Sydney. Entry is free but you'll need to RSVP.
Spring is in the air, and we all know what that means: it's time to kick back with some friends and a nice bottle of vino and enjoy a movie under the stars. We've been spoiled for choice when it comes to outdoor cinemas in recent years, and now The Greens in North Sydney is getting in on the action. Flicks at the Greens is your latest destination for classic, cult and new release cinema with a little bit of lawn bowling thrown in. The film program runs Wednesday to Sundays for four weeks across late September and early October, beginning with OTT action comedy Kingsman: The Secret Service. Other recent titles include Ant Man, Trainwreck and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, while those of you looking for a dose of nostalgia can enjoy the likes of Mean Girls, Dirty Dancing and Howl's Moving Castle. The movies start at sundown, but there'll be plenty to keep you occupied until then. The recently refurbished Greens Kitchen will be open for pre-film feasts, with a lot more than just stale popcorn on offer. Nothing like slow-cooked lamb or a thick rib-eye steak to put you in the mood for a screening of Jurassic World — although we can't imagine Indominus Rex would bother with the herb and garlic butter. They'll also be operating bars of both the candy and alcohol varieties, so there's no danger of you running out of things to eat or drink. Screenings on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays will be preceded by live music acts — and if you want to get really fancy, you can grab yourself a VIP Crown Class ticket which gets you a bean bed in the reserved area along with a complimentary box of popcorn. Every two VIP tickets purchased come with a bottle of Taltarni wine. Tickets to Flicks at the Greens are $15 for GA and $32 for Crown Class from Moshtix, but thanks to The Greens, we have two double Crown Class passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter and then email win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address.
Love a good Italian street festival? Yeah y'do. Italian nosh, wine and live music? What's not to like? Head for Five Dock this Sunday, August 21 for Ferragosto, showcasing the best of Italian culture on Great North Road. Celebrating a cheeky 19 years of festivities, Ferragosto is a staple of Canada Bay's Italian calendar. There'll be over 160 food, wine and merchandise stalls, live kitchen demos from local chefs, rides for 'kids' (yeah, probably still just for actual kids), alongside dance and music performances across four stages. If you're an Italian food and wine fiend, make this a double Sunday bill — the Italian Food and Wine Festival is taking over Sydney Town Hall on the same day.
If you're heading to The Rocks on a Friday night this summer, be prepared for that which cannot be prepared for. The Village Bizarre is back. Once a week, from Friday, November 13, The Rocks will transform into a labyrinth of magic, mystery, music and mischief. Turn into a cobblestone laneway and you're likely to meet a bunch of two-storey-tall inflatable men. Beware of stepping into the shadows, for you might encounter wily tricksters in the form of the Sepia Jezabels. Watch out for dancers and theatre performers waiting for you to pass by their shop windows. When you're ready to put your feet up, head to the Vaudevillia Bar for a spot of twisted cabaret, featuring crazy circus performers, physical comedy, an inflatable host and a three-piece band. Meanwhile, Bohemia's picture frame will conceal a secret room and, at Cabaret Sasquatch, you'll step into a dreamy landscape of centuries past. Check out the rest of the enormous program at the Rocks Bizarre website.
We all know that one day the singularity will be upon us and machines will rise up and take the planet. We know that. And yet when a super intelligent cooking robot wanders into our midst we welcome it with open arms — and that's probably because, even in the face of grizzly robot death, food is king. With that in mind, meet June the intelligent oven designed by a feisty gang of ex-Apple developers. June is incredibly advanced. Using image recognition technology, she can identify food types, weigh dishes and adjust cooking time to make sure your food is cooked perfectly (allowing you to have another wine and lose yourself in Game of Thrones without worrying about ruining dinner). She’s equipped with a touch screen with step-by-step instructions, a meal planner and recipe suggestions, a built-in digital scale, and push notifications. She also has (brace yourself) live HD video streaming from within the oven. Yep. We have a feeling that watching this fascinating live stream will become a household activity. And may opened-oven-door cakes never sink in the middle again. And although June looks like a wee microwave, she packs a powerful punch with the ability to preheat to approximately 180 degrees Celsius in four and a half minutes. And she has a NVIDIA Tegra K1 with 2.3 GHz quad-core processor, mostly likely making her more powerful than your laptop. Welp. The future is certainly now and we, for one, welcome our robot overlords. At least they know how we like our steak. Images: June Oven. Reserve your June oven here.
The fight to save The Rocks' Sirius Apartments has been raging for over seven months now, and Tim 'Rosso' Ross has no intention of giving it up anytime soon. In the latest of the Save Our Sirius saga, Rosso is leading a gathering this Friday, March 31 from 5pm. He's encouraging Sydneysiders to rethink your Friday arvo knock off drinks and join together in a celebratory protest of the Brutalist building and its relevance to Sydney's future. Oh, and Rosso is bringing the snags. Despite the unanimous advice of the Heritage Council to list the building, the NSW Government decided back in September to replace the public housing with luxury apartments, effectively pushing out its low-income occupants in an act that many feel is anti-community and anti-inclusion. The public outcry was massive and Rosso, along with Federal Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese and Lord Mayor Clover Moore, led over 1500 people in a public rally to save the building. Afterward, protesters kept the fight going and launched a crowdfunding campaign, raising over $50,000 by 600 citizens. The money went to help the Millers Point Community Association launched a legal challenge against the NSW Government. Rosso's Friday protest is in response to the NSW Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) blocking out the windows of the Sirius after the building's architect, Tao Gofers, lead over 1000 people on walking tours of the apartments last month in an effort to raise greater public awareness around the issue.
If you're tired of seeing women in one-dimensional roles written by blokes, the World of Women's Cinema Festival is your chance to re-energise. Now in its 21st year, this event is a cracking celebration of films written by, for and about women. That's right, no boys' germs 'round here. Matters will kick off on Thursday, April 28 with a screening of Gillian Armstrong's My Brilliant Career (1979), the story of writer Sybylla Melvyn, who shirks family expectations to pursue the pen. Then, on Saturday, gear up for a 25th anniversary screening of Thelma and Louise, the absolute sleepover classic starring Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon on the road in a 1966 Thunderbird. Also showing are eight collections of short film and four international premieres. And, to get involved in masterclasses and panel discussions, check out the POW-WOW section of the program. Finally, WOW introduces a brand new event this year, in the form of On the Table, which will see one talented female screenwriter have her script read by actors before a live audience.
You know summer's almost here in Sydney when openair cinemas start making big ol' announcements. Sydney's most visually stunning openair cinema, St George Openair Cinema, is back for the summer. Celebrating its 20th season this year, Sydney's beloved cinema with a million dollar view returns to Mrs Macquaries Point on Thursday, January 7 for a huge 40-night season until February 19. The 2016 program, which will be fully announced in December this year, will see more than a dozen premiere and preview screenings, a selection of 2015’s best arthouse films, as well as the all-time favourite Christmas and New Year releases. There were more than 50,000 tickets sold last year in the first days of pre-sales in December, so you'd better be organised when tickets go on sale on December 7. Keeping their tried and true formula intact, St George Openair Cinema will return with their epic grandstand seating, with those insane views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House which perpetually distract us from the 350 square metre cinema screen. Stupid beautiful Sydney. Nosh-wise, there's plenty afoot from the cinema's culinary team, with menus yet to be announced for this year's program. Last year saw all the Miss Chu rice paper rolls and Love Supreme pizza you could wolf at one of the prettiest openair cinemas in the world, so you can expect a gloriously gourmet season down at Mrs Macquaries Point. St George Openair Cinema 2016 runs January 7 to February 19. Tickets are on sale at 9am on December 7, 2015. Visit the website for updates, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
If you (smartly) took regular advantage of Bartolo's 49 percent off deal last July, you'll be glad to hear the Surry Hills restaurant is bringing back that same deal for March. To celebrate the birthday of its namesake, Bartolo Marino — the great-grandfather of owner Jared Merlino (who also co-owns Big Poppa's, Kittyhawk and Lobo Plantation) — the restaurant is offering another month-long drinks promotion. Called 'Book the Bar', it's pretty much what it says on the packet: book a spot at the dedicated bar area for lunch or dinner any day in March and you'll get a whopping 49 percent off your drinks bill. When you visit, expect a sleek fit-out with walnut floorboards and high tables, along with a cocktail menu that spans spritzes ($15), classics ($14–20) and signatures ($20). So, with the 49 percent off deal, that's just $7.65 spritzes, $7–10.2 classics and $10.20 signatures. The cocktail menu changes with the season, but you'll fine the likes of a Vermuttino spritz (vermouth, lemon myrtle and soda), a Take a Break cocktail (cold brew coffee, strawberry and Mancino Vermouth Chinato) and the Australian Sbagliato (sweet vermouth, bitter orange and prosecco). And you can sip each and every one of these cocktails for almost half price. The Book the Bar Promotion is available at lunch and dinner, with a 90-minute time limit. Bookings are essential, and you must include 'BOOKTHEBAR' in your booking notes to get the deal.
'The Voice' is coming to Bluesfest. Not the Delta kind, the only kind. Bluesfest have announced their second artist lineup for the 2016 festival. Living legend and eternal Sexbomb Tom Jones sits at the top of the bill, alongside Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. Memories will be flooding (along with Bluesfest, if it rains again) with the appearance of Jackson Browne, alongside the The Decemberists. Things are going to get real Byron when The Wailers perform all four of Bob Marley’s albums Exodus, Survival, Uprising and Legend in their entirety. Returning Bluesfester Steve Earle is back with The Dukes, alongside Tweedy, Jason Isbell and Grace Potter. Add this motley crew to the first Bluesfest cornucopia of The National, City and Colour and UB40? You've got yourself a humdinger of a muddy, muddy weekend. Enough chatskies, here's who's playing. BLUESFEST 2016 SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT: Tom Jones Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds The Decemberists Jason Isbell Sturgill Simpson Tweedy Steve Earle and The Dukes The Wailers Grace Potter Lord Huron Nahko and Medicine For The People Vintage Trouble Lucky Peterson Emdee Blackberry Smoke BLUESFEST 2016 FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT: The National City and Colour UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, Astro and Mickey Virtue Joe Bonamassa Tedeschi Trucks Band The Cat Empire Lukas Nelson & Promise of The Real The Word Rhiannon Giddens Janiva Magness St. Paul & The Broken Bones Allen Stone The Selecter Shakey Graves Songhoy Blues + more Bluesfest runs Thursday, March 24 – Monday, March 28 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay. Tickets from Byron Bay Bluesfest. Image: Andy Fraser.
If you’re desperate for a Willy Wonka experience but don’t have the patience to look through all those candy bars for the golden ticket, we’ve got you covered. Sydneysider Katherine Sabbath, the cake magician whose outrageously Instagrammable creations look like they came straight from a unicorn-run Wonka factory combined with a touch of fairy dust, is hosting a high tea at The Tea Salon. Known for her wonderfully cartoon-like, candy-coloured creations, Sabbath is an up-and-coming fixture in the Australian foodie scene and has recently collaborated with big names such as Luke Mangan and Anna Polyviou. As you’d expect, her beautiful cakes have made quite a splash on Instagram. So what better way to let this talented Sydney food artist spread her wings than constructing an entire adorable high tea? On July 16 and 17, you'll be able to get your hands on a bounty of Sabbath’s marvellous cakes, cake pops, donuts and other weird and wonderful baked treats at The Tea Salon in the CBD. She’ll also be demonstrating how to make one of her epic cakes (you know what they say about teaching someone to bake an insanely delicious pastel cake masterpiece... they’ll eat it straight away. Totally an old saying.). But be sure to harden your heart and charge your phone camera, because Sabbath's creations look so good you'll almost (almost) not want to eat them. A spread of tea, sparkling rosé and scones will also be provided, as if you needed more reasons to attend. Here's a little taster: Katherine Sabbath’s Exclusive High Tea is happening on Thursday, July 16 (6pm-8pm) and Friday, July 17 (10am-12pm) at The Tea Salon, corner of Pitt Street Mall and Market Street, Sydney. Tickets are $45 pp, available here. Images: Katherine Sabbath and The Tea Salon. View all Sydney Events.
They say that every dog has its day. But in Sydney, it turns out they actually get a lot more than just one. Less than a week after packs of pooches descended on Cuckoo Callay in Newtown and an entire dog festival invaded Surry Hills, The Beresford in Surry Hills have announced a dog show of their own. Set for 3pm on Saturday, December 5, the inaugural Beresford Dog Show will welcome furry friends of all shapes and sizes. There'll be a series of contests with all sorts of goodies up for grabs, including treats, chew toys and prize packs courtesy of nearby pet boutique Pup N Pussy. Costumes are highly encouraged and there are bonus points if you and your dog wear matching outfits. (Full disclosure: there are no bonus points. We made that up. But you should still totally do it.) While the mutts strut their stuff, the humans can pick up some pet care tips from Pup N Pussy's Dillon, aka The Dog Whisperer, and grab a sample bag full of merchandise. Entry to the Beresford Dog Show is free, so you've got no excuses to skip it. For more information about the Beresford Dog Show, head to the website.
Sydney's Yael Stone (Orange Is the New Black) is back in her hometown and headed for Belvoir. She joins her real-life husband Dan Spielman, who leads a cast of 11 onstage in Stephen Sewell's The Blind Giant Is Dancing. Despite having premiered in 1983, this play is pertinent to the many difficulties plaguing Australian politics today. At its centre is an idealist, who dreams of making the nation a better place, but becomes so mixed up in party power struggles, he has trouble keeping his eye — and aspirations — on the bigger, more important picture. Eamon Flack is directing, his first time directing at Belvoir since stepping into the role of artistic director and being awarded Best Director at the Sydney Theatre Awards for his production of Ivanov in 2015. He is Belvoir’s third ever artistic director, a position held by Neil Armfield for over 20 years. Flack, an actor, director, dramaturg and writer, was raised in Darwin, south east Asia and Brisbane, and has worked at Belvoir for a decade. Image: Brett Boardman.
The Finders Keepers Markets have become a staple for those who are into design, creativity and supporting local artists. Treat yourself to a stroll around the market — it has over 200 stalls featuring fashion, ceramics, jewellery and food. Returning to The Australian Technology Park for three days for the second time this year, you'll be able to nab some marvellous treats that are difficult to find anywhere else. It's the perfect time to knock out your Christmas shopping in one go. The designer-centric, come-one-come-all mini-festival has managed to bridge the gap between local market and exclusive exhibition, creating a space for independent designers to engage with the wider community. This time around, keep an eye out for beautiful summery swimming costumes from Camp Cove Swimwear, Raw.suds for some men's beauty care (potential Christmas present), and The Salty Merchants for a summer beach umbrella. As usual, there will be a healthy amount of food. Cornersmith will be there serving up gourmet treats, as will Mr. Bao and Nighthawk Diner, and Donut Papi will be on hand for sugar cravings. Finders Keepers will run over three days, on Friday December 9 from 6pm-10pm, on Saturday December 10 from 10am-6pm, and on Sunday December 11 from 10am-5pm. For more information and a full list of designers, visit the Finders Keepers Sydney website. Image: Bridget Bodenham by Bec Taylor.
The Lansdowne is making its highly anticipated comeback, announcing a full weekend of absolutely epic live gigs from this Thursday, June 15 through Sunday, June 18. As promised when they first announced reopening, the crew is getting some damn big names in for a weekend's worth of secret gigs and only revealing the lineup one hour before doors open at 8pm each night. The beloved live music venue has been brought back to life by Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham, owners of Mary's and The Unicorn Hotel. The duo have teamed up with renowned booker Matt Rule (The Music and Booze Co.) and local artist Jessica Cochrane to revamp the space while maintaining its grungy appeal of old. It's looking seriously impressive. Trust us, these gigs will be worth lining up for. Tickets for each night will be available on the door for a mere ten dollarydoos — money well spent. Thursday saw an absolutely legendary first night lineup take the stage, with Sydney super-group A Band joining the talents of The Delta Riggs' drummer Elliott Hammond and guitarist Michael Tramonte, The Preatures' guitarist Thomas Champion and Stick Fingers' bassist Paddy Cornwall, guitarist Seamus Coyle and pianist Freddy Crabs. They shared the mic with guests vocals from members of The Rubens, Joyride, King Tide and the Jezebels, along with Gideon Benson and Jordan Sly. For Friday and Saturday night's lineup, head back here one hour before kickoff.
After the overwhelming, sold- out response to the The School of Life's Sydney pop-up in early 2016, the school has just announced it will open permanently on Monday July 25. The first term of programming will run from Monday, July 25 to Saturday, October 29, with tickets on sale at 10am this Monday, July 4. Founded in London in 2008, TSOL is a cultural endeavour to teach 'emotional intelligence,' offering encouraging ideas for everyday life through workshops, events and seminars. While the school currently operates in various cities around the world — including Amsterdam, Belgrade, Istanbul, Paris, Sao Paolo, Seoul and Tel Aviv — Australia is the first country to open a permanent branch outside of London, starting with The School of Life Melbourne in 2014. If Melbourne's recent classes on the philosophy of disco and a presentation on misinformation are any indication of what Sydneysiders have in store, we're a lucky bunch. While the school's main classroom is located on Castlereagh Street in the CBD, special large-scale events will run at other, sure to be iconic, venues across Sydney. Australians are, not surprisingly, welcoming this second outpost with open arms. The school's original founder, philosopher Alain de Botton, will be touring Australia throughout the opening month as a partnership launch with TSOL Australia. So what Life lessons are we learning? The first term features 23 'how to' classes spanning ideas surrounding love, work, life and death, as well as cultural workshops including 'Photography as Therapy', 'Making Meaning: Spring', 'Storytelling as Therapy', 'Living with a Creative Mind', 'Understanding Mindfulness' and 'Stoic Mindfulness and Meditation'. Special events are also included in the program. We're especially keen on the 'Music and the Mind' and the 'Night of Better Conversation' events. The school's customary philosophy brunches and its much-loved 'Bibliotherapy' services will also run throughout the semester. The School of Life Sydney will be located at Legion House, 161 Castlereagh Street, Sydney; Tickets for the first term of classes and events will go on sale at 10am on Monday, July 4. Keep your eyes on The School of Life's website and sign up for the mailing list for further announcements on major events of the program.
If you’ve been missing the Festivalists’ best-known night about town, Jurassic Lounge, it’s been a long time between drinks. Their pioneering play-plus-edification mainstay at the Australian Museum slipped into indefinite hiatus with its extinction events late last year, leaving Festivalist fans to explore the film festivals, festival hub and Mayhem that make up part of their wider repertoire. This September, though, they’re adding more museum to their CV with a Lounge-like excursion to Darling Harbour: Hijinks. Hijinks sees the Festivalists take over the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium for three separate nights across September, October and November. And this time they’re going with the nautical theme. On arrival, attendees will be handed a treasure map which will help them to find a treasure chest over the course of the night. But to get to it you’ll need to complete a series of challenges. Says Festivalist director Matt Ravier, “The challenges take the form of riddles and photo challenges that you might complete by taking a photo with your phone, for example.” Helping you work out what to do will be a series of actors, performers and actual scientists scattered around the building. These challenges are optional. There’ll still be plenty of scope in the evening for just a drink and a bit of hanging out. But the treasure map is all about making good with this new space, after switching from a space like the Australian Museum’s interlocking rooms to the Aquarium’s path-like layout. The Festivalists try to look at each new venue with fresh eyes. When you first scope one out, Ravier says, you try to “leave all preconceived ideas and expectations at the door, and you’ll re-experience the venue almost as a child.” So, for Hijinks guests, “rather than just have a party, which we can do pretty much anywhere, they’ll be interacting with improv comedians, performers, artists, but also marine biologists throughout their journey through the Aquarium and getting clues from them that will lead them to the treasure chest, with a chance, of course, to win its contents.” This time, says Ravier, “the whole experience is designed as a journey, rather than a free-for-all invitation to disperse and be at a certain place at a certain time.” Which also means it’s laid out a bit like one-way system. “Although people who come regularly will start discovering short cuts and secret passages that allow them to move more freely than they thought they could.” And it won’t just be the people; the point of getting to explore at the Aquarium is to get a better look at that marine life on show. “I guess, with Hijinks, we’re bringing the party to the wildlife," says Ravier. "So, it’ll be an interesting kind of meeting, audiences and marine biology.” Is it hard to plan around fish? They’ve planned around the animals, but Ravier’s not too concerned about the prospect of mixing people with fish tanks. “It’s actually quite easy, because the space has already been designed with that in mind. The tanks etcetera have been built in such a way as to protect the animals from external noise and stimuli. It simply means that we won’t have loud music in certain spaces, that we have to be careful about bass and vibrations from the bass if we have a DJ playing.” Opening night, Thursday, September 11, sees a pirate theme. Highlights will include Tom Christophersen's radio-transmitted storytelling, puppet cabaret from Defy and tattoo-drawing lessons from tattooist Jimmy Memento. Not to mention the chance to hear divers at the Aquarium talk about rescuing grey nurse sharks in the wild, a little underwater art and maybe some extra underwater activities. “I think what underpins pretty much everything that we do is access," says Ravier. "So the idea of providing access to culture, or to collections, or to artistically or culturally valuable experiences.” And like most people he asked, Ravier says that for him, before Hijinks, the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium had been a place he mainly just took overseas visitors. But now he thinks Hijinks “could be a chance to almost reappropriate the aquarium for Sydney locals as a fantastic space that’s right on our doorstep.” Hijinks, Sydney’s only underwater party, has announced a triumphant return to Sea Life Sydney Aquarium for a series of exciting new monthly events for 2015, kicking off on January 29. Try the blind date ticket and get your group of singles matched with another.
The team behind beloved Sydney icon The Grounds of Alexandria have (finally) announced another development in their quest to take over the everyone in the city's Instagram accounts. Next year they'll be opening a second venue — in North Sydney. According to Grounds co-founder Ramzey Choker, the new venue is been pencilled in to open in late 2017, but the development is currently still subject to final council approval (fingers crossed). Choker says the new venue will fall under the Grounds brand, but will have a new persona — so don't expect a carbon copy of the Alexandria venue. The site, on the Lower North Shore, is being modelled after the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (just one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, no biggie), and will have an "Ancient Rome" feel to it, says Choker. "The new site is a 4000-metre-squared blank canvas and it gives us the opportunity to create what we believe the world is missing. We love creating beautiful venues that are totally unique and different," Choker told us. "I believe we've been lost in the commercial world of concrete and we want to bring meaning back in a beautiful, green city". It'll feature a huge coffee roastery (when we say huge, we mean 900 square metres kinda huge) in the capable hands of Jack Hanna and an on-site nursery selling unique plants (thank you for answering our prayers, oh merciful gods!), so prepare to spend long, rambling mornings getting lost in a sea of plants and coffee. "The new site will have a cafe and restaurant but it will be so much more than that," he says. "With the roastery and nursery on-site, the site will be about escapism, transporting you into another world of incredibly lush greenery." Take. Us. There. At the moment the new venue has a rough opening date of late 2017 — but we'll keep you updated on any further details and developments as they're announced.
It's news that we knew was coming, even if we were dreading it: iconic Sydney venue Frankie's Pizza will shut its doors to make way for the Hunter Street metro station on Sunday, December 11. In true Frankie's fashion, the long-serving underground CBD bar, pizza joint and concert venue is going out with a bang rather than a fizzle by hosting a massive run of farewell shows. The run of events will kick off on Thursday, December 1 with a night that's labelled The Beginning of the End. Following this, FreakFlag Events is hosting The Final Feast on Sunday, December 4, Frankie's World Famous House Band will play one last gig on Monday, December 5 and TNT Trivia will come to a close on Tuesday, December 6, offering a grand prize of a year's worth of Young Henry's beer alongside a performance from Tasmanian metal band Psycroptic. On Wednesday, December 7, 2000s Australian rock icons Wolfmother will be performing their Grammy Award-winning catalogue of hits at the venue for a free gig partnered with Hard Rock Karaoke, so if you've ever wanted to see 'Joker in the Thief' in a packed underground bar, this is your chance. The final night of the beloved bar also coincides with its tenth birthday, so you can expect that to be a big one. The Frankie's team hasn't announced any details about this night yet, but entry will be free and you can expect plenty of antics as Sydney bids farewell to one of its favourite venues. [caption id="attachment_637649" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Katje Ford[/caption]
The flavours of French baking are coming to Potts Point later this month courtesy of La Boulangerie, a short-term bakery, restaurant and cocktail bar. Taking over Yellow, Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt's European bistro located in historic Yellow House, the pop-up patisserie is a collaboration between Yellow, Luxe Bakery and Grey Goose Vodka, and will be serving up delectable French pastries and ludicrous five-course dinners starting Friday August 21. During daylight hours, (9am-2pm to be precise) La Boulangerie will operate as a bakery, selling freshly baked baguettes and sourdoughs as well as a variety of traditional sweet pastries such as éclairs, almond croissants and pains au chocolat. You'll also be able to pick up jars of specially made Grey Goose confiture, in varieties such as pear and lemon, lemon and salt, and orange and Szechuan pepper. At night, Savage takes over the kitchen for a five-course gourmet dinner menu that'll run you $120 a head. Start with cured kingfish with cod roe and pickled cherry, and foie gras parfait with fermented apple, radish and red endive for entree, followed by mahi mahi with roast carrot and Grey Goose L'Orange bisque, and beef tri-tip with charred onion and green garlic for the main course. Assuming you've got room, dessert consists of pain d'espices with vanilla and vodka poached pear. The meal is also paired with a number of vodka cocktails that'll make it that much harder to get out of your chair once the evening is said and done. If that wasn't enough, La Boulangerie will also be running a pop-up martini bar between August 27-29, serving cocktails as well as a selection of fancy-schmancy bar snacks like mushrooms with quinoa crisps, braised lamb shoulder sliders, and chicken liver parfait. La Boulangerie will be located at Yellow, 59 Macleay St, Potts Points from August 21 until September 6. For more information visit their website.
For the entire glorious, autumnal month of April, the inner west's ravenous hordes will be just a hop, skip and a jump away from Josh Arthurs' extraordinary burgers. Yep, Burgers by Josh is taking over the kitchen at the Annandale Hotel for a whole four weeks. The event is a logical follow-up to the pub's two February Bush Burger pop-ups, which both sold out. Needless to say, the menu will be loaded with Josh's well-known creations, from the Fat Tony — a wagyu patty piled with provolone cheese, pickled Spanish onion and rocket — to the Infamous Primo, a wagyu pattie with American cheddar, house-made pickles, Thousand Island dressing, iceberg lettuce, beer battered onion rings and crispy American bacon, topped with a jalapeño popper. And, because it's a takeover, there'll be some extra additions in the form of weekend brunches. Expect breakfast burgers, peanut butter jelly toasties and more. Meanwhile, the hotel is developing a drinks menu designed to complement Josh's offerings. So gear up for all the big, fizzy, American flavours, from boozed milkshakes to spiked spiders. But if you're looking for some fruit at a burger pop-up at a pub, rest assured there'll be freshly squeezed juices too. The BBJ takeover launches at the Annandale Hotel on Friday, April 1. The menu will be available seven days a week between 11am-2.30pm and 5-9.30pm for four weeks, finishing up on Sunday, May 1. For more info visit annandalehotel.com.
The beer barons at Young Henrys must lead busy lives. Between running their Newtonian craft beer brewery and dreaming up Road House-themed bar takeovers, they've been enlisted by Australian chef and restaurateur Luke Mangan to team up with Kinkawooka Shellfish to bring you a month-long smorgasbord of mussels and beer. Yes, that’s correct. A month. Prepare your throat sack because like a pod of hungry pelicans, we’re going to be gulping bulk seafood. The festivities, aptly named 'Cook, Line and Drinker', kick off on June 9 with a four-course gala dinner at Mangan’s restaurant MOJO by Luke Mangan. Dishes will include crumbed mussel with hollandaise, Avruga roe and chives; pickled mussel accompanied by tiger prawn, witlof, radish, watercress and spicy herb vinaigrette; and pan-roasted salmon with Israeli cous cous, mussel (of course), tomato cucumber, dill and smoked butter. And dessert? A MOJO lamington that may or may not contain mussel — you’ll simply have to come along to find out. Kinkawooka Shellfish are providing the event with petit bouchot mussels, characterised by their small size, sweet flavour and buttery texture. These tasty mussels come from South Australia and are in season from May to September; so get 'em while they're hot, steamy and come with a side of expertly brewed craft beer. Don’t despair if the four-course affair exceeds your weekly mussel budget (gala tickets are a cool $110). You can rock up after June 9 to sample a bespoke mussel dish and a Young Henrys craft beer for $25 (small) or $29 (large). Cook, Line and Drinker is running from June 9 at MOJO by Luke Mangan, 8 Danks Street Waterloo. Tickets to the gala dinner are $110. To book, contact mojo@lukemangan.com or phone (02) 9002 5346.
Party on a private island with a lineup of visiting music acts, thanks to the legends at Siberia Records. The local label has partnered up with Laneway for a special post-festival sideshow on an island somewhere in the Sydney harbour. Which one? Not sure yet. Who'll be playing? They haven't said. But given their track record with these kinds of things, we're willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Set for the evening of Monday, February 8, not much has been revealed about the Sydney harbour shindig. Up to 700 ticket holders will be ferried to the undisclosed island via speedboat from King St Wharf, for an evening of sets and collaborative performances by local and international DJs, fresh from their appearance at Laneway. Island Getaway 3.0 marks the third time the record label has taken to the water, following a party on a barge in 2014 and a trip to Cockatoo Island in 2015. Guess we can cross the latter off our list of potential locations, with organisers promising this year's secret setting has "never been used like this before." Could it be one of these, maybe? Previous guests at Siberia's secret parties have included Jamie xx, Fourtet, Mark Ronson and Kirin J Callinan. They also co-hosted a massive laneway party with Young Turks in Wollongong for New Year's Eve, which saw both Jamie xx and Fourtet drop by unannounced. Like we said, they've got a pretty decent track record in this department. Image: Clark Island.
Sydney's sought-after lobster rolls are heading to a more fittingly seaside location this summer. Celebrated for their American-style lobster rolls, Waterman's Lobster Co. is bringing their seafoody fare from Potts Point to Bondi for a three-month pop-up. Opening on Boxing Day, Waterman’s Bondi take over the former Mr Moustache site (RIP) on Hall Street. Waterman's owners Matt Swieboda, Tristan Blair and Nate Hatwell will be transforming the former Bondi bar into a vaguely beach-inspired pop-up eatery, open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Food-wise, expect a bite-sized version of the Potts Point eatery, focusing on those signature Maine and Connecticut-style lobster rolls. There's a veggie roll option too, as well as other seafood possibilities (in case you're not crash hot on lobster). There'll also be a small selection of sides and salads including oysters and kingfish tartare, an Australian-focused wine list with drops from Great Southern, Adelaide Hills, Tumbaruma and Yarra Valley, and a solid cocktail list featuring Waterman's favourites like the Ritz Spritz, Line and Sinker and The Old Man & The Sea. Best bit? All nosh will be available to eat-in or take away — because that postcard-happy beach won't picnic on itself. Waterman’s Bondi will open Saturday, December 26 from midday, located at 75-79 Hall St, Bondi Beach. Open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week from 12pm to late.
The 2015 Sydney Peace Prize winner George Gittoes has worked to expose the injustices underlying global conflicts for the best part of 45 years. Navigating through war zones, the Australian artist, activist and filmmaker has endured extremely dangerous conditions over the course of his career, including death threats. Gittoes will be presenting the final part of his film trilogy titled What the World Needs Now at the MCA from November 13 – 22. The third instalment, Snow Monkey, will document the lives of Afghani people caught between Islamic State and the Taliban. The artist became active on the Australian art scene during the ‘70s, co-founding the Yellow House Artist Collective alongside Martin Sharp and Brett Whiteley. However, it was during the ‘80s that he started developing more of an international outlook. Now based in Jalalabad, Gittoes continues to work with local communities, catalysing creative initiatives and shedding new light on murky conflict zones.
A pop-up by the name of Mazi Mas is bringing a whole lot of goodness to Sydney — in two important ways. Firstly, it’s providing female migrants, refugees and asylum seekers with training and employment. Secondly, it’s bringing you fun, tasty dinners, in cafes that you’d usually find closed after dark. A not-for-profit project, Mazi Mas kicked off in London in 2012, thanks to founder and CEO Nikandre Kopcke. While studying for a Masters of Gender at the London School of Economics, she met an Aussie by the name of Maggie Lloyd, who decided to bring the project to Sydney. “In both the developed and developing world, women do the lion’s share of care work, cooking and cleaning and looking after children,” Lloyd told Mamamia. “This is a way of celebrating that work, and rewarding it with fair wages … Its main aims are around celebrating the skills the [participants] already had, but there’s also the practical element of finding ongoing work in a new country and having formal and local qualifications.” This year’s events have included spring dinners at Ultimo’s Lush Bucket Café, autumn dinners at Potts Point’s Café Dov and Fijian feasts at Darlinghurst’s The Rusty Rabbit. And once a dinner's all done? Mazi Mas has teamed up with the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre to help participants find jobs. And, so far, more than 50 percent of them have landed work in hospitality. Keep an eye on what's next for Mazi Mas and where they'll be setting up shop via Facebook. Images: Mazi Mas/Facebook.
Family-less folks of Sydney, don't stay at home this Christmas Eve, singing out-of-tune Christmas carols on your own and knocking back copious amounts of average beer. Instead, get yourself along to Wayward Brewing Co, where you'll be singing out-of-tune Christmas carols in a group and knocking back copious amounts of quality Sydney craft beer. Feeling better already? That's right, Camperdown's neighbourhood brewery is hosting an orphans' do and you're invited. All you have to do is throw on your best-worst Christmas sweater or Bad Santa outfit and go, go, go. When you're not sipping or singing (we weren't joking about the singalong), you'll be feasting on Christmas lamb or ham, courtesy of Smokin' Barrels BBQ. Entry is free and the revelry kicks off from midday, winding up around 10pm.
You've run around scavenger hunting with sharks, drinking cocktails with clownfish and dancing against the glass with rays (what, you didn't? Oh...), now it's time to take your after hours tomfoolery to the halls of the almost famous. The Festivalists are moving their next Hijinks party from the Sydney Aquarium next door to Madame Tussauds wax museum. The Festivalists are ditching the daytime Darling Harbour crowd for one creepy, glamorous party after closing time, dubbed '15 Minutes of Fame' on Friday, May 29. "No kids. No tourists. No C-listers." WE'RE IN. Deliberately going well OTT as an dramatically super-glam red carpet party, Hijinks will feature five pop-up bars (yep, five), interactive games and performances by drag artists, comedians, dancers and impersonators. And yes, dressing up as a celeb is encouraged. You'll be able to taunt the flamin' galahs about the place with Alf Stewart, meet Eddie Mabo, Albert Einstein and Henry Lawson or snuggle up to the recently-revealed Ryan Gosling (with his 'interactive abs')... You can have mad chats with Barack Obama, take dumb selfies with Taylor Swift, Madonna and Miley Cyrus and suss out the wax museum's brand new resident — Chris Hemsworth (good attempt, don't know about that hair though). Be sure to shoot the breeze with MT's wax sculptors, compete for Best Celebrity, get some form of makeover or just victoriously taunt celebrities who are shorter than you. Tickets are just $25 (normal daytime entry is $40) and include a complimentary Little Creatures beer or Stoli vodka cocktail on arrival (you'll have to bring cashola for more drinkies). You're advised to allocate 90 minutes to go through the venue. Any Ryan Gosling-loving cousins of yours who are under 18 aren't allowed, so you'll have to bring 'em back in the daytime. The next Hijinks is happening from 6.30pm on Friday, May 29 at Madame Tussauds, Aquarium Wharf, Darling Harbour. For more info and tickets, head over here.
Vivid Sydney is very nearly upon us and just when we thought it couldn't get any better — what with the lights and Bjork, Spike Jonze, Bon Iver and House of Cards creator Beau Willimon all coming out this year — they go and blow our wee minds by announcing this year's food hub, an all-star Sydney burger bar themed like a vintage arcade game. The pop-up, named 8Bits+Bytes, is a collaboration between local creative studios Motti+Smith and Paper Moose. They've got Sydney burg royalty on board to battle it out to get their name to the top of the leaderboard. Coming in to bat will be legends Mary's, Milk Bar by Café Ish, Pub Life Kitchen, Surry Hills' Bangbang Cafe, and Sammy's Burger Bar. Prepare your body. Aesthetics-wise, the pop-up will be styled to look like the inside of an 8bit arcade game with giant pixelated trees, burgers and storm clouds. A huge LED light wall (three metres tall by 30 metres long) will tell the tragic, pixelated tale of a burger's adventures through life. Be sure to play before you eat though, because the gaming is all interactive (hello motion tracking gaming technology). But onto the meat of the matter: the burgers. Each burg bigwig is in competition with the others to win your heart (and your vote) with a burger they've created especially for the occasion. Votes will be cast by hashtag across social media (as democratic elections have always been done), and will be tallied in real time on a digital scoreboard. So what's going to be on offer? Glad you asked. Mary's will be cooking up a Pac Man Burger, a tame twist on their classic with grass-fed beef, triple cheese, Mary's BBQ Sauce and onion rings. Café Ish has teamed up with the guys from The Jugernauts to create the Double Dragon: a milk bun filled with a double wagyu beef patty, double American cheddar, kimchi, green oak lettuce, miso sauce, seaweed, aioli and a milk bun (is your mouth watering yet?). Also teaming up with the food blog are Bangbang, who has designed the HACKRoulette (a cheeseburger topped with chilli con carne, more cheese and umami sauce served with a shot of pickle juice), and Sammy's Burger Bar on the Polish Pounder, a medium custom ground beef patty, cheese, sauerkraut, Polish slab bacon, horseradish mustard sauce and a dill pickle on a toasted brioche bun. Pub Life Kitchen have yet to announce their menu, but we're sure it will be just as enticing — there's some stiff competition after all. To be a fair judge, you will have to try all the burgers — perhaps several times each, and perhaps while playing motion tracking video games. Just to be fair. After all, you decide who wins, although what they win is unclear at this point...but really, at the end of the day, if we're stuffed full of burgers, don't we all win?
The gourmet grocers at Salt Meats Cheese have swung open the steel doors on their latest tasty venture: a pizza oven nestled inside a ten-foot-tall shipping crate. Shipped all the way from Naples, the traditional wood-fired oven will be the roaring heart of the fittingly named The Pizza Box, an eat-in pizzeria in the middle of their Alexandria warehouse store. Serving everything from margheritas to lobster tail with fontina and thyme, The Pizza Box aims to combine the very best of traditional and contemporary toppings — taking its inspiration from modern pizzerias in Italy. In addition to the above, options include typical fare like prosciutto and chorizo varieties, as well as more upper-crust combinations such as Tasmanian smoked salmon with gorgonzola, walnuts, capers and rocket, and wagyu bresaola with parmesan, caramelised onion, rocket and balsamic on a white pizza base. But it's not all pizza all at once. Entrees include a selection of cured meats, cheeses and chutneys, beef meatballs in tomato sauce, as well as your choice of pumpkin, spinach ricotta or bolognese arancini. You’ve also got plenty of dessert options, including chocolate mousse, tiramisu and gelato with Limoncello sauce. The Pizza Box trades from 6pm to 10pm, with Salt Meats Cheese also offering 20 percent off retail items for anyone who shops during extended hours. If you’d rather eat at home, the team are offering delivery — you can order via Menulog and get 25 percent off your first delivery. Find The Pizza Box at Salt Meats Cheese, 41 Bourke Road, Alexandria.
It's that glorious time of the season again, when the tinnies, chants and team colours come out for the Reclink Community Cup. For just five bucks, you get to watch musicians and media types lay their mics and guitars aside for an afternoon, as they engage in a serious match of Aussie Rules. The Cup has been running in Melbourne for 21 years and, on August 2, hits Sydney for the fourth year running. For the past three years, the journos, whose team is named the Sydney Sailors, have ruled supreme over the musos, aka the Western Walers. All money raised goes to Reclink Australia, a not-for-profit that uses sport and the arts to assist disadvantaged people. Their clients include those experiencing mental illness, disability, homelessness, substance abuse, addiction, and social and economic hardship. During the past year alone, Reclink's 300 member agencies, dotted all over the country, have brought more than 10,000 sport and arts activities to more than 100,000 people. Food and drinks will be available onsite, to keep you fuelled for heckling. Image: Rod Hunt.
This spring, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia will host an extensive retrospective by renowned South African photographer David Goldblatt, as part of the Sydney International Series. Running from October 19 until March 2019, David Goldblatt: Photographs 1948–2018 will dive deep into the life and work of one of recent history's most legendary photographers, covering a career of more than sixty years. Goldblatt is best known for his portrayal of South Africa's tumultuous history, especially surrounding apartheid. As the photographer's first major retrospective in the southern hemisphere, the exhibition will feature Goldblatt's most famous photo series, along with early vintage prints, never-before-seen footage from his personal collection and a new feature-length documentary. As MCA Director Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE explained, "visitors will discover an extraordinary artist whose documentary eye has not strayed from the complexities of his country of birth, but resonates with other global histories (including Australia's own) through narratives of race and racism, and industry and the land." The Sydney-exclusive exhibition is the first major retrospective of Goldblatt's work in the southern hemisphere. The exhibition was also the Goldblatt's final project before his death earlier this year. Images: David Goldblatt, A plot-holder, his wife and their eldest son at lunch, Wheatlands, Randfontein. September 1962 (3_4907), 1962. Image courtesy the artist and Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg © the artist; David Goldblatt, Shop assistant, Orlando West, 1972. Image courtesy Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg and Cape Town © The David Goldblatt Legacy Trust.
When Moonlight Cinema returns for its 2019–20 season, hitting Sydney's Centennial Park from Thursday, November 28 until Sunday, March 29, the annual feast of outdoor movies will give film fans exactly what we all want. Sure, we're all keen to roll out our picnic blankets, sit under the stars and stare up at the big screen — but, given that this openair cinema launches at the end of each and every year, we also want Christmas movies. In the week leading up to the big festive day, Moonlight will screen Last Christmas, Die Hard, Home Alone, Love Actually and Elf. Yep, all the basics are covered. They're not the only highlights on the bill, but they sure do twinkle brightly among a heap of other movie standouts. If you're wondering what else will tempt your inner cinephile, it's a lengthy list. With recently or newly released movies a big part of Moonlight's lineup, expect to watch Rocketman, Hustlers, Joker, Ford v Ferrari, Knives Out, Cats, Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker and Charlie's Angels. Moonlight also showcases advanced screenings of upcoming films, so add the Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron and Margot Robbie-starring Bombshell and Tom Hanks in A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood to your must-see pile. Going retro, the outdoor cinema will revisit last year's A Star Is Born and 90s perennial favourite 10 Things I Hate About You. Dirty Dancing is also on the bill, like every year — it wouldn't be a Moonlight without it. As always, Moonlight will also boast its usual food truck and licensed bar offering, and its reserved bean beds. You can also bring your dog and BYO food and booze. Moonlight Cinema has now dropped its March program, which'll take the openair cinema through until the end of its 2019–20 season on Sunday, March 29. Highlights include Oscar-winner Parasite, the creepy new version of The Invisible Man and a couple of chances to see Margot Robbie unleash mayhem in Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). You can also enjoy a blast from the past with The Dark Knight and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. CORRECTION: FEBRUARY 18, 2020 — This article previously stated that you cannot BYO, but this is incorrect. You are welcome to BYO food and drinks (including alcohol) to all Moonlight Cinema Sydney sessions.
One of Australia's most redeeming qualities is its ability to give good afternoon sun. There's something about its familiar glow that almost demands casual drinks – whether it's cracking open a cold beer after a day out in the sun, heading to the pub after a long day of work, or deciding on a whim that your backyard is perfect for a friendly barbecue. We love afternoon sessions, and we've partnered with Heineken 3 to put together a list of five places where you can grab an afternoon bev. WATSON'S BAY The Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel has been keeping the Eastern Suburbs inebriated for a merry 180 years. In 2013, after being snapped-up and made over by The Sydney Collective, it reopened with a more-glamorous-than-ever look, complete with Miami mint green facade, stripy umbrellas and Breton-striped waitstaff. This pub's 'beach' is a tranquil, harbourside strip of sand, foregrounding dreamy views. It's the perfect place to feast on an elaborate menu and knock back a few cold Heineken 3s. WEBSTER'S BAR This three-level pub in Newtown has the huge task of filling the shoes that Zanzibar left on King St. It has succeeded. It has one of the best rooftops in Sydney, complete with bird cages, astro turf and a barbecue that rages in the summer. Webster's is the only bar in Sydney that we think does a good job in combining a 1920s-style prohibition bar with a 1950s backyard-style rooftop. MANLY WHARF HOTEL For yet another perspective on this beautiful city, jump on a ferry at Circular Quay for a visit to the Manly Wharf Hotel. Grab a bench outside under a yellow-and-white-striped umbrella, so you can watch the sun dying over Sydney Harbour. Afterwards, go looking for Manly's resident fairy penguins, who live near the wharf and are often keen on a twilight waddle. An alternative adventure is a stroll across the Corso. THE BUCKET LIST The Bucket List is the closest you can get to Bondi Beach while drinking alcohol, without breaking the law. Drag up a padded milk crate next to a recycled wooden table and order a bucket of prawns, along with a bucket of beer to match. Then, all you have to is let the afternoon carry you away — whether it's wave-watching, sky-watching or people-watching you're into, Bondi won't let you down. COOGEE PAVILION Justin Hemmes never does anything by halves and the Coogee Pavilion, which he took over and revamped in late 2014, is no exception. For killer views of Coogee Beach and loads of sunshine, claim a table among the lush plants on the balcony. Meanwhile, inside, there are games galore — from petanque and ping pong to giant Scrabble. Should your afternoon turn into an evening, take your pick of eats from freshly shucked oysters, sashimi, wood-fired pizza and Mediterranean delights. Enjoy your summer afternoons with the new low-carb Heineken 3 – we're helping you make the most of them. Top Image: Watson's Bay Hotel.
Sydney lost a stalwart of the Kings Cross nightclub scene when Hugos closed its doors back in 2015. But the site of former venue is slowly being brought back to life. First, the team from Double Bay's now-closed Casablanca opened a Miami-inspired lounge bar in the Bayswater Road space, and now two of Sydney's young-gun restaurateurs will launch a 'concept' Mexican restaurant in the same dwelling this week. Fei Jai and Barrio Cellar's owners Nicole Galloway and Peter Lew have today revealed Chula — which, by coincidence, is just across the road from their former venue, Barrio Chino. Occupying the long-vacant premises, the restaurant will revolve around authentic, Mexican seafood and vegetable dishes. Reese Griffiths, founder of The Agave Cartel, has come on board to oversee the agave-heavy drinks list, and Alvaro Valenzuela, who has moved from Mexico City to Sydney for the gig, is head of the kitchen. The menu will be a bit more refined than that of Barrio Cellar's, and will include authentic Latin American delights with a strong regional focus, such as ceviche, aguachile, charcoal whole fish and tostadas. There'll also be a tortilla dish with tlayuda (a traditional black bean puree) charcoal meats from Oaxaca in Mexico's south that pays homage to the building's former pizza-making resident. "Mexican is a very special culture and cuisine so we wanted to create a menu that celebrates the rich traditions and flavours, while treating it with a contemporary hand. Simple food that's seriously flavourful and visual," says Galloway. Chula's interior is styled by Joshua Clapp from Steel + Stitch with the Mexican countryside in mind. With tones that channel countryside and beach, along with vintage cabinets, linen, tiled murals and an agave garden, you'll feel like you're in a Mexican country cantina. The new restaurant's name, Chula, has a double meaning. In Mexican slang, it's both 'pretty' and 'hot', and both the restaurant's stunning interior and picante menu can be described using this one word. "Kings Cross is our home, we raise our children here, we've had four businesses in the area," Galloway said. "King Cross has gone through an enormous amount of change over the last few years, and the idea of it coming back to life with new residential projects, bars, eateries and retail is an incredibly exciting prospect." Chula will officially open tomorrow, Wednesday, October 11 and will be open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday (and until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays). It seems as though Mexican food is getting a second wind in Sydney — Melbourne Mexican chain Fonda will be opening its first Sydney outpost in Bondi later this month too. Chula will open at 33 Bayswater Road, Sydney on Wednesday, October 11. For more info visit chula.com.au. Images: Kai Leishman.
Newtown's ultimate pub crawl is back for its sophomore year. On Sunday September 4, 40 venues between Missenden Road and St Peters Station will welcome 150+ music acts through their doors, for a day-long party in the inner west. Participating in this year's event is a motley lineup of Newtown favourites, from bars and pubs to restaurants and cafes, plus record stores and venues that specialise in live music. And despite the name, it's not just King Street that gets to have all the fun this year, with stalwarts on Erskineville and Enmore Roads getting in on the action too. As for the entertainment, expect a who's who from the local music scene, with the likes of The Gooch Palms, The Laurels, Shining Bird, Bec Sandridge, Richard in Your Mind and about 147 or so more all expected to perform.
Latin American cooking and a top shelf name? Paddington's newest restaurant, Tequila Mockingbird, already ticks multiple boxes for us. Opening this week on Heeley Street in Paddington, this cheeky bird is the brainchild of ex-Sake staffer Michael Fegent, who's thrown his lot in with Riley Street Garage chef Regan Portenous. Together, they've nicked all the best dishes from Mexico to Argentina — along with a healthy assortment of spirits to wash them all down. The menu at the 110-seat eatery is a seasonal affair, and is split into a number of distinctive sections. In the 'raw' section you'll find ceviche tacos and kangaroo tartare nachos, while the standout of the 'street' section looks to be the alpaca and mozzarella empanada. Just make sure you leave ample room for something from the chargrilled 'flame' section, be it barbecue lamb shoulder with red chimichurri, or dry aged rib eye with garlic jalapeno butter. Of course, with a name like Tequila Mockingbird, you know that booze will be a big part of the equation too. Their drinks list begins with a glossary of tequila terminology, in order to help newbies feel at home. In total they offer more than 40 different tequilas and mezcals, along with a dozen signature cocktails and a massive selection of wines. Find Tequila Mockingbird at 6 Heeley Street, Paddington. For more information visit www.tequila-mockingbird.com.au.
Hello Kitty's imminent fate as a burger has been confirmed. Chur Burger's award-winning chef Warren Turnbull has joined the team heading up the kitchen at the highly-anticipated Hello Kitty Diner in Chatswood. The first-announced 'local food hero' bringing their mad skills to the diner, Turnbull will be given the opportunity to interpret Hello Kitty according to his own personal style. That means burgers, people. Turnbull's Surry Hills laneway joint, Chur, still has lines out the door on a weekday, so this is a strong poach from the Diner team. Turnbull will be pretty hands-on with the Diner's exclusive Sydney menu, kitchen set-up and staff training. His menu will include burgers (of course) and yet to be revealed snacks — we've been given 'Asian twist' as a clue here, with the promise of Korean fried chicken and classic American diner vibes. "Food is my way of telling a story and I’m excited to introduce people to a whole new Hello Kitty experience," says Turnbull. "The menu will take you on a journey that’s tasty, fun and full of surprises.” Sydney's first Hello Kitty Diner revealed its opening date and location last week, and remains one of the year's most awaited Sydney openings. Watch this space for more details — we're hanging out for the menu.
LA clubbing royalty is headed to Australia for the first time ever this month — and she's making sure its a debut to remember. High-octane, inclusivity-focused party A Club Called Rhonda has become something of a legend in the States, described as a "pansexual paradise, a haven for all identities and inclinations". And, having graced venues across LA, San Francisco, New York, Canada and Berlin, she's making an extravagant one-night appearance at Sydney's own home of good times, The Lansdowne. Making the most of the pub's freshly approved 5am lockout-free licence, Picnic + Terzini Presents A Night In LA with A Club Called Rhonda crashes into town for one debaucherous evening — filled with glitter, lasers and colour — on Saturday, August 24. A star-studded cast of US and Canadian guests will be along for the ride, from Atlanta QTPOC crusader Leonce to Montreal's ghetto-house superstar Martyn Bootyspoon and Rhonda Co-Founder Goddollars. Joining the internationals on the bill will be a lineup of local dance legends and queer icons, including Stereogamous — the self-proclaimed gayest band since The Village People — and Ayebatonye. Other DJs and performers working their magic across the Lansdowne's two levels include Sarah Moany, Adi Toohey, Millie Skyes, Felicia Foxx, Luen and Freda's Spicy Salami (aka owner David Abram). Of course, with that lineup and those hours, you're going to need some decent fuel, which comes in the form of tropical disco cocktails from Yael Vengroff — American Bartender of the Year 2018 and head bartender at The Spare Room in LA. Picnic + Terzini Presents A Night In LA with A Club Called Rhonda will run from 9pm–5am.
