Sydney is home to some serious local distillers and we're finally getting an event that pays homage to this growing craft. Indie Tasting exclusively features independently-made spirits and this year it is open to the public for the first time. On Sunday, September 18, Frankie's Pizza will host both local and international makers of craft spirits in a day of talking, learning and, of course, boozing. The event will see 120 boutique spirits on offer from 40 suppliers. Young Henrys will of course represent, showcasing their Nightsweat Moonshine and Noble Cut Gin, as will Marrickville talent Poor Toms Gin. On the international side of things, six distilleries from North Carolina are trekking their spirits to Sydney, many of which are making their Australian debut. Ticketholders should keep an eye out for Covington's yam vodka, one of the stranger sounding on the list. Each ticket will include six free masterclasses, which include a journey through mezcal, a rum tasting and a class called 'Here's what you should ask a craft distiller'. Indie Tasting is being held as part of Sydney Bar Week 2016, so this tasting is just a highlight of what drinks may come mid-September.
Film buffs, prep your saliva glands for the Sydney Film Festival entree you’ve been waiting for: the organisers have revealed their first wave of programming, featuring several of the year’s most hotly anticipated movies not named The Avengers or Star Wars. The tantalising teaser includes 27 titles, many of which have already begun generating buzz at festivals overseas. Slow West, a suspense-filled Western starring Michael Fassbender and Ben Mendelsohn, won the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, while post-war German thriller Phoenix was one of the most talked-about films in Toronto late last year. Other dramatic standouts include the Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy featuring Paul Dano and John Cusack, and a new take on the world’s most famous detective starring the great Ian McKellen as an ageing Mr Holmes. But even more impressive than the festival’s dramatic lineup is the first round slate of documentaries. Acclaimed non-fiction filmmakers Alex Gibney and Kirby Dick tackle scientology and campus sexual assaults, respectively, in Going Clear and The Hunting Ground, while How to Change the World chronicles the early years of Greenpeace. Joshua Oppenheimer also returns with The Look of Silence, a kind of sequel/spin-off to his stomach-churning masterpiece The Act of Killing that delves further into the atrocities of Indonesia’s anti-communist purges. If all that sounds a bit depressing, the programmers have also included a couple of more light-hearted films, such as the whimsical Irish animation Song of the Sea. Fans of Swedish comedy will get a kick out of the new movie from Roy Andersson, the brilliantly named A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence. And speaking of the Swedes, film criticism’s honorary dad David Stratton has put together a special retrospective on the quintessential Swedish filmmaker, the one and only Ingmar Bergman. The Sydney Film Festival will run from June 3 – 14. Check out the currently announced program on the festival website, and keep your eyes peeled for the full program, which is expected to launch on May 6. Image: Slow West
There's not many a cover artist can teach David Bowie about music. But when the art-glam-rock king heard Seu Jorge perform his hits acoustically, in Portuguese, for The Life Aquatic, he said he heard a whole "new level of beauty". That's certainly no easily-earned praise. Jorge, who cut his deep yet irresistibly tender voice in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will make his debut Australian performance at Sydney Festival. He’ll be playing an array of his famous, unique interpretations, as well as a bunch of originals, accompanied by a delicious mix of Latin and Caribbean beats, in both live and electronic form. Seu Jorge is one of our top ten picks of the Sydney Festival. Check out our other favourite events over here.
If you haven't brushed up on your Shakespeare since reading Romeo and Juliet in high school, you may be a tad skeptical about buying tickets to watch one of his plays. But NSW-based award-winning repertory theatre company Sport for Jove is on a mission to make you appreciate Shakespeare again. Now in its eight year, their acclaimed outdoor Summer Shakespeare Season presents the great playwright's works in an accessible, enthralling, and contemporary way. This year, watch Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra performed from the female perspective— radical cross-gender casting means the traditionally male roles are played by a stellar cast of Australian female artists. Directed by Damien Ryan and Michael Pigott, this is Shakespeare for the modern era. SPORT FOR JOVE DATES: Shakespeare in the Park, Bella Vista Farm, Dec 17–Jan 7 Leura Shakespeare Festival, Everglades Gardens, Jan 14–29
The Central Coast's truly underrated, sustainable and naturally stunning festival Mountain Sounds is set to return for another year. Heading back to the pretty, pretty spot of Mount Penang Parklands in Kariong for a third year, Mountain Sounds has locked in Saturday, February 20 for its 2016 instalment. And the just-announced lineup is some seriously applaudable biznatch. Headlined by Sydney powerhouses The Jezabels, alongside The Strokes twanger Albert Hammond Jr., Melburnian dream poppers Alpine, Adelaidean beatsmith Motez, big Sydney dance trio Art Vs Science, hugely hyped Australian duo Holy Holy, triple j favourites I Know Leopard and more, Mountain Sounds has rounded up quite the eclectic lineup. Giving a high five to the environment once more, the locally-founded Mountain Sounds is again set to take great care in minimising the environmental impact and carbon footprint of the festival. There'll also be silent discos and campsite parties curated by the team, who all grew up on the Central Coast. With tickets on sale now and sitting around 90 beans, this is an end-of-summer festival worth the measly dosh for. Enough chat, here's that lineup you're after. MOUNTAIN SOUNDS FESTIVAL 2016 LINEUP: Albert Hammond Jr. (USA) Alpine Art Vs Science The Delta Riggs Green Buzzard Harts Hockey Dad Holy Holy I Know Leopard Jack Beats (UK) The Jezabels - HEADLINE The Lazys Motez Nina Las Vegas Odd Mob Sea Legs Set Mo Slumberjack Tropical Zombie World Champion Plus: Bass RQ Bodega Collective Catalyst Elwood Myre Goonz Ivy J-Ray Jaket Jimmi Walker Man To Moon The Moving Stills Paperfox Pear Peekay Savilian SnilluM Stay Sane The Sea Gypsies Tom Hogan Twin Caverns Voyage IV Mountain Sounds Festival comes to Mount Penang Parklands, Kariong on Saturday, February 20. First release from $89 + BF, available here (early bird tickets have sold out already). Image: Tim Da Rin/Mountain Sounds.
After more than two years of public pressure to bring it back, Insert Coin(s), is returning to Oxford Art Factory with enough large pixelated Pac Men to satisfy any veteran arcade gamer. Presented by OAF and Reboot PR, in conjunction with Turn Left Distribution and QV Software, the night will have the patented Insert Coin(s) combo of good music, '80s-style arcade games, and in-demand new release games. For gamers this will include the 'first-ever Australian public hands-on' of the much-anticipated Street Fighter V, with prizes from Turn Left and QVS for those of you showing up in Street Fighter cosplay including free entry to future events. To keep up the energy levels you’ll need to beat that high score on pinball there will a Woofy’s hot dog cart serving grass-fed Angus beef hotdogs with all of the toppings, free candy and Street Fighter-themed cocktails — they won’t last all night though so get in quick if you want your red ‘Ryu’ or blue ‘Chun-li” concoctions. Doors open at 6pm.
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.
Seven premieres, thirteen previews and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’s 21st birthday are all part of the 2015 St. George OpenAir Cinema programme, revealed today. Australia’s most legendary tour bus will celebrate her coming-of-age with a special Australia Day screening. And you’re invited to kit-up for the occasion, with the most outrageous tiaras, wigs, feather boas and heels you can lay your hands on. Opening night, happening on January 7, will double as the hotly-anticipated Australian premiere of The Theory of Everything. Featuring Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones, it recounts the early life of Stephen Hawking and his relationship with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde. Changing the mood entirely, but just as likely to draw crowds, will be the Australian premiere of crime-comedy-drama Inherent Vice. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Punch Drunk Love, Boogie Nights, The Master) and starring Joaquin Phoenix as detective Larry 'Doc' Sportello, it’s an adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's hilarious novel, which places a twisted crime case in the bizarre, surfer, stoner world of late '60s psychedelia. There's five more premieres to look forward to this summer: Jon Stewart's directorial debut, Rosewater, which tells the true story of journo Maziar Bahari (Gael Garcia Bernal), arrested in Iran for espionage; Samba, the emotive yet humorous story of a love affair between a stressed-out executive-turned-immigration worker (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and a migrant from Mali (Omar Sy); Clouds of Sils Maria, in which Juliette Binoche plays an internationally-renowned actor who returns to the play that she acted in as a teen, but in a reversed role; The Rewrite, a romantic comedy starring Hugh Grant as a one-time successful screenwriter turned failure; and Diplomacy, a World War Two drama based on the historical events that prevented Paris’s destruction. All in all, 42 films will screen between January 7 and February 21. Tickets go on pre-sale on Monday, December 8, at 9am.
Whether you're on a date, catching up with your friends, or just looking for a way to kill a few hours on a Tuesday night, there are few modern indulgences that beat settling into a dark cinema and letting your worries escape you as you slip into another world. Spies, superheroes, lovers, musicians, presidents, dictators, robbers and cops: you'll encounter them all as the lights go down and the projector begins to whir. There's plenty afoot a the pictures this month, so we're here to give you a little bit of help with choosing tonight's movie. See you at the candy bar. ALIEN: COVENANT "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair." The fingerprints of Shelley's timeless poem Ozymandias are all over Ridley Scott's latest foray into the Alien franchise. Perhaps more so than he intended. While the inexorable decline of leaders and their empires forms the central theme of Alien: Covenant, it also feels neatly appropriate for a franchise in dire need of an original idea. Read our full review. SNATCHED When Amy Schumer starred in Trainwreck back in 2015, audiences may have felt a sense of niggling deja vu. If you'd watched Inside Amy Schumer or any of her standup shows, you knew exactly the kind of character you were getting — not that that was a big problem, necessarily, since seeing the comedian and actress take her usual persona to the big screen was part of the appeal. But even the funniest folks can only coast on the same material for so long. Read our full review. https://youtu.be/AHEl7Pji0f8 GET OUT What's so great about Get Out is how it defies easy categorisation. It's smart and oh-so-timely in the way that it highlights what it's like to be black in "post-racial" America. It's also genuinely unsettling and tense in an edge-of-your-seat manner, and never stops making viewers question what it is they're seeing. Last but not least, it's frequently hilarious, which given the director's background shouldn't come as a surprise. Add all of that together, and you're gifted one of the most assured, astute, entertaining and intelligent horror movies to creep out cinemas in years. Read our full review. https://youtu.be/elM9HxIlDnQ THINGS TO COME In Things to Come, writer-director Mia Hansen-Løve's sensitive observational style lends itself to lingering on the details — to building a picture from the smallest elements, rather than the broadest strokes. It's what makes Isabelle Huppert such a perfect fit for the lead character, and it's also what makes the filmmaker's patient approach so rewarding. Every close-up of Huppert's face tells a story. Every handheld camera movement does as well. They're small, unobtrusive and delicate ways of painting an involving portrait of life going on, and of all the things that will come. Read our full review. https://youtu.be/8Ibf46kh2Ec THE ZOOKEPER'S WIFE There's much about The Zookeeper's Wife that follows the expected path. Whale Rider director Niki Caro brings the non-fiction book of the same name to the screen with handsome images and a solemn tone. There are grim scenes of cruelty and carnage, although the darkest deeds are alluded to rather than shown. The movie charts acts of hidden resistance that saved lives, and paints its otherwise ordinary protagonists as extraordinary heroes. Not unlike the recent Their Finest, it also provides an unmistakably female-aligned view of war, from the nurturing urge that sees Antonina shelter as many escapees as she can, to the clear threat of sexual violence that lingers every time Brühl's villainous character makes his intentions known. Read our full review. https://youtu.be/wPJpLfKG1AI PORK PIE Back in 1981, Goodbye Pork Pie saw a ragtag bunch of misfits careen across the country's two islands in a tiny yellow vehicle. Driving into remake territory with a newer model, Pork Pie takes the idea out for another spin. Writer-director Matt Murphy boasts a significant connection to the original — it was helmed by his father Geoff Murphy, and Matt was part of the crew. It shouldn't be surprising then that the remake focuses on two things that made the first outing memorable: stunts and humour. In terms of the former, prepare for a standout dash through Wellington that happens to involve a coffin, and cars and trains colliding (but not in the way you might expect). As for the latter, it's more warm smiles and light chuckles than belly laughs. The gags are mostly conventional, but then that's Pork Pie to a tee: affable, enjoyable, but not quite as freewheeling and frenetic as it thinks. Read our full review. https://youtu.be/oDD3I0uOlqY FREE FIRE How entertaining you find pitch-black action comedy Free Fire will largely depend on how much you can laugh at people getting killed and/or maimed. Although considerably less nasty than some of Wheatley's earlier films such as Sightseers and A Field in England, this is still a decidedly dark affair. It's probably for the best that it only runs for an hour and a half. You can only go so long with a concept like this before the laughs are replaced with a sense of unease that's not anywhere near as fun. Read our review.
For the past 11 years, wife and husband duo Sam and Michael Kern have been dishing up decadent breakfasts and sumptuous lunches from Parc cafe in Randwick. Now, it's time for the local mainstay to turn over a new leaf. On Friday, Parc reopened its doors as Tucker, with a renewed focus on wholesome eats and more options for foodies on the go. "Over the last three or four years, takeaway has grown incredibly," says Sam. "So we've changed the style of service to suit that." Rather than going for a complete renovation, the Kerns have instead rejuvenated, extending on what they've already found so successful. "We do heaps and heaps of takeaway salads and meals," Sam says. "We've got a big fridge in the front of the cafe, but we've found that we can't keep up with production." Cue the installation of a new production kitchen that'll keep their signature salads stocked constantly in the shop, ready to service everyone from long-staying brunchers to tradies swinging through between jobs. The menu has tightened, too, with a whole slew of new burger and sandwich options making an appearance at lunch time. "We do really great sandwiches," Sam says of the cafe's staple. "We've still got all our salads that we change seasonally." After more than a decade as a leader in the cafe scene in the Eastern Suburbs, and with the possibility of expansion on the horizon, Sam says that the longevity they've enjoyed is due to sticking to what they do and doing it well. "We're not a cafe that tries to follow trends," she says. Instead, Tucker will follow the same rules that have made Parc so successful, those being dishing out good, clean, wholesome food with an emphasis on quality over quantity — and that sounds like good tucker to us. Find Tucker at 30 Clovelly Road, Randwick. Open Monday to Friday from 6am until 3pm, and Saturdays from 7am until 3pm. They'll be opening nights, too, in April. Images: Steven Woodburn.
It's that time of year where you should probably start getting your New Year's Eve plans in order. To help you out, Beyond the Valley has just announced the lineup for their celebrated four-day festival in Lardner, Victoria and it's pretty.bloody.good. Just two years old, the Victorian festival is fresh on the New Year's circuit, starting out in 2014. Despite this, they've managed to secure a rather colossal lineup featuring Hudson Mohawke, Phantogram and ZHU among plenty of others. The lineup has some solid Australian flavours, including festival favourites Sticky Fingers, Safia, Dune Rats and Alex Lahey, who absolutely killed it when she opened up Splendour in the Grass last month. We think DZ Deathrays summed it up nicely with this post: Enough chat, here's what you're after. BEYOND THE VALLEY 2016 LINEUP: Alex Lahey Bag Raiders Bakermat Chance The Rapper Dena Amy DUNE RATS DZ Deathrays Eats Everything Emma Louise Giraffage GoldLink Harts Hermitude Highasakite Hot Chip Hudson Mohawke Japanese Wallpaper Jarryd James Jme Kllo Kölsch Ladyhawke Lastlings LUNICE Montaigne Motez MSTRKRFT Oliver Huntemann Paces Pachanga Boys Hippie Dance Phantogram Running Touch Ryan Hemsworth Safia Skream Slumberjack Sonny Fodera Sticky Fingers Thundamentals TOKiMONSTA Total Giovanni Vera Blue Wafia What So Not ZHU Tickets go on sale Thursday, August 11 at 9am from beyondthevalley.com. Images: Beyond the Valley.
The images on the walls of the Art Gallery of NSW's latest exhibition, The Photograph and Australia, span the whole history of photography, from daguerreotypes to digital. But there's one important historical chapter missing: Instagram. Love it or love to hate it, that contemporary mode of communicating the expansiveness of a harbour horizon and the calorific-ness of a weekend brunch has made photography more central to our lives than ever. And that's why it has a place in the AGNSW's exhibition: in the #myaustraliais Instagram competition. Look beyond the walls of The Photograph and Australia using the #myaustraliais hashtag and you'll find a repository of the nation's visual riches. From latte art and sculptural waves to redback spiders and improbably long bus queues, the growing collage has been built by people answering the question 'what does Australia really mean to you?'. But what really caught my attention and compelled me to tell my friends to enter? There's a $2000 Canon e-store voucher in it for the person with the best photograph. That gets you halfway to an EOS 5D Mark III, your go-to professional DSLR for photos and video. Or you can outright buy the mid-range EOS 70D and still have change for accessories. A $200 dining voucher for CHISWICK at the Gallery and a Photograph and Australia merchandise pack complete your prize. To be in the running, you just upload your photo to Instagram with the tags @artgalleryofnsw and #myaustraliais. Meanwhile, even though I'm not eligible to win ("companies associated with the promotion are ineligible to enter the competition", boo), I'm throwing in my iconographic two cents repping Migrant Australia. #MyAustraliaIs a place where every Christmas is different. Our tree = Croatian traditional hearts x Mid Eastern hand blown glass x Australian minimalism. @artgalleryofnsw A photo posted by Rima Sabina Aouf (@rimasabina) on Apr 12, 2015 at 6:45pm PDT Here's another I prepared earlier. Nefertiti's first outing. #operaharbour #nofilter #umwow A photo posted by Concrete Playground Sydney (@concreteplayground) on Mar 25, 2015 at 2:59am PDT And here's one our deputy editor Shannon editor took at the Secret Garden festival. Massage train @secretgardenfestival. @artgalleryofnsw #myaustraliais #secretgardenfestival A photo posted by Shannon Connellan (@shanconnellan) on Apr 12, 2015 at 5:49pm PDT Because Australians are all about caring and sharing and festivals. This is such an easy contest to enter; almost anything can justifiably be tagged #myaustraliais. But our favourite images are both aesthetically wow and really do say something about Australia. 1 x 1 boxes of visual poetry, each one. Like this flyscreen cam: #MyAustraliaIs A photo posted by @connieparker13 on Apr 11, 2015 at 10:33pm PDT This classic Bondi: Rays And Shine #bondi #bondibeach #autumn #light #sun #beach #beachlife #beautiful #seeaustralia #ilovesydney #sydney #Australia #igs_oceania #Ig_Australia #ocean #tv_sea #sunset #love #MadeOfOcean #TLPicks #nikon #mynikonlife #myaustraliais # @artgalleryofnsw #anchorandcrew A photo posted by Rosie English (@rosiebondi) on Apr 11, 2015 at 5:36am PDT This beachside queue for the bus: Sydney buses are never on time ???? @folkmagazine @instagood #featuremeinstagood #fujiaus #magichour #ilovesydney #livefolk #liveauthentic #createexploretakeover #createexplore #myaustraliais #visualsoflife #allhailsymmetry #ink361 #vscogoodshot #vscogood_ #awesupply A photo posted by langshton (@langshton) on Apr 9, 2015 at 2:11pm PDT This carved aquamarine: #surfsup #barrels #waves #ocean #sand #sun #shore #longweekend #easter #boomerang #midnorthcoast #nsw #lifeisbetteratthebeach #setitfree @artgalleryofnsw #myaustraliais A photo posted by SET IT FREE PHOTOGRAPHY (@setitfreephotography) on Apr 7, 2015 at 3:20pm PDT These camels: “One who finds a faithful friend, finds a treasure” #WHPcandid ???????? (04.06.15) A photo posted by France N. (@furansu) on Apr 7, 2015 at 9:07am PDT This cheeky composition: ???? Double Take // #WHPcandid @instagram @artgalleryofnsw #artgalleryofnsw #myaustraliais #streetdreamsmag #peoplescreatives #createexplore #createexploretakeover #finditliveit #skrwt #doyouskrwt #allhailsymmetry #welltravelled #citylimitless #herschelsupply #vscocam A photo posted by Benjamin (@itchban) on Apr 4, 2015 at 12:37am PDT This weather scene: Sydney and it's many shades of grey. A photo posted by Yvonne (@halle5462) on Mar 29, 2015 at 2:42am PDT Though, look, it's not all positive. There are always abandoned dreams: A photo posted by @ieyeaye on Mar 21, 2015 at 6:20pm PDT Those details again: to enter, take a photo of what Australia really is to you and upload it to Instagram with the tags @artgalleryofnsw and #myaustraliais. Entries will be judged by Judy Annear, the Gallery’s senior curator of photographs, and Isobel Parker Philip, the Gallery’s assistant curator of photographs. The competition closes May 17, 2015, with the winner announced on May 20, 2015. See the AGNSW website for terms and conditions.
From Monday, you'll be able tinker on your motorbike and slurp your way through bowel of ramen on the same premises, anytime you like. Yes, Rising Sun Workshop is back and it's opening permanent digs in Newtown on June 20. For the uninitiated, Rising Sun is a social enterprise that serves two purposes. On one hand, it provides its motor-revving members with a communal space for repairing and polishing up their bikes. On the other, it's a café, serving coffee, cookies and seriously killer ramen. The independent organisation was started by three friends, Adrian, Heleana and Dan, who love riding bikes, working on bikes and chatting about bikes while drinking coffee. They decided that Sydney needed an open, friendly, affordable space where this could happen more often. So, in 2013 they turned to Pozible, got crowdfunding and soon discovered that 160 other people felt the same way. The 90-day campaign raised a cool $40,000. This gave them enough cash to launch a pop-up. In 2014, they hung out in a "barely legal" space in Camperdown, building an elite Hill Fighter, cooking up ramen and gathering friends. Needless to say, the finding of a solid, full-time home has come as a major relief. You'll find Rising Sun's new workshop at 1C Whateley Street. It used to house a century-old hardware store, so there's oodles of space. Also, the menu has scored a serious upgrade. You can now get nosh at breakfast, lunch and dinner, and you'll find some Southern influences mixing with Japanese tradition. One of the new star dishes is a Japanese-style breakfast, served on a tray. "We're calling it 'My Prison Bento Breakfast'," co-owner and chef Nick Smith told Good Food. Rising Sun Workshop opens at 1c Whateley Street, Newtown on June 20.
Debauched banquets from Bompas and Parr, giant industrial fire organs and all the demon purging and ceremonial death dances you could want in a festival. Now in its third year, Dark Mofo continues to evolve to be darker, weirder and wilder than before. Aligned with the winter solstice and run from June 12-22, MONA’s annual June festival celebrated the Neolithic tradition over ten hedonistic days of eclectic and unpredictable art, performance, music and happenings around Hobart, concluding with the annual nude solstice swim at dawn after the longest night in Australia— yep, people actually swim nude in the bloody freezing Derwent River. Programming for Dark Mofo seems to be a deliberate descent from free-spirited, easily digestible art to uncontrolled, freakish insanity — from loveable Sydney fivesome The Preatures to Japanese eight-laptop conductor EYE. This year's citywide festival had thousands huddled ritualistically around fire bins in the waterfront arts precinct Dark Park, roasting giant marshmallows, chowing down on Pacha Mama wallaby burritos, Quiet Deeds Lamington Ale and Bruny Island oyster-garnished Bloody Marys at the Winter Feast and absorbing all the doom sludge metal, splintered electronic feedback ambience and Marina Abramovic performance art they could guzzle. We put our hands into mystery boxes at Hendrick's Gin's pop-up Parlour of Curiosities (which was wonderfully Sleep No More meets The Blair Witch Project), we made forcefields out of Anthony McCall's stunning Solid Light Works, avoided bodily injury by skipping Byron J Scullin and Supple Fox's Bass Bath and inhaled Aesop's olfactory soap-mist room — all while artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's beam of light towered over the city, pulsing with punter heartbeats. And then there's the event with a safe word (it was 'bananas'). Creative team Supple Fox created the mysterious, epic Blacklist party, a heaving, nightly end-of-the-world art rave taking over Hobart Town Hall until the wee hours. While most might want to abide by the rule 'what happens at Blacklist stays at Blacklist', we can divulge that there was more revolving pink Christmas trees made out of plastic bodies, silent drag shows, star sign-based floor huddles, melancholy poetry readings, Retrosweat-style dance demonstrations, silver balloon drops and car engine bonfires than we've seen at other, less apocalyptic parties. But the best bit about Dark Mofo? For an incredibly niche, dark and avant-garde festival that should be overwhelmingly pretentious, it's probably the most accessible and widely-attended (demographically) festival we've seen in many a day. Toddlers, nannas, teenagers, twenty-somethings, older humans; they all show up and have a grand ol' time. Maybe it's a Hobartian thing. Or maybe there's something about the end of the world that makes us lose our inhibitions and just run with it. Images: Andy Fraser. Words: Shannon Connellan.
If you thought NYC was the only city proudly dominating the global bagel scene, you've overlooked Montreal. Canada's creative, culinary-minded city has a fierce bagel industry, with longtime bagel houses like St-Viateur and Fairmount waging war over 'best bagel' naming rights. Now, Sydney's going to get a piece of the action, with seasoned coffee roasters and San Fransisco-trained bakers Mark Treviranus and Dave Young gearing up to open a Montreal-style bagelry in Woolloomooloo. Set to open on Cathedral Street this May, Smoking Gun Bagels will be Sydney's first bagelry to serve authentic Montreal-style bagels. The bagels will be made onsite in what's apparently going to be Australia's largest purpose-built bagel woodfired oven — sitting at 14 tonnes, constructed by stone masons and flown in from Canada, so it's legit. Melbourne's already got a Montreal-style bagelry in Mile End, but this will be Sydney's first. So what makes Montreal-style bagels any different? "Montreal style bagels are smaller and sweeter than other bagels," says Treviranus. "We individually hand roll, boil them in water sweetened with honey, before placing them into the woodfire oven. That gives them a crispy outside and chewy inside, quite different to any other style produced in Sydney." Smoking Gun's bagels will even be Montreal-advised; Treviranus and Young developed the recipe with the St-Viateur team — one of the aforementioned top bagel houses in Montreal (the head baker is even in Australia right now helping the pair learn the tricks of the trade). They've also worked with Jo Barrett, head of pastry at Yarra Valley's Oakridge Winery to craft the menu. All bagels will be presented 'open style' and will feature local artisan products including our favourite cultured butter producers Pepe Saya. You'll be able to see your bagel rolled, boiled and woodfired at Smoking Gun, with the oven positioned to let you watch the whole process. Smoking Gun Bagels opens May 11 at 129 Cathedral Street, Woolloomooloo. Open Monday to Friday 7am – 3pm and Saturday 8am – 3pm and Sunday 8am - noon.
It's 3pm. All you want right now is another a coffee. Or maybe a cronut. Or a freakshake, dammit. Or maybe, like, ten Arnott’s biscuits. Nope, can’t do that. Already had five. Is that the post-3pm slump blues whispering – nay, bellowing – in your ear? Really, by now, you should be kicking back at some secret swimming spot or under a waterfall. Especially in this hectic summer weather. We know. We know! But capitalism dictates you’ve another two hours to go before your boss is going to lay down that whip. So, you have to find a way to keep going. All that sweet, sugary, deliciousness might be looking like your only job-quitting-preventative-measure right now, but it’s a bad, bad idea. So, we’re riding to your rescue with five jack-jumping, healthy, healthy snacks. And it’s not all gustatory doom and gloom. We’ve picked these babies for their tastiness, not just their nutrition information panels. BANANA AND TAHINI This God-sent duo has all the creaminess and sweetness of ice cream but none of the refined sugar or saturated fat. Spread it across a piece of toast, throw it in the blender to make a smoothie or just eat it straight, dipping the banana in the jar. Tahini's got more goodness than Mother Teresa (go with it) — from calcium, magnesium, lecithin, potassium, protein and iron to Vitamins E, Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5 and B15. If you've had a big night out, it'll help you liver to cope better, thanks to the detoxifying powers of methionine. And everyone knows bananas make you happy. PROTEIN BALLS Available in stacks of different flavours, the mighty protein ball can give any conventional, packeted treat a run for its money, taste-wise. And it also comes with a big ol' dose of protein, which does heaps of good stuff. Like building and repairing muscles, making enzymes, producing hormones and making sure your hair and nails grow (in fact, they're nearly all protein). YouFoodz makes an especially lip-smacking version, a salted caramel version that's actually good for you. It's packed with apricot, sultanas, dates and dark chocolate and coated in crispy bits of waffle wafer. FROZEN FRUIT Regular, room temperature fruit is an excellent substitute for lollies and biscuits. But, with a freezer, you can take things to a whole new, more satisfying, longer-lasting level. That said, you have to make sure you're freezing the right kinds. Grapes are a winner — they become firmer on the outside, yet stay relatively soft in the middle (depending on the temperature of your freezer). So, eating one's a bit like biting into a soft-centred jube or toffee. Bananas, oranges and mangoes are crackers, too. Apples and strawberries don't go so well, as they to get too hard, all the way through. Raspberries can work if left to thaw for a while. DIY TRAIL MIX Plenty of peanut-heavy, packeted trail mixes aren't too appetising — even if they are salutary. Others are peppered with sugary bits and bobs, like choc buds. So, go ahead and make your own. That way, you can tailor it to suit you and, at the same time, make sure there's nothing in there undoing your healthy intentions. Don't forget to add some seeds — sunflower ones give you Vitamin E, B1 and B6, copper, selenium and manganese, while in teeny-tiny sesame seeds, there's CoQ10, which helps keep your heart working and your energy levels booming. No time to DIY? Have a stash of pre-made bars ready to go — Youfoodz does a pretty top notch Supa Food Bar. KALE CHIPS Potato chips one of your go-to snacks? Break that salty, fatty habit with kale chips. You can even make them yourself, without too much hassle: toss a bunch of kale in a minimal amount of olive oil and pop it in the oven till it's crispy. Unless you've been under the Rock of Gibraltar, you'll know this superfood's many benefits by now. There's bucket loads of beta-carotene to help your eyesight, Vitamin C to fight bugs, Vitamin K to make sure your blood clots and Vitamin E, an antioxidant. Images: YouFoodz and Dollar Photo Club.
Here at Concrete Playground, we travel a lot. And because we travel a lot, we have a lot of handy little tips that can take going on an aeroplane from a chore to a delightful, exciting experience that you go through before heading off on the holiday of a lifetime. After extensive research, we're proud to say that none of these travel hacks are as simple or obvious as roll your clothes in your suitcase. In partnership with Expedia, here are ten tips to make your travel process easier this summer. We're going on holiday. 1. PICK AN AIRLINE AND STICK WITH IT If you finally find an airline that has comfortable seats, suitable prices and good service — stick with it. Most airlines have their own frequent flyer program, which despite any preconceptions you might have, are actually really easy to join and get rewards from. Flying with the same airline every time makes your flight choice easier, and even when you're booking through online travel agents you can still enter your frequent flyer number. It might cost you a little more to fly Qantas, but the extra money you fork out will end up in your pocket (in the form of business class flights, members only prices and free upgrades). Virgin Australia use Velocity, and Qantas have their own Frequent Flyer program. 2. CLEAR YOUR BROWSER COOKIE HISTORY IF YOU'VE BEEN FLIGHT HUNTING The incognito window is your best friend. Often if you're returning to a website every day to check the price of the same flight, the company knows and can potentially adjust prices accordingly so you hit that 'buy now' button. Maybe you procrastinate on booking and the next day go back to your flight and find it has gone through a significant price rise. At that point you're likely to book before it gets any more expensive. Nice one, corporations. Combat this by opening an incognito window and hiding your cookies. Sometimes cookies can work in your favour (by saving your shopping cart, sending through deals to flights you've searched for), but they can potentially be used for evil too. Best be safe and clear your browser history. 3. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, THINK AHEAD AND AVOID BAGGAGE FEES For reasons unknown to us and the rest of world, most Australian airlines now have a measly 7kg cabin baggage allowance. That's barely enough for a laptop, phone, charger(s), bottle of water and change of clothes. It's true that airlines don't always weigh your carry on before you get on the plane, but they MIGHT. Which means you could be charged $60 for packing that extra pair of shoes you didn't really need. Be smart and pack light. If you know you have more than 7kg, check in a bag. On most airlines it costs about $20, and it will save you the stress of pleading with airline attendants and crying at the terminal. Virgin and Qantas included checked bags in the ticket price, which in peak times is often worth the extra money. Travel with a duffle bag rather than a suitcase — heavy roller bags will do you no favours. 4. SEAT CHOICE TACTICS When choosing your seat on the plane, don't choose the empty row. Instead, choose the row that has one other person in it, because the next person that comes along won't want to squeeze between the two of you, will they? Another tactic is to wait with your seat selection until the very last minute (before check-in closes), then you'll easily be able to see what's been taken and what's still available. For shorter flights, sitting at the front of the plane means you'll likely get off the plane 10-15 minutes earlier. [caption id="attachment_580107" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Levi Morsy.[/caption] 5. BOOK AT THE RIGHT TIME The best time to book an international flight is four to six months before you fly — that's when the airlines have a better idea of how quickly, or slowly, a flight will start to sell out. For domestic tickets, book between one to two months. Travel on off days and seasons, typically Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. Red eyes, the New Year period and flights that leave just after work are a no-go. Keep an eye out for sales — the best ones happen around Boxing Day, January and the mid-year period. 6. AND IN THE RIGHT PLACE Everyone hates booking fees. This unexpected surprise is particularly bad when booking direct through airlines — there's often a booking fee of up to $14.95 just for using your credit card. Avoid this by simply using a debit card instead, or booking through an online travel agent (like Expedia) that doesn't charge booking fees. If you're organised enough, book your flights and accommodation at the same time and you'll often get special deals so you can save yourself a bunch of money. 7. ALL THE REWARDS PROGRAMS It seems like every airline and website is trying to make you sign up to their own loyalty program. As annoying as email spam can be, if you're a frequent traveler (or daydreamer) these programs are often worth it. You'll often get members only flights, VIP hotel bookings, double frequent flyer points and the ability to pay with your rewards points. That means potentially free flights and accommodation, and access to the best deals as soon as they become available. The more you use the same website, the more rewards you'll accumulate. So just like we mentioned above about airlines — stick to the same website. 8. THINK BEFORE YOU BOOK Nothing is more disheartening to a holiday than being slammed by unnecessary airline fees. Changing the time, or name on your ticket can attract a fee up $175 per ticket in Australia. Put more thought into that ticket you're about to buy — are you sure this is exactly when you want to fly? If you're unsure about dates but need to book, look into travel insurance. It's the only thing that will save you in this situation. Put a few dollars aside for a good policy that covers you for change fees and you'll be sort of sorted. 9. DO YOUR RESEARCH AND PRICE MATCH Most airlines, booking websites and online travel agents have some form of price matching function which can often be of great benefit to you and your wallet. Do some hunting around for flights, accomodation and packages on different websites, and then do some hunting around for price match policies. Jetstar use Price Beat Guarantee — they'll beat the price of any flight on the same day within the same time frame by ten per cent. Expedia will price match hotels and packages (flights and hotels booked together), and you'll get a $50 voucher for the trouble. 10. CREDIT CARDS CAN ENABLE YOUR TRAVEL HABITS If you've been brave enough to get yourself a credit card, you may as well get one that really helps you out and saves you some money when it comes time to travel. Most credit cards come with benefits, but some come with travel specific benefits — like travel insurance and special deals that practically pay for the annual fee attached to it. The American Express Explorer card partners with Qantas. It's a little pricier ($395 annual fee), but you get $400 travel credit to spend on the American Express travel website, travel insurance and smart phone screen repair insurance included. Virgin Australia have their own credit card and you get a $129 voucher every year, and the 28 Degrees credit card is particularly good for international travel (no fees on overseas purchases). If you're a regular traveller, the annual fee on a travel credit card pays for itself. Become an Expedia+ member and book your summer holiday in the January sale — you'll have access to prices that others don't see.
Beloved Austin rock band Spoon, who are playing headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne this month, have announced an addition to the schedule: intimate gigs at two of Australia's favourite record shops. Hitting Sydney's Red Eye Records on Wednesday, March 22 and Melbourne's Polyester on Friday, March 24, the band will appear in duo mode. Lead singer and guitarist Britt Daniel will be bringing you stripped-back takes on songs from Spoon's newest album, Hot Thoughts, alongside keyboardist and guitarist Alex Fischel. As you can imagine, spots at both gigs will be limited. To get your name on the guest list at Polyester, you need to pre-order Hot Thoughts — in person or online. Red Eye is a different story. Turn up as early as you can and hope for the best. It's an all-ages event, and it's first in, best dressed. Spoon's visit to Australia is a bit special — after all, the band started making the new album in a rented house in Collingwood. "I took a bunch of unfinished songs with me," Daniel said. "When I got down there, I was more excited about coming up with all new stuff. I'm not sure if it's just the AC/DC connection or what. Australia just seems like this other world. It's like this weird combination of Texas and England."
Get read for sensory overload — Chinese New Year is here. Time to fill the streets with fireworks and dancing lions while you alternate between inhaling incredible Asian cuisine and watching feats of strength at the Darling Harbour dragon boat races. For the Year of the Monkey (a sign of playfulness, curiosity, mischievousness, and cleverness), the festival will be connecting you with the best of the Chinese creative world, including lunar markets, high-flying karaoke sessions, k-pop parties, contemporary Chinese cinema, and feasting, feasting, feasting. With so much to do and see, here are a few highlights from Sydney's Chinese New Year Festival you shouldn't miss.
These days, when a fine dining institution announces a temporary closure and a 'refresh', it usually means they're ditching the white tablecloths in exchange for more accessible, casual fare. Rockpool Est. 1989 just did it, reopening as Eleven Bridge (although, admittedly, the word 'casual' is used subjectively), Bennelong took things down a notch last year, and in February Sepia announced they'll be closing and moving onto a more casual venture when their lease runs out next year. But that isn't the case with Matt Moran's ARIA, which has now been unveiled after shutting for a mammoth ten-week refurbishment. Announcing that his harbourside restaurant would be shutting up shop for ten weeks in August, Moran assured punters that he wouldn't be pulling away from fine dining. In fact, he'd be doing just the opposite. "When we opened ARIA just before the Sydney Olympics, we made sure we had a design that was contemporary, cutting edge and would last." said Moran. "We won't be moving away from fine dining at all, if anything, we'll be upping the ante." What's in store for the freshened up Aria? Seasonal ingredients take centre stage in classic Moran style, and head chef Jason Staudt, who's trained with Moran since 2013, has co-crafted quite the new menu. Think opulent dishes like Champagne lobster French toast with caviar and finger lime, mud crab with kombucha and white Alba truffle, or Marmande tomato tartare, alongside a significant grilled meats section. Plus, sides include mashed royal blue potato. Aria's wine list will remain top tier, but a little reworked, as group sommelier Matt Dunne teams up with new head sommelier Alex Kirkwood (Quay) for a mostly Australian menu. While the food and wine are staying close to classic Aria style, the interiors have changed. Moran and co-owner Bruce Solomon have brought interior architect George Livissianis — responsible for the black and white cake icing interiors of the newly-renovated Dolphin Hotel, as well as other institutions like Cho Cho San and Apollo — on board for the revamp. Making strong references to the old Aria, and keeping that Sydney Harbour view intact, he's fitted the 170-seat venue out with a new colour palette, soft leather walls, Henry Wilson lights, Saairinen and Grant Featherston Scape chairs, artwork by Australian artist Christian Thompson and sculptures by Tracey Deep. "The design when we opened was contemporary and cutting edge, and George's new design has taken that ethos and brought it into 2016," says Moran. "The new kitchen is incredible, built to our specs to be able to deliver the best fine dining experience we can, and to really up the ante." Aria Sydney on the eastern side of Circular Quay, open for lunch and dinner, seven days per week. For bookings, head to ariarestaurant.com/sydney. By Lauren Vadnjal with Shannon Connellan.
Ever been out and had a wine or brew that really just hit the spot? Wish you could keep, say, half a dozen more of them in your fridge? With P&V Merchants opening up on Enmore Road, you'll be closer to bringing home that mystery drink you met at the bar on the weekend. P&V is the latest project by a group of Sydney's foremost beverage connoisseurs. Lou Dowling of Mary's, wine expert and journalist Mike Bennie (who also advised Noma's wine list and co-founded Rootstock) and Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham (both of Mary's, The Lansdowne and The Unicorn) have fused a bottle-o with an incubator for those pushing the envelope in the drinks industry. "There is a growing hub of really wonderful people producing great products and spaces in our local community," says Dowling. "We have some incredible restaurants, great breweries and people making excellent spirits — so why not have a place to buy the type of wine we love?" The new business intends to peddle wines, local beer and spirits with particular focus on those with organic, biodynamic and sustainable sources. They'll also be pairing up with neighbouring businesses like Earl's Juke Joint, Bloodwood and, of course, Mary's to produce negronis and margaritas and other cocktails by the litre. Upstairs, the Mike Bennie Centre for Good Wine (actual name) will host classes and tasting nights and it'll also be available as a community space for winemakers. "We felt that the inner west was missing a local resource for getting access to all the interesting drinks coming from avant-garde producers," says Bennie. "And while the shop will be filled with interesting things to drink, the education space that will operate from above the shop adds another layer to P&V too." P&V will also have a 'mini market' — essentially a place to grab some extra garnishes for your drink, including locally grown citrus, herbs and cucumbers and ice bags from Hoshizaki. You'll also be able to pick up a gourmet TV dinner with ingredients like spatchcock or dhal for your next lazy night in. P&V Merchants will open on Saturday, December 9 at 64 Enmore Road, Newtown. For more information on opening dates, check out pnvmerchants.com.
Think you know what you're seeing at this year's Sydney Film Festival? Think again. Sure, the 2016 fest kicks off in just two days, but that doesn't mean they've finished tinkering with their program. In fact, the city's premier cinema celebration has added a whole host of Cannes titles to mess with your schedule. It's enough to make #firstworldfilmfestivalproblems your new favourite hashtag, but once you see the flicks on offer, you'll be doing whatever you can to get these nine efforts in front of your eyeballs. For starters, who doesn't want to see Adam Driver play a bus driver named Paterson who lives in the New Jersey town of Paterson? Yep, Jim Jarmusch's latest feature basically sells itself. It's also called Paterson, of course, and won Cannes' coveted Palm Dog for best canine performance. That's not the only high profile movie sliding into the lineup, with Personal Shopper — a French psychological thriller, and Kristen Stewart's second collaboration with director Olivier Assayas after Clouds of Sils Maria — on the bill as well, and screening alongside new South African short film The Beast. The rest of the fresh batch of features includes silent animation The Red Turtle, which was co-produced by Studio Ghibli, Park Chan-wook's sensual thriller The Handmaiden (which also showed at Cannes), and the FIPRESCI Prize-winning German comedy Toni Erdmann, which boasts an applauded performance by actress Sandra Hüller. Plus, doco fans should flock to The Cinema Travellers, which delves into India's mobile tent theatres, and Hissien Habre, A Chadian Tragedy, which honours the victims of the titular dictator. And on the retrospective front, film buffs can take in the glory of Marlon Brando at his best in the brooding 1961 western One-Eyed Jacks. That makes 18 films heading straight from the French Riviera to Sydney Film Festival this year, aka more than most cinephiles could've ever hoped for. We've said it before, and we'll say it again: if you're looking for us from June 8 to 19, head to a cinema. The 2016 Sydney Film Festival runs from June 8 to 19. To check out the complete program and book tickets, visit the festival website.
Last February, we lost our collective shit over these adorable little souls. Now, because it's spring and dreams can come true, dumpling monarchs Din Tai Fung have gone ahead and brought back those cute, cute little morsels — the sweet lamb buns are back. Available from throughout Sydney and Melbourne from September 26 – November 30, Din Tai Fung's sweet little buns are limited edition, Instagrammable goodness. Just LOOK AT THEM. They're called 'Baa Buns' because sometimes life just gets it right. Good news, you don't have to connect the dots between the lamb inside and out of the bun — they're desserty little blighters. Baa buns come steamed-to-order with a formidable filling of molten dark chocolate and taro, $3.80 each. The little edible lambies will be available in Sydney at World Square, Central Park, Westfield Chatswood, Westfield Miranda, and in Melbourne at their Emporium chapter. There'll be limited quantities at each venue, available daily. But if you visit on the same day as us, we take no prisoners. Din Tai Fung's limited edition spring sweet lamb buns are available from throughout Sydney and Melbourne from September 26 – November 30 (not available at Din Tai Fung cafe court venues).
As lockout laws push weekend revellers further outside the CBD, Newtown's King Street has long offered an alternative to areas like Kings Cross. Drinks are served until the pub shuts and the music is… well, the music is still pretty strictly policed. But the times, they are a-changing, according to Bourke St boss and new owner of the newly revamped Botany View Hotel, Paddy Coughlan, and we should be looking to the south. South King Street, that is. The Sydney Park-end of Newtown's main drag hosts a slew of pubs that have carried the 'Keep Newtown Weird' flag for years, keeping the music loud and frequent, and punters happy with a good brew, great company, and especially live music. "I think that south end of King Street represents all that used to be good about Newtown in general, and a big part of that was live music," says Coughlan. "We need to support and foster music venues." Under his ownership, the Botany View Hotel — which has just undergone a low-key revamp, including a relaunch of the dining room — will host live music every Friday and Saturday night to keep up the area's gig scene. Reviving the old vibe, for Coughlan, means maintaining the authentic edge of a pub's pub. "I like to think people come to our pubs for the authenticity of what we're doing, not because we've overthought every piece of furniture," he said. The Botany View will also aim to rehash the grub at the pub, looking to nail down a menu that the everyday punter can get behind with good quality produce and reasonably priced food. Though, with two of his other venues — The Lord Gladstone and The Lady Hampshire — serving their fair share of tacos and burgers, Coughlan has made this menu more "considered". The menu is less snacky, and leans towards knife-and-fork dining with dishes like the cauliflower tagine, a soft-shell crab spaghettini and a 'fancy' schnitzel with parsnip puree and chicken jus. They're also doing platters, including a vego one with zucchini fritters, haloumi, falafel and babaghanoush, and a $10 lunch menu Monday to Friday. The revival of King Street's south end is already underway, with Coughlan pointing out stalwarts like the Union Hotel and the Sydney Park Hotel, as well as the Botany View Hotel, as part of "our own little community" — although we're said to see the Newtown Social Club gone, which is reopening as a mini golf bar this week. With pubs like these continuing to support live music, good feeds, and cheap beers, Coughlan is confident the "that old Newtown vibe" is on its way back. "The already strong sense of community will get stronger," he says, which is something we can all raise our lighters to. The Botany View Hotel is now open at 597 King Street, Newtown. For more info, visit their Facebook page. Images: Kimberley Low.
Gowns made from parachutes, clothes embedded into other clothes, ribbed jumpers coated in plastic — this is the future of fashion according to the UTS 2017 honours fashion graduates. Over the past year, the students have been developing and experimenting with fabrics, prints and techniques, which all culminated in this week's grad show. 16 designers showed off how they've mastered the precise skill of tailoring, only to deconstruct the pants, jackets and suits to create entirely new silhouettes; of weaving and knitting incredibly intricate fabrics; and of taking fashion norms and standing them on their head. The grads toyed and experimented with outdated cultural standards, establishing an upcoming generation of designers not constrained by gender, not threatened by diversity, but devoted to openness and ethical practices. These are the disruptors. Each designer sent out something completely different. Yael Frischling was inspired by Japanese architecture and took an ethical approach, creating exaggerated, red and white woven wool — a collection made with zero wastage. Gina Snodgrass fused typically 'masculine' and 'feminine' fabrics together into hybrid garments reminiscent of kilts — a Scottish symbol of masculinity — all while asking, "when does it stop being a kilt and start being a skirt?" And though sisters Tess and Mikala Tavener Hanks were both on the program, each of the designers stood out in her own right. Through her collection of silks and wool coated in silicone, Tess challenged our use of plastic as something that normally, cheaply imitates or wraps products, while Mikala warped our sense of clothing through visual illusion using tactile imagery and embedded garments — clothes were fused into and onto other clothes with the idea of breaking tradition and subverting common styles. Sure, this wasn't a Gucci, Louis Vuitton or even Romance Was Born runway show, but it was a show of innovation, creativity and a no-holds-barred approach to design. With these grads, there's no sales manager pushing them to create an easy sell. There are no trends they must follow or categories they must design to. This was simply raw, fresh talent given the platform and resources for total exploration, disruption and creative expression. Showcase images: Kimberley Low.
Tuesdays couldn't get any cheesier. From June 20 through July 26, Handpicked Wines' cellar door is devoting every Tuesday evening to piping hot, melted cheese. That's right, from 5.30pm until 10.30pm, the team will warm a mammoth-sized wheel of raclette before your eyes, then slice it straight onto your plate. For $24, you'll be eating the raclette alongside premium pancetta, pickles and potatoes, with a vegetarian option also available ($20). And, before you ask, there's of course the option of matching wines as well. Just 25 bucks will buy you a "Swipe Right (perfect match)" four-wine flight, made up of Collection Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay, Regional Selections Heathcote Shiraz, Collection Barossa Valley Shiraz and Collection Margaret River Cabernet Merlot. Their Tinder joke, not ours. Check out a sneak preview of what you're in for over here. If this doesn't get you off your couch on a midweek's night then nothing will.
The inner west officially gets all the Fringe fun. After hunkering down in Newtown last year, this year’s Sydney Fringe Festival has its sights set on Erskineville, with the suburb tapped as the home of this year’s official Festival Village, a suburb-wide hub. The 2015 program includes more than 300 performances across 50 different venues in five different main locales — Newtown, Erskineville, Marrickville, Redfern and Surry Hills. Erskineville's Festival Village will play host to the official opening night party, Fringe Ignite, on September 5, with a prohibition-themed gin bar run by Young Henrys and a 1920s-style speakeasy lounge. Other festival highlights include a day of Indigenous art, music and performance in Redfern; a silent dinner party hosted by internationally renowned artist Honi Ryan at Marrickville Town Hall; a masquerade horror installation (whatever that means) in a warehouse; and a two-week partnership with the Chaser's Giant Dwarf theatre. Image: Late Night Library at Sydney Fringe.
Your days of stealing liberating those tiny IKEA pencils may soon be coming to an end. According to reports, the Australian arm of the Swedish furniture giant will launch its online store by the end of 2016, ahead of a global e-commerce platform in the next two years. About damn time. Now here's hoping it's less stressful to navigate than their actual physical locations. Due to go live in the next six months, the online store will let shoppers order IKEA's unpronounceable furniture from the comfort of their MALM bed frames. The company plans to trial various pick-up methods, including smaller physical stores that double as pick-up points, as well as the use of third party depots. IKEA Australia hopes the web initiative will help boost profits, which, as it stands, are expected to pass the $1 billion mark for the first time later this year. Their online store in the UK is the most popular IKEA outlet in the country, presumably because you don't need to pack a week's worth of provisions to make it to the checkout. Speaking of provisions, it is currently unclear whether you'll be able to use the online store to order IKEA's meatballs. Fingers crossed though. Via The Sydney Morning Herald.
Sydney's multi-faceted arts precinct Carriageworks has released their 2017 program — and, as we've come to expect by now, it's killer. Director Lisa Havilah last night revealed the line-up at the Eveleigh space, saying "the stories we tell through our collaborations and our programs is the story of contemporary life, contemporary urban Sydney of an imagined future driven by always remembering and acknowledging our shared histories". It's a poetic summary of the 2017 program, which is an interesting mix of 67 forward thinking and retrospective pieces. The big ticket item is the inaugural year of the huge citywide The National: New Australian Art, which will launch on March 30. It's the first exhibition of the six-year partnership between Carriageworks, the Art Gallery of NSW and the MCA that was announced earlier this year. Aussie artists included in next year's exhibit include Archie Moore, Justene Williams and Richard Lewer, but about the structure and content of the exhibition, they're remaining tight-lipped. Carriageworks is also collaborating with the City of Sydney to present a show based on the industrial strike in 1917, which happened on the current site of the precinct. With a mix of historical objects and new commissions to be included in the exhibition, artists include are Sarah Contos, Franck Gohier, Will French, Tom Nicholson and Raquel Ormella. They'll also continue their commitment to indigenous projects, bringing back Klub Koori and extending their Solid Ground partnership with Blacktown Arts Centre. For January's Sydney Festival events (of which they are hosting 12), they'll once again bringing the wildly successful Night Market back, this time in collaboration with chef Kylie Kwong. As it will coincide with the Sydney Chinese New Year Festival, this one will be inspired by the streets of Harajuku in Tokyo, Hongdae in Seoul, and AnFu Lu in Shanghai. Other shows include large-scale performance Lady Eats Apple from Back to Back Theatre, a Bangarra triple-bill called Ones Country – the Spine of our Stories, and MDLSX, a show that's part performance art, part DJ set from Italian company Motus. The space will once again host Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and Semi Permanent in May. Music events include Open Frame — curated by Lawrence English and featuring Xiu Xiu Plays the Music of Twin Peaks, Elysia Crampton, Klara Lewis and Alessandro Cortini — and an operatic performance of The Rape of Lucretia by Sydney Chamber Opera under the direction of new artistic director Kip Williams. We could go on. But in the interest of keeping this short, we'll just point you to the full program and let you get excited for 2017. Image: MDLSX, by Diane Ilariascarpa.
If your main quibble with dumplings is that they're gone in a brief slurpy chomp, this New York restaurant's giant xiao long bao is the big ass dump you've been waiting for. Obviously, xiao long bao dumplings (or 'XLB dump dumps') are the best kind of dumplings (wo)mankind has yet imagined. Pot stickers are great, gyoza are fantastic and steamed dump dumps are just fine but really there's no better feeling than sucking down a brothy pocket of XLB. East Village newcomer Drunken Dumpling recognises this and has supersized the XLB to monstrous proportions. The XL XLB (right on) is the size of a bamboo steamer (a god damn bamboo steamer) and served with a straw (a straw!) to suck up all the delicious broth. They've got mathematics-professor-turned-dumpling-expert Qihui Guan at the helm of the XL XLB project, to ensure the physics of the bulbous dumplings are all up to code, so don't try this one at home. Via Gothamist. Image: Josh Brusin.
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
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.
Any time is a good time for a getaway in the Hunter Valley, though that's particularly true in May and June. That's when the Hunter Valley Wine & Food Festival returns to highlight the best the region has to offer. And this year, there's more cheese than usual. Rather than focus all of their eating and drinking goodness over a few days or on a few places, HVWFF spreads the love. Keen on a fireside dinner where you'll sample 2014-vintage wines? Want to meet local producers and feast on farm-fresh meals? Or watch a wine barrel become a bonfire as part of an annual tradition? Of course you do. But if the godly trio of wine, cheese and the arts specifically take your fancy, hold on to that hat of yours. At the brand new Cheese Lovers Festival, you can try as much dairy as you can stomach for just $20 entry ($25 for early birds). This cheesy, cheesy festival will showcase over 40 cheese, wine and craft beer stalls with tasting opportunities. Tasting opportunities. There's a 'Fancy Cheesecake' competition, a three-course cheesy menu designed by chef Lyndey Milan and more. There's also the Hunter Valley Wine Festival, which showcases the beverage part of the equation. And the Lovedale Arts Festival runs for the entire two months, showcasing everything from sculpture to music. Basically, if you can't find a reason to make the trip, you're not looking hard enough. And that's just the official side of things. With more than 150 wineries in the area, taking a few detours is to be expected. The Hunter Valley Wine & Food Festival runs across May and June in various locations. For more information, check out the Hunter Valley website.
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.
Murals have been painted, skate parks revamped, herb gardens built, and plenty of punters have a pretty damn great concert experience in their pocket. After 40 projects, 3000 volunteers and a lot of paint and hard work, Optus RockCorps has wrapped up for its third year with a huge concert at Luna Park's Big Top. Filled with 3000 volunteers who had volunteered their free time helping out their community in exchange for tickets, the Big Top saw hip hop superstar Wiz Khalifa perform alongside Canberran dance duo Peking Duk, Brisbane pop sisters The Veronicas and bright young Atlanta artist Raury. You couldn't buy tickets to this gig — everyone who attended had participated in DIY, hands-on projects at community centres around Sydney. Well earned, team. By the numbers, Optus RockCorps is a pretty impressive feat: 3000 volunteers took part, 12,000 volunteer hours were clocked up in Sydney throughout the initiative, 40 different community groups were helped out including youth groups, schools, community centres and environmental groups, 1446 litres of paint were used, 5180 muesli bars were given out, 4742 bottles of water were drunk, and over 100 x 50 litre bags of potting mix were dished out. Top notch.
Vivid Sydney's massive 2017 program has landed and it's packing some serious punches, not least of which is a sneaky Sydney Opera House show by none other than The Avalanches. But it's not just a show, it's a casually large outdoor block party. The legendary Australian group has been stirring some heavy emotions since crashing back onto the live music scene in July last year, treating Splendour-goers to their first proper live onstage appearance in about a decade. Now, fresh off the back of festival shows at Falls and Sugar Mountain, The Avalanches have announced they'll be hitting the Opera House's Northern Boardwalk in May, for a Since I Left You 'block party' that'll see the band perform its seminal, sample-heavy album in full for the first time since 2001. They'll be performing with Sydney multi-instrumentalist Jonti Danilewitz, who performed Since I Left You for Vivid LIVE in 2014 with Astral People. Joining The Avalanches on May 27 and 28 is a top-notch lineup that includes renowned US producer DJ Shadow, 2017 Australian Music Prize winner Briggs, and rising hip hop star Sampa the Great. Check out the rest of the 2017 Vivid program.
When we take that first sip of our barista-brewed coffee on a workday morning, a lot of us can't actually imagine living without coffee. But what about living without a roof over your head or a guaranteed meal? Unfortunately, this is what many homeless people around Australia face each day, but on Friday, August 5, you can help your fellow Aussies out simply by buying a coffee as part of CafeSmart. CafeSmart is an annual event from StreetSmart that raises money and awareness for the homeless and is back for its fourth year running. So how does it work? From every coffee purchased on August 5 at a participating cafe around Australia, $1 will be donated towards local projects. So if your go-to local isn't participating, shake things up for a day and head to one that is. Prefer a hot chocolate? You can also donate at the counter. Simply by aiming for a bighearted cafe, you'll be helping some of our country's most in-need humans, so treat yourself to a third or fourth coffee guilt-free. CafeSmart is happening around the country on Friday, August 5. Check the website for participating cafes near you.
Blossoming foodie fest Parramatta Lanes has just announced their heaving 2016 lineup and, like a rich, cheesy arancini sent from the heavens, it's stuffed full of the best, brightest and most filling industry folks. You might want to start fasting now because come October it'll be a smorgasbord. Headlining the festival are the team behind Efendy in Balmain, including head chef Somer Sivrioglu, who'll be serving up contemporary Turkish fare. Neil Perry's Burger Project has burger lovers covered with his broad menu of burgs, while Surry Hills hip-hop/sneaker fiends Butter will be offering up their particularly beloved brand of fried chicken (it's unclear at this stage whether sneakers will also be on the menu). Brew-wise, you'll find gin wizards and cocktail artists Archie Rose shaking up some crisp bevs, and Young Henrys will be serving their famous craft beers. For dessert? KOI Dessert Bar, the project of Masterchef alum Reynold Poernomo, will be whipping up his treat/work of art creations. Also on board are local favourites Saffron Restaurant, Courtney's Brasserie, The Emporium, Temesek Knafeh, Adora Handmade Chocolates, StroopBros, N2 Gelato, KayterCon and Paper Street Ice Cream. The festival is taking place across ten of Parramatta's inner city laneways and squares. And there will (of course) be a food truck food court because no festival is complete without one. Parramatta Lanes runs from October 11-14 across ten Parramatta laneways. See the festival website for more info.
Every month, Sydneysiders chuck out more than 500,000 disposable coffee cups. Given how much cheering’s been going on in reaction to the COP21 climate change agreement to transform the planet’s fossil fuel-driven economy, it feels like it’s about time we killed our trash habit, too. The good news is that a visionary company by the name of Frank Green wants to help us along. Founded in Melbourne, they’ve just expanded to Sydney and their business is the design creation and sale of SmartCups, which are quite possibly the most beautiful, well-conceived, reusable coffee cups you’ve ever seen. It’s not just us who are impressed, either – the SmartCup won the 2015 Good Design Award. The vessel is 100 percent Australian-made – every step of the way, from design to engineering to manufacturing – and an array of features puts it a cut above its competitors. It's made of premium, BPA-free, non-toxic materials, which are resistant to stain and odours, so you won’t get any weird tastes mixing with your Single Origin or Toby’s Estate. You only need one hand to open and close it, allowing for endless multitasking. And the lid is completely spill-proof. Add to that a double-walled, thermo layer to keep your brew hot; a non-slip grip; a flow-optimised drinking hole; the capacity to take regular and large coffee sizes; and loads of choices in terms of colours. Last but not least, you can actually pay for your coffee with your SmartCup. Frank Green and CafePay have got together to make this little slice of magic happen – the cup itself can facilitate secure cashless payments; keep track of your progress in loyalty programmes; help you find your favourite beans, café or barista; allow you to pre-order; and get you access to special discounts. Check out Frank Green's website for more info.
Having established itself as a summer favourite in Adelaide, Brisbane, and Melbourne over the last few years, The Royal Croquet Club is finally gearing up for its Sydney debut. After a false start last year — in which the event was cancelled at the last minute — the outdoor festival is set to take over Bondi Beach next month. Gracing the shoreline from November 24 to December 4, the ten-day event promises all the fun and flavour of its interstate incarnations, offering up a buffet of live entertainment, experiential arts, food, drink, and — of course — more than a few games of croquet. The al fresco festival will see revellers of all ages and skill levels hitting the central croquet pitch, with some of Sydney's best food on hand for refuelling in between games. And the fun continues away from the mallets too, with a lineup of local and international artists dishing up live tunes, and an assortment of unique pop-up food stalls and bars for further indulging in that summertime spirit. While there's no word yet on who exactly will be feeding us at this year's event, previous festivals have seen Gelato Messina serve up ice cream creations in Campbell's Soup-like tins — so we've got pretty high expectations. Fashion stalls, markets, and an array of health and wellness events will round out the RCC experience, which is expected to pull a 60,000-strong crowd for its first Sydney stint. The Royal Croquet Club Sydney will come to Bondi Beach from Thursday, November 24 to Sunday, December 4. For more information as they announce it, check back here or visit royalcroquetclub.com.au.
Looking for a little bit of renovation inspiration? In that case, you've come to the right place. Bestowed this week by a jury of respected Australian architects and designers, the House Awards celebrate the latest innovations in contemporary architecture. Reckon if we all pooled our money we could buy one of these? The top prize, Australian House of the Year, went to a wood-paneled apartment in Darling Point, Sydney – the very same apartment that took home the Premier Award for Australian Interior Design at the Australian Interior Design Awards just last month. It also won the House Awards' gong for Best Apartment or Unit, with the jury commending the "refined and surprising design" that contrasted "floating American oak and painted white steel joinery." The awards for Best New House Over and Under 200m² went to houses in NSW and Queensland, respectively, while a property on the banks of Melbourne's Yarra won prizes for Sustainability and Best Outdoor Design. Check out the full list of House Award winners, below. AUSTRALIAN HOUSE OF THE YEAR – Darling Point Apartment by Chenchow Little NEW HOUSE UNDER 200m² – Naranga Avenue House by James Russel Architect NEW HOUSE OVER 200m² – Deepwater by Tobias Partners HOUSE ALTERATION AND ADDITION UNDER 200m² – Baffle House by Claire Cousins Architects HOUSE ALTERATION AND ADDITION OVER 200m² – Project Zero by BVN APARTMENT OR UNIT – Darling Point Apartment by Chenchow Little OUTDOOR – Fairfield House by Kennedy Nolan HOUSE IN A HERITAGE CONTEXT – Bayside Fire Station by Owen Architecture SUSTAINABILITY – Fairfield House by Kennedy Nolan EMERGING ARCHITECTURE PRACTICE – Rob Kennon Architects
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 have announced their dates and venues for 2016's Australasian run. Returning to the five established Australian Laneway go-to cities as well as the Singapore and Auckland legs, Laneway will raise a plastic cup to the middle of summer with an undoubtedly killer lineup and unique, random locations. Kicking off in Singapore on Saturday, January 30 at Gardens by the Bay, Laneway will then head over to Auckland’s Silo Park on Monday, February 1. Then it’s off to Adelaide on Friday, February 5 to kick off the Australian leg for the first time at Harts Mill, Port Adelaide, before heading to Brisbane Showgrounds on Saturday, February 6, Sydney College of the Arts on Sunday, February 7, Footscray Community Arts Centre (FCAC) on Saturday, February 13 and finishing up at Fremantle’s Esplanade on Valentine’s Day. The full festival lineup for all three countries will be announced at 9am AEST on Tuesday, September 22. 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) Image: Andy Fraser.
Outdoor escape artists We Are Explorers are leading 13 adventurers on a two-day Wilderness Yoga Escape for the weekend of May 13 through 14. Participants will hike through the Blue Mountains where they will be guided through yoga practice by Flow with Jo in an excursion that combines yoga, hiking and wild camping. The day will begin with pre-hiking vinyasa, followed by a five-kilometre hike to a secluded, 'secret' campsite. After a sunset Yin class, enjoy a healthy camp feast (provided) and a night under the stars. Day two will include pre-breakfast vinyasa and wild-swimming before making the trek back. Apart from yoga, ticket holders will learn meditation practices and useful hiking warm up/warm down techniques. On the camping side of things, you'll develop basic navigation skills, tent setup, water filtration techniques, fire starting and other camping hacks from professional wilderness guides.
Melbourne duo Kllo (formerly Klo) are Australia's band of the moment and are touring the east coast to promote their upcoming album, Well Worn. The tour's one of the most anticipated we've seen in 2016 so far, so expect each show to be pretty damn packed. Since releasing their 2014 debut EP Cusp, cousins Simon Lam and Chloe Kaul have played sold-out shows and festivals throughout Australia and internationally, from Dark Mofo to Melbourne Music Week and Barcelona's Primavera Sound Festival. The pair have been clocking up streaming numbers in the millions, popping up on artists-to-watch lists, and they've also recently been announced as part of the huge Splendour in the Grass lineup. 'Bolide', the album's first single, is a dance track inspired by Caribou's Our Love album and is a song about unconditional love (nawwww). The tour will feature special guests and gives fans a sneak peek of the album, which will be released internationally on August 5 across Kllo's now three labels: Good Manners Records, Ghostly International and Different Recordings // PIAS . Image: Charlie Brophy.
He can growl like Tom Waits and wail on melancholic high notes like Jeff Buckley, yet come out of the mix with a sound that's all his very own. If you haven't yet made acquaintance with extraordinary singer-songwriter Steve Smyth, it's high time you tipped your hat. Smyth's been making himself known both within Australia and overseas via the old-school method of extensive touring. In fact, after releasing his debut full-length album, EXITS, mid-last year, he embarked on a seriously epic journey, playing in more than eighty towns across Australia. Steering away from whizz-bang effects and slick marketing, he's kept his focus well and truly on writing and delivering authentic music. So his live performances, accompanied by his band, The Outlaws, are genuinely cracking. You'll find yourself rocking and a-rolling one minute and crying on your best mate's shoulder the next. In March, Steve popped over to Austin to play SXSW, before returning home to play Byron Bay's Bluesfest at Easter. Catch him in Sydney at the Oxford Arts Factory on April 25, before he packs his bag for a long stretch on the road in Europe.
First it was the children's book that stunned a generation into awareness. Australia's colonial history was powerfully, simply laid bare by the allegory of The Rabbits — arriving, multiplying and eventually controlling the peaceful native marsupials. Now, it's an Australian-grown opera, dreamed up by John Sheedy, the artistic director of Perth's Barking Gecko Theatre Co. Before its premiere at last year's Perth Festival, Sheedy revealed why he had to make the show. “I was completely inspired, and in awe that, between Shaun Tan’s illustrations and John Marsden’s powerful and economic language, they tackled such huge themes," he told the Australian. "You can spend an hour on each page and make discovery after discovery ... The epic nature of the illustrations just lent itself to an opera.” Two of our brightest female artists were enlisted to create the music and libretto: Kate Miller-Heidke (who also performs as the principal soprano) and Lally Katz, along with set and costume designer Gabriela Tylesova. From the looks of it, the expressively angular animals dwarfed by dusty landscapes look just as magical as Tan's. Indeed, the Perth and Melbourne seasons saw The Rabbits applauded as an exceptionally brave, vital and moving work.
On the second Sunday of each month, the Burton Street Tunnel in Milsons Point becomes a shopper's dream. If you're on the hunt for original artwork, handmade homewares or vintage fashion, look no further than this charming neighbourhood market. Once you've worked up an appetite, head for one of the diverse food stalls where you can get your hands on anything from Turkish to Thai. Happen to be coming from the southern part of the city? We recommend making like a tourist and crossing the Harbour Bridge on foot for a vivid reminder of how utterly gorgeous this city is.
We've just a festival of barbecued meats and a ceremonious gathering dedicated to bacon kicks off next week, so it's not surprising that a burger festival is next up on Sydney's culinary calendar. In fact, it's hard to believe no one has done it before. Essentially herding Sydney's best burger venues into the courtyard at The Vic, Burgapalooza is a burger aficionados wildest dream. There'll be six stations, with Pub Life Kitchen, Barrio Cellar, Milk Bar by Cafe Ish, Bar Luca, Chef's Kitchen and Bare Grill each creating a custom burg for the event. They'll go for $9 a pop, and drinks will be available from the pub's bar as per usual. As expected, the festival has been created by hardcore burgies — that is, the guys behind the epic burger loving Instagram Hashtag Burgers. The festival is free and unticketed, so you can used your saved pennies on an extra burger. Or three. Seeing as there's six on-hand less than two strides from each other, it would be rude not to try at least a few. Burgapalooza will take place on Satruday, March 19 at the Vic on the Park Hotel at 2 Addison Road, Marrickville. For more info and updates, visit their Facebook page.
What is it like to speak, but not be heard? It's a conundrum most Australians don't necessarily have to worry about, but for many, it plagues every moment of their daily lives. Bringing much needed attention to the challenges of the migrant journey, Who Speaks for Me? presents unexpected stories of immigration, particularly focused on Western Sydney, in the first collaboration between National Theatre of Parramatta and Performance 4A. It's storytelling, but not as you know it. Taking audiences through the personal narratives of refugee and migrant families, this intimate show uses language to unpack the trials and triumphs of the inhabitants of Sydney's vibrant western suburbs. Hear tales like that of Cambodian mother Ly Heang Seang, who undertook 31 written examinations to finally succeed in obtaining an Australian driver's license, along with stories from Vietnamese and Bhutanese refugees fleeing by boat to resettle here on safer shores. Co-directed by storyteller and photography William Yang and writer/producer Annette Shun Wah, Who Speaks for Me? is a multi-lingual, multi-generational exploration of those living at the heart of the migrant experience.
