Every year, Japan comes to Australia — or, as far as movies are concerned, it does the next best thing. Since starting with three free film screenings back in 1997, the Japanese Film Festival has kept bringing the nation's many cinematic delights down under. And of course they're going to do so again for their 20th birthday. Travelling around the country with a hefty lineup of movies so new, many are coming straight from the Tokyo International Film Festival this month, JFF embraces the vast array of big screen treats its filmmakers have to offer. Sometimes, that means a poignant drama about a family banding together as a typhoon bears down. Sometimes, live-action adaptations of popular manga series are part of the equation. In fact, the 2016 lineup has both — check them out when they screen at Event Cinemas George Street and the Art Gallery of NSW's cinema from November 17-27.
UPDATE — MAY 8, 2019: Palace Cinemas has extended the Moro Spanish Film Festival to Sunday, May 12, with additional screenings of the festival's most popular films. When Australia's annual Spanish Film Festival returns this year, it'll offer cinephiles a two-for-one affair. Fancy seeing the latest and greatest movies from the European country? Keen to watch fresh flicks from Spanish-speaking Latin America too? They're both on the lineup. While Latin American cinema has received its own dedicated Aussie fest over the past three years, in 2019 the Cine Latino Film Festival will form part of the Moro Spanish Film Festival. In short: this year's April–May fest presents the best of both worlds across a 32-title program. It all gets started on Tuesday, April 16, with the Aussie premiere of applauded and acclaimed Spanish comedy Champions, which picked up this year's Goya award for best film, as well as the best new actor prize for star Jesús Vidal. The feel-good flick follows an amateur Spanish basketball team comprised of players with mental disabilities and an arrogant coach who's sentenced to community service to help them bounce their way to glory. At the other end of the event is a bona fide classic: Pedro Almodóvar's Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, the 1988 black comedy is one of the movies that first helped bring Antonio Banderas to fame. Other program highlights include action-packed bank robbery drama 70 Big Ones and comedy Super Crazy, which focuses on a woman who suddenly can't stop speaking her mind. If you've ever wanted to know all there is to know about olive oil, there's also a documentary on the topic: Virgin & Extra: Jaén, The Land of the Olive Oil. And from the Cine Latino contingent, Argentinian title Rojo delves into corruption before the country's mid-70s coup, while Tremors explores a Guatemalan family's secrets. Across its full slate, the Spanish Film Festival also showcases 11 titles by female filmmakers, ranging from established talents to up-and-comers. Watch out for romance Carmen & Lola, which has proven a hit on the queer circuit; star-studded comedy-thriller Crime Wave, which stars Maribel Verdú, Javier Cámara and Luis Tosar; and the 1982-set The Good Girls, which follows the wives of wealthy Mexican men. The Moro Spanish Film Festival will screen at Sydney's Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona and Palace Central from April 16 to May 8. For more information and to book tickets, visit the website.
Discerning Sydney snackers have scored a new best friend in White Label Supper Club — a delivery service that lets you indulge in restaurant-quality cheese and charcuterie boards all without leaving the comfort of your couch. From the savvy minds behind hit venues Dead Ringer and Bulletin Place, the service launched last week, offering to hook you up with upscale nibbles delivered right to your door. There's been no skimping on quality here, with the menu stocked with the same goodies you'll spy in the country's three hat restaurants. There's a global array of cheese in generous 75g serves, plus a swag of charcuterie options, house-made condiments and artisan desserts. You can pick and mix your favourite products, or opt for one of the expertly curated selection boxes. It's all sliced and packed to order, ready to impress at that picnic date, office snack session or living room supper club. As an added bonus, the delivery time means any cheese feast will arrive in your hands pre-rested and at the perfect eating temperature. Right now, White Label Supper Club is being delivered through UberEats, Wednesdays to Saturdays from 4pm. Alternatively, you can pick up your order from the Bulletin Place headquarters at Level 1, 10-14 Bulletin Place, Circular Quay.
Newtown's much-loved Young Henrys has its fingers in a lot of proverbial pies, but its next collab features some literal ones. The brewers have joined forces with Harry's Cafe de Wheels to create a limited-edition beef and beer pie for the masses — and they're giving a heap of them away for free. Head along to the Young Henrys' brewery from noon on Sunday, July 21 and you can grab a complimentary brew and pie combo. The bar will be slinging free pies and tinnies (out of a classic Harry's trailer) to the first 100 punters through the door. The pie will be made using Aussie topside beef that's been braised in Motorcycle Oil — Young Henrys' seasonal hoppy porter that has made its comeback for the third year in a row. If you miss out on the freebie, the pies will be also be available for purchase at all Harry's stores from July 22–September 30, priced at $7.50 each.
You may soon be donning a guernsey instead of a hat to head to Royal Randwick Racecourse, with news that the eastern suburbs horse racing ground could soon be home to a purpose-built AFL field. The potential new field is the result of a just-signed partnership between the Australian Turf Club (owners of four horse racing courses across Sydney) and the Australian Football League, which would also see the two collaborate on membership deals and events. As reported by the SMH, the new oval is slated for completion by 2019, with the field being built in the middle of the racecourse, a barren area often used for parking. It was also reported that the oval's construction would not impact on the course's racing schedule. The ATC announced that the new oval would host Sydney Swans and Greater Western Sydney games, and would also be the new pre-season training ground for the Swans, whose previous training ground has been impacted by the (never-ending) light trail project. The team's old training venue in Moore Park has been restricted by the encroaching light rail construction, with management announcing in January that it was on the look out for a new ground and facilities. If it goes ahead, the new Randwick Racecourse AFL field would also take pressure off the SCG later this year when Moore Park's Allianz Stadium is knocked down and rebuilt. The partnership also opens up future possibilities with other AFL clubs — ATC's Rosehill Gardens venue, for example, is close to the training ground of Sydney's newer AFL team, Greater Western Sydney.
On the 25th November, 1987, ten artists came together for a group exhibition in Meagher Street, Chippendale, called “Boomalli Au Go Go”. This is where the story of “Ripple Effect”, curated by Keith Munro, starts: with the formation of what is not just one of Australia’s most enduring artists’ collective, but one of the country’s most important spaces and groups of Aboriginal artists. It’s a story that’s still unfolding. Since that first exhibition, the artists - Bronwyn Bancroft, Euphemia Bostock, Brenda L Croft, Fiona Foley, Fern Martins, Arone Raymond Meeks, Tracey Moffatt, Avril Quaill, Michael Riley and Jeffrey Samuels - have forged their own careers and joined the Australian art canon. Boomalli itself - as a space and a cooperative of like-minded artists - has evolved and endured across locations, hauled itself out of debt and dodged bureaucratic red tape. It’s a space that is amorphous as it is influential. Although much of the large state galleries' collections have, until recently, focussed on Western Desert art as the principal example of Indigenous art, “Ripple Effect” takes us to the limit of the diversity of the media, themes and disciplines Aboriginal artists are working in. Munro says his curatorial directive was to voice “an interesting conversation between the beginning of Boomalli’s history and the present. In the last twenty-five years, the artists have branched out to explore new media and scale, and become bold and confident” in their respective fields. And so, “Ripple Effect” sweeps across painting, photography and works on paper; installation, moving image and print media. Moffat’s spliced, diced video clippish Others sits alongside Bancroft’s Galaxy Gateways, an abstract painting that allows the eyes to slide and wander. Foley’s photo etching and collage photography, Survival, faces Bostock’s more traditional, expressive cotton screen print, Possum Skin. Across from a wall of Boomalli’s early exhibition posters is a collection of ephemera - notes, archives and photographs that document Boomalli’s rich living history. Together, it all makes sense. “All those threads are part of this journey of Boomalli - the genesis of the space and the practices of the ten founding members,” says Munro. Despite, or because, of this diversity, Boomalli has provided a common place for the common narratives of the ten artists. All told, the exhibition is startlingly contemporary. “Ripple Effect” is not just a 25th anniversary retrospective, but a demonstration of how Aboriginal artists are intervening into the art world, bringing the weight of their traditions into a contemporary framework. The show looks outward rather than backward, balancing country, culture and lore with dynamism, regeneration and innovation. “Ripple Effect” is a new part of the living history of a community, its people and events, and the exchanges and dialogues that it has sparked, a history that cannot be contained in the artworks themselves. Image by Fernanda Martins, Avril Quaill and Jeffrey Samuels, from original 1987 Boomalli Exhibition, Boomalli Au Go Go.
With six years and seven Melbourne venues under its belt, it was only a matter of time before Melbourne's fun-loving Mexican restaurant chain Fonda made its way north. Owners David Youl and Tim McDonald knew their format would make an excellent fit for Sydney's dining culture, but it's taken a solid few years of searching to find the perfect spot to pull it off. Finally, the latest addition to the Fonda family — the first outside of Melbourne — is ready for Sydney's tostada lovers to descend. If you've been to a Fonda in Melbourne, you'll know that Fonda does casual, affordable Mexican food in bustling bright spaces. But they're mixing things up for their Sydney debut. Not only is this newcomer breaking the mould with a rejigged cocktail list, an overhauled food offering and the introduction of table service, it's setting the blueprint for a roll-out of changes across all of its sibling stores. Welcome to Fonda 2.0. Fresh from West Hollywood's E.P. & L.P., L.A. chef Mark Tagnipez is heading up the kitchen, armed with a new-format menu of signature tacos, vibrant salads, poke bowls and tostadas. These are house-made six-inch tortillas that are toasted, loaded with lively toppings like kingfish ceviche and then theatrically broken into pieces by waitstaff. Most exciting though, are the new taco sharing boards, designed to bring the fiesta to your table. They feature pull-apart meats like slow-cooked pork and braised beef short rib, along with fresh-pressed wheat tortillas and an array of fresh fillings, ready for guests to dig in and customise their own tacos. The Sydney venue also marks Fonda's first foray into desserts and a crafty lineup of signature cocktails, including the Tea With Freda: a blend of triple sec, lavender syrup and Earl Grey tea-infused gin. Fonda Mexican is now open at 85 Hall Street, Bondi. For more info, visit fondamexican.com.au. Image: Fonda Bondi, by Leticia Almeida.
It's becoming more and more common for fashion designers to promote new collections via art exhibitions and installations, blurring the lines between fashion and art and creating events that are likely to attract a wider audience, people who might not consider themselves interested in high fashion. The latest event to take this approach is Perception, a "playful" and "unconventional" exhibition of Sydney-based jewellery designer Kate McCoy's latest collection, designed to be part art exhibition, part showcase. Kate takes a less mass-produced, more individual approach to her collections, which are mostly made up of one-off pieces. Her jewellery's made quite a few appearances at red carpet events like the ARIAs and the Logies, and she's got some pretty famous fans, including Kimbra. According to Kate's blog, Perception was "inspired by a curiosity in human behaviour, a fascination with how jewellery relates to the body whilst it is admired from afar."
In the past few years, Twilight at Taronga — the after-hours live music series that boasts arguably the best view of Sydney Harbour as well as lots of adorable animals — has proven it's got some real cred when it comes to hosting outdoor gigs. The 2018 lineup featured the likes of Neil and Liam Finn, The Preatures, Cloud Control and The Jezebels and, from the looks of things, 2019 will be just as epic. Held in Taronga Zoo's natural amphitheatre, the concert series will run from Friday, February 1 to Saturday, March 9, 2019. And we've got some real humdingers to look forward to including You Am I/Magic Dirt, Aloe Blacc, Xavier Rudd, The Whitlams and the Hoodoo Gurus (now that's my scene). And, as always, the ABBA tribute act Bjorn Again will be back by popular demand. You can BYO a picnic, but there'll also be gourmet hampers available onsite alongside a handful of food trucks. Tickets go on sale at 11am on Friday, October 26 and include discounted same-day entry into the zoo (so you can sneak in a visit to your favourite mammal, bird or reptile beforehand). As always, all proceeds will go back into Taronga's ongoing conservation work. So, you can see a gig and feel good about helping the zoo. Get excited and check out the full lineup below. AMERICAN EXPRESS TWILIGHT AT TARONGA 2019 LINEUP Friday, February 1: You Am I/Magic Dirt Saturday, February 2: Bjorn Again — sold out Sunday, February 3: Bjorn Again Friday, February 8: The Whitlams — sold out Saturday, February 9: Hoodoo Gurus — sold out Sunday, February 10: Hoodoo Gurus — sold out Thursday, February 14: The Waifs Friday, February 15: Xavier Rudd — sold out Saturday, February 16: The Waifs — sold out Sunday, February 17: Xavier Rudd Thursday, February 21: Aloe Blacc Saturday, February 23: James Morrison Friday, March 1: Do Re Mi Saturday, March 2: The Paper Kites Friday, March 8: Vera Blue — sold out Saturday, March 9: Comedy Gala: The Umbilical Brothers, Dave Hughes, Cal Wilson and Nick Cody.
The idea of fashion as an art form is something that gets debated quite a lot — can something so commercially driven and seasonal ever make a lasting impact? That’s the idea that the Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation wants to explore with their latest initiative, Feel and Think: A New Era of Tokyo Fashion. The exhibition consists of five elaborate installations by Japanese fashion designers ANREALAGE, Theatre Products, mintdesigns, SASQUATCHfabrix and writtenafterwards, as well as artist conversations, film screenings, a runway show and pop-up store at SCAF headquarters in Paddington. The exhibition was previously held in Tokyo but has been expanded into five site-specific installations at the National Art School Gallery in Darlinghurst, which has a long history of art-based fashion, boasting Akira Isogawa and Romance was Born as alumni. While many of the installations are constructed around their latest collections, this is done with wit and elements of kitsch and often makes statements beyond 'look at the pretty clothes'. Perhaps the work that embodies these things the most is the one by Sasquatchfabrix. Located at the entrance to the gallery, it’s a large buffalo with a skin constructed entirely from stitched-together fragments of what appear to be leather jackets. It’s visually fascinating in itself, even before the 'I see what you did there' realisation dawns on you. Cattle, leather, get it? I was a bit slow on the uptake on that one. The second floor of the exhibition takes you to an intriguing work by avant-garde label Anrealage featuring two side by side shop displays with identical layouts — except for the fact that one contains short, wide mannequins with short, wide clothing and the other contains towering, elongated versions of the same display, including a skinny typewriter and spindle-legged display table. The installation by Theatre Products experiments with interactivity, with visitors invited to scan the clothes on display, and creates an interesting contrast between the carefully constructed clothes and shoes, all tagged with large barcodes that produce a loud, echoing beep when scanned. The word 'anarchic' is being used a lot in promotional material for Feel and Think, but the better way of describing its general feel? 'Self-aware'.
Picture photobombing but with a wall instead of a photo, and an idea written on the wall instead of Kevin Spacey jumping in the photo... Okay, that analogy probably just confused you more. But, the point is Alaska Art Projects have a great new event coming up called Idea Bombing that focuses on the question: How can your city inspire your creativity? They describe the event (probably better than here) as "part meet-up, part pop-up bar, all fun." The evening consists of three main parts: an Ideas Wall where you can write, or 'bomb' any ideas you have on the night, four speakers talking about things that inspire them and, of course, drinks and live music. If you're live tweeting on the night — or you can't make it but want to join the conversation — you can use the hashtag #ideabombingsyd or keep an eye on @IdeaBombingSyd on the night.
Spare a thought for the St George OpenAir Cinema team, the folks behind one of Sydney's favourite outdoor cinema spots. When picking their summertime lineup each year, they're battling fierce visual competition: Mrs Macquaries Point's spectacular panoramic view of the city. Accordingly, every movie that graces the cinema's big screen has to hold its own against the stunning sights glittering away behind it. Don't worry — boasting everything from Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in the music biz to an Australian premiere of Margot Robbie's latest transformative effort, their 2019 program achieves that feat. And the whole lineup hasn't even dropped. Kicking off on January 8 and running until February 16, the outdoor cinema's new season commences with the Australian premiere of Mary Queen of Scots, which sees Australia's own Margot Robbie and Academy Award-nominee Saoirse Ronan join forces for a powerful historical drama. It's just one of the movies making sure it'll be starry not only in the sky above, but on the 350-square-metre screen rising from the harbour. And with lineup featuring the likes of the aforementioned A Star Is Born, box office hit Crazy Rich Asians, Ryan Gosling heading to the moon in First Man, Rami Malek playing legendary frontman Freddie Mercury for Bohemian Rhapsody, the film adaption of Colin Thiele's famed Aussie novel Storm Boy and Bridesmaids' director Paul Feig's savagely entertaining A Simple Favour. Off-screen, expect culinary stars to join the fold as well, with OpenAir again partnering with Matt Moran's Chiswick. They'll be delivering a signature menu to hungry movie-goers each and every night during the cinema's 2019 run — but with 2000 patrons expected every evening, expect them to be busy. Booze, in the form of beers, wines and cocktails, will be available at the equally busy Kirin Bar. Speaking of, when tickets become available on Monday, December 10, they're likely to go quick. In 2016, more than 30,000 tickets sold within the first 30 minutes of sale. St George Openair Cinema 2018 runs from January 8 to February 16, 2019. Tickets are on sale from Monday, December 10. We'll update you when the full lineup drops on December 1. Image: Fiora Sacco
For the biggest dance event of the year, you can’t go past Stereosonic, which will be making its '09 appearance as the sun heats up, touring the nation with such a massive line-up of local and international guests that your blue suede shoes will need re-sole-ing.In no particular order as there are so many big name dance, electronic, house and even Italian pop acts that you could poke a very small stick at and still hit something worth catching, we have: Deadmau5, Fedde Le Grand, The Crookers (you would have heard their hit Day N Nite remix), their fellow Italians The Bloody Beetroots, Sweden’s Axwell and France’s Miss Kittin and The Hacker, not to mention local acts Cut Copy, Andy Murphy and Grafton Primary. Warm up those calf muscles and be ready to go for Stereosonic at the beginning of summer, touring from 28th of November.
Take part in cooking classes, pick up some horticulture tips or just stuff yourself full of food from every corner of the world, when Bankstown Bites returns to the Olympic Parade on Saturday July 29. One of Sydney's best loved food festivals and attracting over 7000 foodies each year, this day long celebration of culinary culture will once again inundate the south-western suburb with a smorgasbord of food stalls, cooking demonstrations, guided food tours, live entertainment and more. Choose from Lebanese sweets to Vietnamese pho, and Chinese dim sum to locally made smallgoods and everything in between. The festival also features live entertainment, arts and crafts, bringing together a day not just for eating but also soaking in some of Bankstown's diverse culture. By Marissa Ciampi and Tom Clift.
After introducing strict new rules surrounding social-distancing on Monday night, the NSW Police has today revealed those restrictions will be in place for 90 days. At a press conference this morning, NSW Police Commissioner Michael Fuller announced it's likely they'll be lifted after this three-month period, saying "I certainly won't be seeking an extension, hopefully people will have gotten the message by then." The new rules, introduced on Monday in a bid to contain COVID-19, stipulate that Australians should only be leaving their homes for one of four reasons: obtaining food or other goods and services, travelling for the purposes of work or education if the person cannot do it at home, exercise and medical or caring reasons. The NSW Government has also outlined another 16 reasonable excuses for leaving your home. A nationwide two-person limit on public gatherings also began on Monday, March 30 with exceptions for being in the company of with those in your household, and for weddings and funerals, which have limits of five and ten people respectively. In NSW, if you disobey either of these social-distancing and public-gathering rules, you can be hit with a $1000 on-the-spot fine, with the maximum penalty being a $11,000 fine and six months in jail. In the past 24 hours, the NSW police has fined three people for not complying with the new isolation rules, including a man who was drinking alcohol in a park with three of his friends. The NSW Police said while three of the men left when asked, the fourth refused and was fined. The Police Commissioner also reiterated that the NSW Police are using discretion when issuing these fines, but ensuring "the safety of the community" was of utmost priority. "The safest place is at home in isolation," he said. As of 8am on Thursday, April 2, NSW had 2298 confirmed cases of COVID-19, out of 4863 cases Australia-wide. The NSW Government's new rules on public gatherings and social-distancing are available to read here.
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 4, 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 seventh year running. This year over 500 cafes will aim to raise more than last year's total of $160,523. So how does it work? From every coffee purchased on August 7 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. There are a heap of cafes participating across the country, but some include: SYDNEY The Grounds of Alexandria The Boathouse Bills Artificer Coffee Tea and Me Single O Three Blue Ducks Brewtown Newtown Daisy's Milkbar MELBOURNE Seven Seeds Assembly Proud Mary Top Paddock Tivoli Road Bakery Dr Morse Barry Axil Earl Sensory Lab BRISBANE Felix for Goodness Campos Mylk and Co Grinders Dovetail on Overend
Every September and October, Germany erupts with brews, food and lederhosen-wearing revellers for its annual Oktoberfest celebrations. When that time rolls around Down Under, Australia follows suit. One such festivity is Oktoberfest in the Gardens, which has been throwing big Bavarian-themed celebrations around the country for 13 years — and is returning to Sydney for 2023. Oktoberfest in the Gardens will make its latest Harbour City stop at The Domain on Saturday, October 28. If you're keen to head along, expect company; the event expects to welcome in over 70,000 people enjoying steins, schnitties and German shindigs across this year's seven-city run. Sydney's fest will serve up the same kind of beer- and bratwurst-fuelled shenanigans that Germany has become so famous for. So, if you have a hankering for doppelbock and dancing to polka, it's the next best thing to heading to Europe. Oktoberfest in the Gardens boasts a crucial attraction, too: as well as serving a variety of pilsners, ciders, wine and non-alcoholic beverages, it constructs huge beer halls to house the boozy merriment. When you're not raising a stein — or several — at the day-long event, you can tuck into pretzels and other traditional snacks at food stalls, or check out the hefty array of entertainment. Live music, roving performers, a silent disco, rides and a sideshow alley are all on the agenda.
If anything's sure to step up your Sunday session a few levels, it's a few ice cold frothies for just $1 a pop. Exactly like the ones you'll find going for a steal at The George Hotel this Sunday, July 7. The budget brews are courtesy of Frosty's Pale Ale — the much-loved house favourite at CBD haunt Frankie's — which is brewed by NSW's Swill & Drill Brewers. The brewers will be dropping a keg of the refreshing stuff at the newly renovated Waterloo pub, which will be serving up its usual Sunday fun all day long, too, including top-notch Mexican eats from the Taco King. Entry is free, plus there'll be party tunes from DJ Goggles and local punk rockers Fangz to round out the good times. Think, Megadeth, ACDC, Black Sabbath, Meatloaf and maybe even a sprinkling of Elvis, while you sip your one-buck brews. The beers will only be $1 from 6pm until the keg is gone, so we suggest you get there early. Images: Kimberley Low
Last year, beloved social enterprise Two Good Co. opened a cafe and convenience store in Darlinghurst's Yirranma Place. The venue provides Sydneysiders with tasty breakfast and lunch options, as well as products from local ethically minded businesses like The Bread & Butter Project, Kua Coffee and Gelato Messina — all while raising funds to help Two Good's goal of supporting vulnerable women by providing pathways out of crisis living. Each month at the cafe, the crew brings in a well-known and well-loved chef or culinary team to create special one-off menu items. Kylie Kwong, Maggie Beer, Peter Gilmore and Matt Moran have all been in charge of curating the monthly menu in the past, and this month the pleasure falls on O Tama Carey and the Lankan Filling Station team. One of Sydney's best restaurants, Lankan Filling Station has built a cult following for its choose-your-own-adventure-style menu of flavoursome curries, hoppers and sambols. This is the energy that Carey, Head Chef 'Coco' Corentin Kergall and the whole team is bringing to this limited-time menu. Available throughout July from Monday, July 3, the menu features two no-fuss lunch items and a little sweet treat. Item number one is a spicy seeni sambol, cheddar and mozzarella toastie. This Sri Lankan twist on the classic grilled cheese adds some sweet, spicy and sour sambol to the mix, and is finished off with a brushing of curry leaf butter. Also available: the Sri Lankan coconut rice porridge kola kanda. The Two Good Co. version will include a hearty dose of pumpkin and a serving of roti to mop up all of the goodness. Rounding out the offerings is a cashew and cardamom milk toffee, for anyone who loves a sugary snack after their lunch. If you want to sample the menu, just head over to 262 Liverpool Street at some point in July.
The Commune Waterloo, will be transformed into a sensory explosion when the Middle Eastern Night Markets set up on Thursday, 21 July. A celebration of Eid, which marks the end of Ramadan, the event will bring together a massive variety of street food, art, craft, design, music, photography and film. Best of all, you can feel good about every dollar you spend, since all cash raised will be going to Act for Peace to assist Syrian refugees. You won't be short of company, either. The Facebook event has racked up 12,000 RSVPs and counting. What's more, if you're a creative type, it's not too late to contribute. The organisers are still open to suggestions for stalls. Ramadan, for those not in the know, is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. It's the holy month, during which participants fast, pray and give to charity. The aim is to promote empathy, generosity and an attitude of gratitude.
When The Square won the top prize at last year's Cannes Film Festival, it was considered a controversial choice. That's an understandable reaction — an over-the-top satire about the art world that's filled with odd incidents and clocks in at nearly two-and-a-half hours long was never going to be everyone's idea of a masterpiece. But with Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund behind the camera, that's by design. Fittingly, he's made a piece of art that's not only about a divisive piece of art, but also proves incredibly divisive itself. A complex look at the responsibilities that come with living within a society, as seen through the filter of creativity, contemporary art galleries and the reactions to both, The Square marches straight into the gap between public posturing and private truths. As such, it places the writer-director in very familiar thematic territory. Fans of Östlund's previous film, the fantastic Force Majeure, should instantly recognise his thematic hangups, as he skewers humanity's general tendency to say one thing but do another. Last time, he stepped inside the intimate confines of a dysfunctional marriage undone by a husband's selfish behaviour in a time of crisis. Here, the filmmaker similarly contemplates a wealth of complicated contradictions, this time in a world known for being polarising, prestigious and — sometimes — downright pretentious. Indeed, if egotistical Stockholm gallery curator Christian (Claes Bang) was to offer his thoughts of the film he's in, he'd likely declare The Square a triumph — all while knowing that half of the audience strongly disagrees. Moreover, he'd do so with a particular kind of arrogance meant to pressure others to come around to his way of thinking. That's how he talks about his new installation, also called 'The Square', which is designed to cultivate empathy. Whether he's being interviewed by journalist Anne (Elisabeth Moss), discussing viral promotional strategies with his marketing team, or trying to wow the elite art crowd at gallery functions, Christian is certain that the four-by-four metre space (a "sanctuary of trust and caring" where participants "all share equal rights and obligations") is vitally essential and important. How much of his behaviour is authentic? When you're expected to act a particular way, can you ever be your real self? Or are you putting on your own piece of theatre, whether you know it or not? And should your own personal role-play come at the expense of others? Again and again, Östlund puts his protagonist in situations that ponder the boundaries between art, life, truth and performance. Christian goes home with Anne, only to discover that she has a chimpanzee for a roommate. He hosts an elaborate party, which features an actor (Terry Notary) accosting the guests by acting like an ape. He's mugged on the street, but it's so well choreographed that it could be a show. As Christian, Bang lives up to his surname. It's not a loud performance, but rather a commanding and compelling one, with the Danish actor turning in a portrayal that's as dense and disarming as the film itself. Considering he's in a movie that probes the difference between the organic and the staged, that's quite a significant feat. Furthermore, he also achieves something that Östlund sometimes struggles with: balance. The Square might contend that art, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, but it sometimes overplays its hand in making that statement. The film is funny and insightful when you're on its wavelength, and positively grating when you're not. Its stunning set-pieces grab attention no matter which side you fall on at any given moment, but the movie can jump from astute and amusing to patience-testing with whiplash-inducing speed. And yet, in a picture this savage, smart and wildly ambitious, even the infuriating bits always feel like they're part of Östlund's playful game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXOV2-7tYP8
Now in its third year, Parramatta's The Plot is a licensed, all-ages festival featuring an all-Aussie music lineup that spans every genre you could ever need for a Saturday afternoon — but it's as much about getting stuck into piles of delicious local delicacies as it is about the tunes. So, to save you some time at the festival on November 19, we thought we'd give the lowdown on what you'll be eating, drinking and Instagramming before you get there. Good news is that every tasty morsel will be brought to you by a local business, keeping those nasty miles to a minimum and ensuring you have a true end-to-end western Sydney experience. [caption id="attachment_588423" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Darcy Street Project[/caption] FIRST STOP: COFFEE AND TEA The first thing you'll be looking for when you roll up on Saturday afternoon will be a decent coffee to kick you into action. Thankfully, The Darcy Street Project will be taking care of your caffeine needs. This cracking coffee hub isn't just a cafe, but a social enterprise too. And for every coffee you buy at The Plot, you'll have the option to pay it forward — pay for an extra coffee, and it'll go to someone who visits Darcy Street the week following and perhaps can't afford a coffee that day. Alternatively, if tea's your beverage of choice, try a high-quality, boutique brew from family-run Mumford Tea. [caption id="attachment_588426" align="alignnone" width="1280"] StroopBros[/caption] FESTIVAL FUEL: THE FOOD With hours of music to dance, listen and kick back to, you're going to need some fuel. For a fierce feast, swing by Bella Shack Burgers' epic truck for a monster burger like the Shack Daniels — it consists of a house-ground beef patty, double American cheese, Jack Daniel's bacon jam, deep-fried mozzarella, crispy bacon, crème fraîche mayo, Westmont pickles on a Japanese milk bun. Also competing on the monster meal front will be Parramatta locals Jarrod's Shakes 'n' Snags. Rock up to a 1966 Kombi and take your pick of tastiness, from tomato parmesan beef chipolatas with Jarrod's chimmichurri to caramel bliss milkshakes. Meanwhile, Emmy's Gourmet Gozleme will be taking you on a side-trip to Turkey with their cooked-on-the-spot gozleme (the best festival snack), packed with local produce, while Sundweesh will be doling out street food in the form of sandwiches combining Middle Eastern and Western influences. Think kofta with tabouli and hummus, and peri peri chicken with slaw. For a healthy feed, you'll be able to stop by Papermill for what they call a 'spurrito'. It's a giant rice paper roll-burrito hybrid filled with veggies, rice noodles and meat (if you so choose) — you may have seen them around town at Bondi or Parramatta Markets and the like. With your savouries done and dusted, you'll be amped for dessert. Go Dutch with a StroopBros stroopwafel: a generations-old sweet treat filled with rich chewy caramel and doused in warm caramel sauce. AND FINALLY: DRINKS Let's get the healthy stuff out of the way first. Cleansers and tee-totallers should head to The Citrus Factory for freshly-squeezed, 100 percent-Aussie lemonade. But beer. You'll be spoilt for local choice. The Australian Brewery will be making a trip to Parramatta from its western Sydney home in Rouse Hill, and will be bringing a bunch of crafty brews along for the ride. Travelling from the Blue Mountains will be Hillbilly Cider, with their refreshing drops made from Bilpin-grown apples. Wine lovers will be catered to as well, thanks to Canonbah Bridge Wines, who'll be visiting from their farm in Warren, Central New South Wales (about 100 kilometres northwest of Dubbo). And, delivering Aussie-made spirits (and moonshine — yes, moonshine) will be the Hawkesbury's Ironbark Distillery. The Plot will take place at Parramatta Park on Saturday, November 19. For more info and to buy tickets, visit theplot.co.
As the days get warmer and longer, what better way to rediscover the city than at one of the many street parties taking over Sydney? Head west on Sunday, October 15, to celebrate Marrickville's vibrant culture and diverse community at the Marrickville Music Festival. Supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW, the free festival will spotlight local talent and businesses, from live music and performances to restaurants and retailers down and around Marrickville Road. Discover emerging artists across various genres at one of the seven music stages. The Main Stage will host performances by popular trio Haiku Hands, ChillCheney, Good Pash, Hellogrimbo, Smalls, The Minties and Boys at the Back. For something different, enjoy jazz and world music, such as an ocean-inspired musical suite by Freyja Garbett, Brazilian jazz by Performing Brazil, Afro-funk by Mister Ott and Afro-Cuban jazz funk by Obba Layé at the Plaza Stage. Community choirs and school groups will strut their stuff on the Community Stage while singer-songwriters share their heartfelt ballads on the Acoustic Stage. The festival has also partnered with FBi Radio and One Off Traks to showcase independent DJs and women and non-binary creatives, as well as Gasoline Pony to host gigs at their laneway stage and inside the venue. Between sets, meander down the road for the Inner West Artist Market, which will feature over 30 artists and makers, including bags by AMARLA, colouring sheets by Wonky Weirdo, clothing by Fresh Tees, jewellery by Mami Watta Collections and artworks by Brigitta Summers. For the little ones, there are doco screenings, jam sessions and even low-key karaoke at Marrickville Library. Stop for a breather and grab a bite at one of the food stalls along the main street. Or head to one of the many local restaurants, which will take over parts of the footpaths for the day, so you're well-positioned to enjoy some of the roving and pop-up performances. The event runs from 12–6pm on Sunday, October 15, but you can keep the good times going with a cold bev and even more live music at one of the official afterparty venues. Marrickville Music Festival is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW. Check out the full lineup of events and artists at the Marrickville Music Festival website and get in the mood with the festival's Spotify playlist.
At 11am on November 11, 1918, WWI came to an end — after four years of gruelling battles and around 40 million deaths. To mark the 100 years that have since passed, Liverpool is hosting Visions of Peace: a free, outdoor exhibition featuring illuminations, photographs, spoken word and live music. At the show's heart is a walking trail dotted with light projections. Begin at St Luke's Church, built in 1819, and travel down Macquarie Mall, before finishing up at the Memorial School of Arts, which was built in 1924 as a memorial to WWI veterans. Along the way, you'll find much of Liverpool's stunning 19th and early 20th-century architecture illuminated with century-old sepia images alongside colourful contemporary ones. Evening wanderers will be soundtracked by music from the era, performed live by the Liverpool City Brass Band and various local musicians. Listen out, too, for readings of authentic journal entries and poetry. Visions of Peace, produced by Esem Projects, involves collaborations with Liverpool Girls High School, Liverpool Boys High School, Liverpool RSL sub-branch, Moorebank Heritage Group, Western Sydney University and an array of community members. The purpose is to reflect on the past and how it has shaped Australia's identity. Visions of Peace will run nightly from November 1–11 between 6–10pm. Performances and activities will take place across November 1–3 and November 8–11 between 7.30–9pm. For more information, visit the Liverpool City Council website.
If there was still some question over who leads the current revival of superhero movies, you can stop your pop-culture equivocating now. It's Iron Man. It's always been Iron Man. With the release of Iron Man 3, probably the best film of the trilogy, all the other Avengers can fall into line and that over-earnest heavy breather should sulk in his cave/villa in Provence. The Iron Mans have always innately had the superhero secret formula, combining the wry delivery of Robert Downey Jr, plots that aren't totally dumb, eye-popping action, a contemporary sense of cool detachment and the observance of canonical Marvel comics tradition. Then there's the fact that Tony Stark, Iron Man's alter ego, is a wealthy tech geek, not a jock (a seemingly prescient move on behalf of legendary comics creator Stan Lee back in 1963). Iron Man 3 has all this — but it is even funnier and more balls-out thrillingly action-packed than its predecessors. New writer/director Shane Black (who worked with Downey Jr in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) keeps the film tonally in the same ballpark as forerunner Jon Favreau, but perhaps his take on Tony is even more endearingly unpredictable. Iron Man 3 isn't quite the famous 'Demon in a Bottle' alcoholism storyline, but one of Tony's nemeses in this instalment is definitely himself. He's shaken after travelling through a wormhole in an apocalyptic battle (it's worth being up to speed on the Marvel franchise before this trip to the cinema), he's feeling redundant now the government has their own 'Iron Patriot' (Don Cheadle), he's anxious, he's obsessive, and he's vulnerable. Into this mess step villains who are both corporeal and terrifying: a terrorist leader with digital prowess known as the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) and a spurned scientist, Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), who commands an army of what are essentially fire monsters. In the hypothetical extended game of rock-paper-scissors, fire usually beats iron. Iron Man 3 is not without its ridiculousness. A big theme is the abilities of superheros when stripped of their suits — and here it seems those abilities are still pretty super. Tony and James 'Iron Patriot' Rhodes both display outrageous brawn (as well as their usual level of brains, of course) in just their jeans and hoodies. And while the final battle is epic and enthralling, it does have a whiff of the ol' 'why didn't they just do this from the beginning?' to it. These are quibbles — a half-star's deduction, maximum. And that half-star is won back by the brilliant path down which Iron Man 3 takes its villains. This is a slick, inspired fantasy-adventure that almost anyone can enjoy. May Marvel Studios sign Downey Jr and co for many sequels to come. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ke1Y3P9D0Bc
When the city's newest music festival Sydney City Limits makes its debut in February, it'll be bringing much more to the party than just great tunes. Sister festival to Texas' Austin City Limits and run locally by the minds behind Falls Festival and Splendour In The Grass, the one-day, all-ages event will pull together a jam-packed program of music, food and art. The aural treats were announced last month, with Beck, The Libertines, Phoenix, The Avalanches and Gang of Youths just some of the acts set to grace the stage on February 24. Now, the all-important food lineup has dropped, curated by the legends behind Mary's, The Unicorn Hotel and The Lansdowne. They've wrangled some of Sydney's best-loved culinary offerings to add to the festival's flavour — poutine and fried chicken from Newtown's Hartsyard, Fratelli Paradiso pasta dishes, vegan Mexican eats from Bad Hombres, Sri Lankan hoppers courtesy of O Tama Carey, Korean bowls from Paper Bird, coffee by Artificer and, of course, burgers from the Mary's kitchen. There'll also be a range of food stalls and food trucks, slinging carnival classics, contemporary festival fare and everything in between. What's more, if you're bringing kids along, you can keep them occupied at The Unicorn pop-up. It'll play host to Kiddy City Limits, a tiny person paradise with complete with workshops, activities and kid-friendly food. Sydney City Limits will take place at Centennial Park on Saturday, February 24. Tickets are on sale now. Find more info here.
Curator Brook Andrews’ Taboo aims to give its artists space to make art about things normally considered too unmentionable to cover. Here, taboo means mainly race, racism and colonialism. The show has blackface. The show has porn. The show has colonial-era atomisation of race into castes, with accompanying photographs. There is nudity. There are multiple references to the Belgian Congo. There is also a real depth of talent. Probably the show’s strongest statement is Andrew’s gathering of so strong a mix of artists and art, with such apparent ease. Taboo seems to draw from a burgeoning field of artists with interesting things to say on race. A field much wider than we usually get to see in mainstream Australian galleries. Most of the more shocking stuff is quarantined in a single room hidden to the left of the exhibition. Some mid-sized Anton Kannemeyer works are dispersed here around a long table of original news photos depicting genocide, or colonial-era ethnography, and Jompet Kuswidananto’s brilliant, motive sculpture War of Java: Do You Remember #3. Kannemeyer’s works are drawn in a Tintin in the Congo-style, veering from political commentary, to humour, to crushing, amputation references about the horror upon horror that was the Belgian Congo. Many are funny, the others quietly moving. In the main room the art is powerful, but less confronting. Ricardo Idagi’s ceramics have rich colours and powerful eyes as he comments on race roles. Alicia Henry’s silhouetted or coffee-stained figures stare through you from a sadder, richer place. (The ones who still have eyes, anyway.) Judy Watson’s Blood, meanwhile, cleverly arranges apparently ethnographic blood samples of gallery staff. The samples are laid out dispassionately, seeming to study the sampling process itself. Labels read "collector", "artist", "curator", "archivist". Despite the quality of the art on show, none of the pieces are presented with title cards, or any real labelling context beside them. This isn’t in itself a bad thing, and certainly ups their striking artistic value for those already in the know. But for people not already familiar with the topics and past horrors at hand it becomes harder to penetrate and leaves the casual viewer with nowhere to go with their (no-doubt) newly-found indignation. Nonetheless, on the date visited, the exhibition was crowded with patient visitors. And it’s an exhibition that merits that sort of attention. It’s not, mostly, a fun exhibition. But despite reservations about its presentation, there is some powerful art on display. Image: Anton Kannemeyer, In Heaven 2011. Courtesy the artist and Stevenson, Cape Town and Johannesburg © the artist
Sitting in Matt Moran's CHISWICK in Woollahra, you could be mistaken for thinking you were on some glorious estate in the Southern Highlands — not some 5km from the Sydney CBD. Wherever you are, floor-to-ceiling windows open onto lush greenery; on one side, there's a mini, landscaped park, on the other a thriving kitchen garden. It's the latter that drives the heart of the restaurant's menu, which is famous for its fresh, seasonal produce. "Matt [Moran] grew up on a farm," says CHISWICK's head chef Richie Dolan. "He's a country boy, so his philosophy has always been paddock to plate — about using the best seasonal produce available." Every morning, the chefs pick piles of herbs, leaves and veggies — and, by midday, they're on your plate. Sounds simple, but it takes a lot of time, a lot of planning and one hell of a vision to do things this way. We spoke to Richie Dolan about how CHISWICK's seasonal menu comes to life each and every service. START FROM SCRATCH Before CHISWICK opened in March 2012, the site was a derelict dumping ground, littered with chairs and rubbish. "But we saw there was a future for it," says Dolan, who's worked with Moran since 2005, having spent years working his way up the ranks at ARIA. "There was room for a 150-square-metre garden and, back then, Sydney didn't have anything like it. A lot of people had herb pots, but this was one-of-a-kind…We thought the garden would echo into the restaurant, where people would eat knowing the produce had been picked fresh that morning." To achieve this vision Moran appointed Peter Hatfield as head gardener, who works across all of Moran's gardens and restaurants, including Opera Bar and CHISWICK at the Gallery. In Woollahra though, he had to start from scratch — so, with the exception of some lilli pilly and one citrus tree, every plant you see began as a seed or seedling. "Peter's been gardening for years," says Dolan. "He has the talent and patience, and knows exactly when everything's going to be ready." WRITE SEASONAL MENUS With the garden visible from CHISWICK's kitchen, Dolan and Moran design their menus according to whatever's growing. "I have a chat with Peter about six weeks before the next menu's due to start," says Dolan. "He tells me what's going to be around and I tell him what I'd like to have planted...and I then write dishes for the season." But it's not all that simple. "You do have to be adaptable," he says. "In Australia, the seasons aren't as clean cut as they are in Europe. The asparagus season, for example, comes in and out really quickly, so we change the dishes as the best of the best produce comes and goes." Right now, summery plates are garnished with green basil, radishes, all kinds of leaves and serrano: a tiny, green chilli pepper with a big kick. Among the share dishes, you'll find kingfish sashimi with a sprightly combination of Australian shiitakes and daikon, and cabbage salad with soft organic egg and sunflower seeds, and a spanner crab linguini with sugar snaps, chilli and garlic on the mains list. Dolan adds to these seasonal staples with weekly specials, showing off produce that's sprouted unexpectedly due to sudden changes in the weather. With Sydney's propensity for heatwaves, storms and deluges, crops can be wiped out — or appear early — without much warning. Earlier this summer, for example, the garden was delivering kilo after kilo of cherry tomatoes — until a hailstorm wiped them all out. Dolan reflects on this with pragmatism: "We just had to take it on the chin and come up with something else." DON'T BE AFRAID TO EXPERIMENT The garden is also a place to experiment and share ideas. "One day Marty Boetz, from Cooks Co-Op, came in and gave us some red vein sorrel," Dolan recounts. "We started with just a few seedlings, and now they're thriving. We put it in our salads and I use it to garnish the Moreton Bay bug, because it has a quite a citrusy flavour to it and a bit of pepper." Meanwhile, he's waiting to find out what will happen to some newly-planted wasabi rocket, which was brought in by a diner. "She was an avid gardener from Bowral and said she had some wasabi rocket seeds she'd like to give us. So, they were planted a week ago and we're waiting for them to pop up." USE THE GARDEN AS GUIDE While CHISWICK's 150 square metres are extraordinarily productive, they can't provide absolutely everything. So Dolan and Moran also use the garden as a guide when they're getting in touch with local producers. "It's an indicator of what's around and what's available," Dolan says. "It's been a massive learning curve for me, seeing how long it takes for produce to grow and what it involves." At the moment, excellent figs are growing on Mangrove Mountain, a locality on the Central Coast. Matched with apple cucumbers and balsamic, they're one of Dolan's favourite summer dishes. At the same time, CHISWICK's pastry chef, Ashleigh Smith, is transforming locally-sourced cherries into a signature cherry ripe, while fresh mangos are being turned into pavlova, served with sorbet and chocolate. And when you know that the produce on your plate has come straight from the garden you're looking at from the window, you can appreciate it all the more. Long, summery lunches don't get much dreamier (or more delicious) than at CHISWICK. For your chance to experience CHISWICK and Richie's produce first-hand, Concrete Playground in partnership with James Squire are putting on an epic one-off CHISWICK summer banquet on Thursday, February 25 — and we've giving 17 CP readers (and their +1 of choice) the chance to attend. You'll sit down to a five-course meal custom-made by Richie, with each course paired with a James Squire beverage. To go in the draw, enter here. But be quick, entries close Friday, February 19.
It seems a new international food celebration pops up every day. And while we're not sure if we believe in celebrating every single food day around, we can make an exception for chocolate, especially when it also involves 12-Micron. World Chocolate Day is happening on Saturday, July 7 and, to celebrate the occasion, Barangaroo's 12-Micron is providing seven days-worth of rich, chocolaty eats and drinks. A five-course chocolate-themed tasting menu will be available all this week, and the kitchen is not mucking around — it's serious choc business over here. Pepperberry-crusted wallaby carpaccio, raspberry and chocolate oil; rabbit assiette, truffle and chocolate; and white chocolate mousse, lemon aspen and yoghurt sorbet are but the tip of the chocolate iceberg. The tasting menu is $89 on its own or, for $145, you can opt for matching wines and original cocktails to go with. The choco cocktails on offer are sure to woo the staunchest chocoholic — none of which are for the faint of heart (or lactose intolerant). There'll be a Cherry Ripe vodka drink, as well as the Chocolate Caliente with mezcal, crème de cacao and chilli. Not quite in choco-comatose yet? The restaurant is also hosting a masterclass with executive chef Justin Wise and head pastry chef Ashley Smith on Saturday, July 7 from 2–5pm. For $145 per person, you'll experience some hands-on chocolate demonstrations, then enjoy the aforementioned, highly indulgent tasting menu with matching drinks. 12-Micron's Chocolate Week runs until Sunday, July 8. The tasting menu is available every day from 12–10pm. To make a reservation, contact the restaurant via phone or the website.
Late last year, Butter headed down south for a fiery fried chicken and champagne pop-up at Melbourne's Kong BBQ. Now, it has brought back something from that collab for us Sydneysiders: a limited-edition sandwich. Available at both the Surry Hills and Parramatta stores from January 24–February 3, the Kim Chi'Ken Sandwich combines Butter's fried chicken and the Japanese and Korean barbecue flavours found throughout the menu at Kong. In a soft milk bun, you'll find a big fried tender, kimchi butter, pickled fennel and cucumber, togarashi spice and a fried egg. All for $18.50. It's oh-so yolky and stacked high — so eating it will definitely require a napkin or two. To celebrate the collab, a limited number of Butter X Kong t-shirts will also be available online and in-store for $50. While you're at one of the store's eating the burger, you can also try Butter's famed fried haloumi, ramen gravy or miso corn — and pair it all champagne, naturally. The Butter X Kong BBQ Kim Chi'Ken Sandwich is available at both Butter Surry Hills and Parramatta.
It's an unlikely combination, but one we can totally get behind. Ken Done, the master of pre-school chic, and Scott Ludlam, the champion of all parliamentary smackdowns, are among the killer names lined up for the next Men of Letters event in Sydney. Writing about the women that changed their lives, these exceptional specimens will be dishing out some serious wisdom at The Basement on Sunday, October 19. An offshoot of Marieke Hardy and Michaela McGuire's hugely successful Women of Letters, this event will mark the fourth time men have been invited to the stage. Alongside Done and Ludlam will be TV personalities Andrew O'Keefe and Ian 'Dicko' Dickson. Hip hop artist Buck 65 and Queensland poet and rapper Omar Musa will be keeping things smooth and lyrical. The stage will feel like home to director of the Sydney Theatre Company Patrick McIntyre and writer, director and performer Nick Coyle. Even sports stars get a look in, with Brett Kirk of the Sydney Swans also penning a letter for the event. Though you may not have heard of the final speaker, you would definitely familiar with his work. Neil Lawrence was the brains behind the 'Kevin 07' campaign. Let's hope he brings some of that creative genius to play on the day. For those that haven't yet been to a Women (or Men) of Letters event before, it's a lot more than just storytelling. With a DJ set by Zan Rowe, flowing wine and letter writing by everyone involved, this could be the perfect time to pen your secret love letter to Scott Ludlam. Or Ken Done, if squiggly pictures of the Opera House are more your thing.
Benedict once told me about how she stumbled upon photography. It was fortuitous for the rest of us I suppose, and for her friends who are often the subject of her work. Her objective is not to preserve the sense of these peoples lives, but rather to share common experiences, sights and scenes. Nothing remarkable happens in these images, yet they are far from mundane; instead they contain a simply beauty. Rene Vaile's show has come down at Edition and has been replaced with Your pictures suck but I like you, an exhibition of images by Benedict and her sister Maggie. The title seems apt — the works on display shows the beginnings of Benedict's foray into the medium. Not all are perfect. In some the focus is a bit out or some of the framing is just a little off. But what is on show is her learning and experimenting, often succeeding but sometimes failing. There is no doubt she has a great eye, and what is refreshing is to see her willingness to show her progress — a progress that is obvious to anyone who follows her blog. Make any excuse to pop down to Edition to see the images in the flesh.
Marking its 14th year of celebrating a plethora of the world's best photographers, Australia's Head On Photo Festival is back and ready to showcase new stunning images at Sydney's Bondi Beach and across the Harbour city. Due to an influx of submissions, the 2023 festival will showcase an increased amount of works compared to its first 13 iterations. Head On 2023 has gathered the works of over 700 photographers which will be displayed across 100-plus exhibitions. Best of all, it's free for all to attend and enjoy. [caption id="attachment_923461" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Juli Balla[/caption] The festival celebrates photography across four different categories: portrait, landscape and environmental, plus a specific category dedicated to school students. Overall, there's a total prize pool of $70,000 up for grabs across the categories. To commemorate the upcoming event, the opening night is going down on Friday, November 10 at Bondi Pavilion, where the Head On Photo Awards winners will be announced. While the exhibitions are free, entry to the opening night is $10. If you want to head along to the launch party, secure your spot in advance. [caption id="attachment_923464" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chloe Sharrock[/caption] Top images: Michelle Aboud, Matthew Newton and Toma Gerzha, courtesy of Head On Photo Festival.
If you've ever wanted to know how Patrick Blanc cultivates soilless plants, how Indira Naidoo grows 70 kilograms of produce per year on her Potts Point balcony or what Brendan Moar thinks of Sydney's gardens, you'll have the chance to ask at the Australian Garden Show. For four days, the country's best-known green thumbs will converge on Centennial Park for a celebration of all things horticultural. There'll be grow-your-own demos, world-class designer gardens and spectacular floral installations. Naidoo has curated a dream kitchen garden for the event — a 1000 square metre, 100 percent sustainable plot, complete with chicken runs, pedal-powered sprinklers and aquaponics tanks. There's even a strawberry planting area and merry-go-round designed to keep children busy. A lecture series, titled Seeds of Wisdom, will run throughout. Highlights include Patrick Blanc's 'The Vertical Garden: A Forty Year Innovation'; Indira Naidoo's 'The Edible Balcony - How to Grow Fresh Food in a Small Space'; and Kylie Kwong and Skye Blackburn's 'Bugs and Bush Foods'. Once the sun goes down, the Park will transform into an illuminated night garden, with bars and restaurants open until 10pm. Day tickets are available online for $35 (or at the gate for $45), while season passes are selling for $120. Guest Phillip Withers' garden at the Melbourne Flower Show.
Grab the glitter (eco-friendly, please), let your rainbow flag fly and get ready for the Sydney Mardi Gras 2019 festivities to begin. To properly celebrate this year's LGBTQI+ festivus, Merivale and Absolut have come together to join the Mardi Gras party with a nonstop party at The Beresford, running till Monday, March 4. The pub welcomes one-and-all to embrace equality with festivities aplenty; think laneway parties, Sunday sessions, movie nights, brunches, bingo and even a dog show. Apart from the jam-packed lineup of events, there'll be special Absolut offers on each day, too. This year's featured cocktail is the Absolut Yasss Queen — a fruity concoction of Absolut lime, watermelon and citrus — and it'll only set you back $12 a pop. Plus, $2 from every drink will be donated to the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation, Australia's oldest HIV charity. And for when you're not partying at The Bero, you'll be able to find the Absolut Yasss Queen at the ivy Pool Club, Ms.G's, Vic on the Park, El Loco Excelsior, The Fish Shop and Queens Hotel. To help you start planning your Mardi Gras outings, we've rounded up some of the best ways to show your pride all while enjoying a few blow-out bashes while you're at it. [caption id="attachment_708573" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Will Salkeld.[/caption] ABSOLUT BERESFORD SUNDAY Kick off your Mardi Gras celebrations with a big ol' party at Upstairs Beresford. It's all going down on Sunday, February 24 when the UK's famed DJ Neil Singleton will be spinning some sweet, sweet tunes. Hailing from London, he'll play a mix of funky, high-energy beats that'll put you in a dancing mood. This Sunday session is hosted by beloved Sydney drag queen Decoda and will feature other guest DJs, too. The festivities will run all arvo, with plenty of bevvies and eats from the kitchen to keep you fueled. Sunday, February 24 MOVIE NIGHTS When you need a bit of chill, head to The Bero's courtyard for a movie night. The first will take place on Monday, February 25 with a screening of A Beautiful Thing — a 1990s coming-of-age drama from the UK that follows two teenage boys exploring their sexuality. The following Monday, March 4 will see a necessary screening of the cult hit, Rocky Horror Picture Show — featuring unforgettable performances by Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick. Each screening will start at 8pm, with the kitchen slinging pub classics and pizzas to snack on during the movie. The screenings are free, but be sure to get in early to nab a good seat. Monday, February 25 and Monday, March 4 PASSPORT PARTY The annual passport party will again take over the pub on Thursday, February 28 with a lineup of international DJs taking the stage. Expect a blow-out bash, with beats from the likes of DJ Wayne G from the US, DJ Neil Singleton from the UK and DJ French Kiss from, well, France. Plus, Sydney's much-loved drag queen Decoda will again take the stage for a special sky-high performance — this time with her 'air hostess stewards' Rhys and Heath in tow. The night will take place at Upstairs Beresford from 7pm–1am, with free entry for all and free Absolut drinks on arrival for the first 100 partiers. This is your chance to show these foreign DJs how to party Straya-style. Thursday, February 28 MARDI GRAS PARADE The pinnacle of the week is, of course, the Mardi Gras Parade on Saturday, March 2. But, if crowds aren't your thing, The Beresford has you covered. From 7pm, the pub will be live streaming the parade in the courtyard so you can see all the action up close without standing on your tiptoes or getting an accidental elbow in the tum. Plus, you'll be able to watch it all happen with a cocktail in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other — no risk of hanger here. Entry is free and open to all, but, as you can imagine, you'll want to get in early to nab a table for you and your mates. Saturday, March 2 LANEWAY PARTY To recover from a week-long of partying, sometimes it's best to cap it off with just one more. What started out as a small street gathering among friends has become a long-standing tradition and the best way to farewell another successful Mardi Gras. The party will take over not just the laneway adjacent to the pub, but also the entire Beresford and the surrounding streets from 2pm on Sunday, March 3. Expect DJs and surprise guest performances throughout the arvo, plus expansive indoor and outdoor party spaces to choose from. Tickets will cost you $75 — you can nab them here — but they're going fast. VIP tickets have already sold out. Sunday, March 3 MARDI GRAS BRUNCHES No matter how hard you go, these boozy brunches are here to help you dust off the night and get back in the partying spirit. Brunches will take place on Sunday, February 17 and 24 from 11am–1pm, plus there'll be a final recovery brunch on Monday, March 4 from noon to 3pm for all those chucking a sickie the weekend after the parade. Each brunch features drinks on arrival, one Absolut cocktail during brunch and one of five mains — all for just $40 per person. For arrival drinks, you can choose from a peach mimosa or the Absolut Citron bloody mary. And during the meal, there'll be three more cocktails to choose from, including the Absolut Summer (Absolut Lime, St Germain, lime juice and mint), the KamiKaze (Absolut Lime with Cointreau and lime juice) and an espresso martini (Absolut, Kahlua and coffee). If you want another drink or two to wet your whistle, cocktails are only an additional $10 a pop till 3pm. For eats, expect falafel with grilled spicy chorizo, a fried egg and haloumi topped with tahini sauce; a bacon and egg roll with dry-aged bacon, buffalo mozzarella, avocado and tomato relish on ciabatta; and smoked salmon with crispy kale, kipfler potatoes and pumpkin seeds topped with a horseradish créme fraiche. Sunday, February 17 and 24 and Monday, March 4 Celebrate Mardi Gras to the fullest and check out the full program of events taking place at The Beresford here.
This autumn, the Sydney Opera House has announced a new biannual series, UnWrapped, that features rarely seen, critically-acclaimed works by both new and established independent artists and small performing arts companies. It will take place under the sails every May and August, with the inaugural season already underway until May 13 at The Playhouse and The Studio. What's more, the series aims to make performing arts at the Opera House from theatre to circus accessible to all, so all tickets cost just $45. In both spaces, emerging artists will showcase alongside established artists who are boldly trying something different. In The Playhouse, Aussie artists Brian Lipson and Gideon Obarzanek star in Two Jews Walk into a Theatre..., a dry, humorous exploration of the father-son relationship that sees both performers take on new artistic territory. They'll share the space with performances of Personal, an intimate piece by award-winning Jodee Mundy who expresses her experience growing up as the only hearing person in a deaf family. Presented in two languages, Auslan and English, the piece combines performance, storytelling, multimedia and animation. In The Studio, A Faint Existence, created by acclaimed Australian dancer Kristina Chan, explores our complicated connection to the environment through a mix of dance, design and music, while the wildly popular Mother's Ruin: A Cabaret About Gin, with performances by the beloved Maeve Marsden and Libby Wood, takes the audience on a hilarious trip through the history of gin. The season is part of the Opera House's artist and sector development program which supports local Australian artists, small companies and producers. Additional initiatives include masterclasses by artists-in-residence, free three-year memberships for Australian artists and an annual digital mentoring program for up-and-coming artists. Tickets for UnWrapped are on sale, costing $45 for one performance or $80 for two shows — a bang-for-your-buck deal, considering the calibre of performances to be expected. Images: Ashley de Przer.
Ambitious indie band Gomez and true global citizens of the world. Originally heralding from Southport, England, they now have members scattered over two continents from Brooklyn to Brighton. The boys have visited us so many times they’d qualify for honorary Aussie status, and Ben Ottewell (guitars/vocals) spread his musical wings by recording sounds at a Cambodian Street Fair that would end up on the group’s sophomore album, In Our Gun. In October the freewheeling Brits will return for the seventh visit in support of their sixth studio album, A New Tide. The record builds on the group’s eclectic and experimental musical directions, as their enviable discography features everything from Delta blues, psychedelia, Krautrock, folk, indie rock and more. A New Tide provides the perfect fusion of these varied influences, boasting multi-faceted textures, pitch-perfect harmonies and melodies. They were last here in January to pay homage to their debut, Mercury-Award winning album, Bring It On (no relation to the awful cheerleading film from 2000). These shows were an extra special opportunity to celebrate the record’s 10th anniversary. Fans can catch the Gomez juggernaut in October before they jettison off to explore new exotic territories. Bring it on. https://youtube.com/watch?v=fKJJRnuCwF4
Paddington has long been a cultural melting pot, with everything from food and wine to fashion, art and music found throughout its tree-lined streets. So, naturally, all five will be showcased at the suburb's Five Ways Festival during Sydney Solstice. The free street party will see restaurants, bars and shops around the buzzing intersection open their doors for pop-up events, limited-edition offers and art shows. There'll be live music, a bake sale pop-up from renowned chef Phil Wood and even a margarita and magazine matching event at Journals. You can also pop into Tequila Mockingbird for beef barbacoa tacos and mezcal and pair linguine vongole and americanos at Vino e Cucina. Image: Visit Paddington
Although Lior Attar and Nigel Westlake originate from different corners of the musical world, they both have a reputation for emotionally charged compositions. The raw sincerity of Lior's Autumn Flow saw it become one Australia's most successful debut independent releases, whilst Westlake's stirring 2011 tribute to his murdered son, Missa Solis: Requiem for Eli, brought Sydney audiences to tears. Now, the two are collaborating for the first time, on a symphony titled Compassion. Marrying Lior's striking vocal powers with Westlake's riotous orchestral arrangements, it's a powerful, melodic work, inspired by a selection of ancient Jewish and Islamic writings. The piece will be premiered at the Sydney Opera House on September 6, with Lior at centrestage and Westlake conducting the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The first half of the evening will feature orchestral arrangements of some of Lior's most well-loved original songs, including 'Daniel', 'Bedouin' and 'This Old Love'. https://youtube.com/watch?v=cYn8BfY0TRM
The Sydney Architecture Festival is taking on a new, long weekend format this year. Where it used to sprawl over a leisurely week-and-a-half, it’ll now be packed into an intense, exciting four-day program. And there’s also a new boss in charge, in the form of Archrival, a Sydney-based collective of young creatives, working alongside JOC Consulting. Headlining the festival is an all-day public extravaganza, dubbed #TheGoods and happening on Saturday, October 3. It's the first major event to activate the new Goods Line and will feature architecture-related talks, symposiums and installations as well as more tangential yoga, tai chai, a zine fair and a short film festival. Before that, on Friday, October 2, the Festival will launch with three major events: the announcement of the winners of George Street 2020; a panel discussion about the future of Sydney homes featuring architects Guy Luscombe and Bradley Swartz, as well as Greens Senator Scott Ludlam; and an evening Q&A at Customs House with Joe Snell (House Rules), Peter Maddison (Grand Designs Australia) and Tony Been (Houzz). Meanwhile, Sunday, October 4, will be tour day, with three guided journeys planned, covering the future of the Sydney skyline, the regeneration of the city’s inner suburbs and a behind-the-scenes look at some innovative architects’ homes. Finally, Monday, October 5, will be dedicated to the theme of Go Global and will see an industry summit, as well as TED-style talks, exhibitions, discussions and videos. Image: Dr Chau Chak Wing Building, designed by Frank Gehry. Photo by Andrew Worssam.
With Vivid lighting up the skies of Sydney once again, the city is buzzing with ways to enjoy it. And, you can bet your bottom dollar that Belvedere, creator of the luminous bottle, is getting involved. The premium vodka label has partnered with a bunch of bars across to Sydney to serve up a slew of glowing cocktails that'll brighten up your Vivid visit. With each venue offering up something unique, you've got until the end of the festival to try 'em all. At the heart of the celebrations, the Sydney Opera House's Portside bar is offering up two fresh libations that'll make for great pre-drinks, before you dance the night away at a nearby live music event. First up, there's the Winter Tropical Warmer — a warming mix of honey, pineapple and bitters — and the Blinded by the Light, which features pear, lavender and lemon. If you'd rather be on the water than staring out at it, you can jump on a private (or shared) All Occasion Vivid cruise and see the harbour sights with a luminous cocktail in hand. Once you're back on land, head to the Shangri-La Hotel's Blu Bar or Helm Bar in Darling Harbour for an illuminated twist on a vodka spritz, featuring sweet vermouth, tonic and star anise, alongside an in-house light show. Staying around the CBD, you can still get a view of the lights from the leafy oasis of Taylor's Rooftop, while enjoying a simple Belvedere vodka and mixer for just $10 or a more exotic rose and lychee martini. Finishing up there, head down to Grain and try one (or all) of its three vibrant cocktails. And, if you live north (or just fancy a ferry ride to catch some lights), make tracks to Manly Wharf Hotel for some tasty pub fare and the Wharf Lights Punch shared cocktail carafe, featuring blueberries, mint, lemonade and Chandon. Belvedere's Vivid Cocktail specials will be available for the duration of Vivid, until Saturday, June 15.
International Women's Day will see 12 of the region's leading female winemakers join forces in an evening that showcases their award-winning drops. The Women in Wine tasting event will take over Walsh Bay's View of Sydney on March 8 from 6pm–8.30pm. Tickets are seriously bang-for-your-buck and include tasters of over 40 wines, plus a glass of bubbles on arrival, canapés and an antipasto grazing station. Plus, you'll get the chance to chat to winemakers from across Australia and New Zealand's best wine regions, including Hunter Valley, Eden and Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Mornington Peninsula, Coonawarra, Margaret River, Orange, Hastings River and Marlborough. The winemakers include Gwyn Olsen (Briar Ridge and Pepper Tree Wines), Victoria Kathleen Quealy (Quealy Winemakers), Julie Montgomery (Avon Brae), Alexia Roberts (Penny's Hill), Elena Brooks (Dandelion), Rosie Simons (Heirloom), Janelle Zerk (Z Wines), Sarah Pidgeon (Wynns), Jo Perry (Dormilona), Nicole Samodol (Rowlee), Sally Blackwell (Hawkesridge), and Jo Gear (Ribbon Hills). According to Wine Australia, the number of women employed in wine manufacturing has increased from 35 percent to 38 percent since 2011, but women only represent 10 percent or less in leadership and senior roles. This event is a great excuse to celebrate — and taste — how women are influencing the industry.
Jonathan Jones is passionate about illuminating Indigenous histories and knowledge systems embedded within the Australian landscape. The artist has been commissioned to create a new project as part of Liveworks, an upcoming festival celebrating experimental art practices. At the heart of Jones’ practice is an attempt to connect and collaborate with local cultures and communities in meaningful ways. Installed at Carriageworks, Guguma Gurin | Black Stump will be an exercise in decolonisation. The artist will be undertaking reclamation of country, repurposing materials marked by white settlement and reviving the Wiradjuri language. The project will explore the cultural inscriptions on the land, unearthing both beauty and violence.
"An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all," Oscar Wilde once famously quipped. Sydney's Festival of Dangerous Ideas puts such a claim to the test. For three days, the event transforms the Opera House into a simmering cauldron of probabilities, possibilities and impossibilities. There's no question that can't be asked, no convention that can't be challenged, no notion that can't be overturned. Now in its fifth year, the Festival promises to penetrate the territory of the taboo deeper than ever before. The programme, announced today, features 82 speakers from 10 different countries and 33 hours of discussion across 32 various subjects. Journalist David Simon (creator of The Wire and Treme) will bring his intellectual might and downtown experience to the statement 'Some people are more equal than others', exploring the searing divide that undermines America's claim to the provision of equal opportunity. The perpetual question of gender and power will receive a 21st-century treatment, with Hannah Rosin considering the aftermath of 'The end of men',before joining a panel discussion proposing 'The world is not ready for women in power'. Then there'll be debates on 'monogamy vs. monogomish', the 'death of journalism', and John Safran masquerading as a white supremacist. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Already feeling fired up? Tix, available in a range of multipacks, go on sale on Monday September 2. FODI runs from 2-4 November.
The Golden Koala Chinese Film Festival is back for another year, showcasing an eclectic mix of big screen gems just in time for Chinese New Year. Held in Sydney from February 2-6, this year's festival features a number of intriguing titles across a wide array of genres. Based on a novel by award-winning Chinese-American author Ha Jin, The Song of Cotton tells the story of a female caretaker hired to take care of a former boxer suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The film won big at the recent Shanghai International Film Festival, winning Best Film, Best Actress and Best New Director. Also scoring plaudits on the festival circuit was Dog, an experimental film that screened at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, and follows a stray dog as it journeys across the streets of Guangzhou. Other standout titles include dark crime comedy Roberry, and bittersweet queer rom-com Front Cover. For the full Golden Koala program, go here.
Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison and director Peter Sellars offer a radical new take on Shakespeare's Othello. Making its Australian premiere as part of the Melbourne Festival before stopping in Sydney as a preview of the Sydney Festival, Desdemona tells the story of the titular wife of Othello, and in particular her relationship with Barbary, the African maid who raised her (played by award winning Malawi singer-songwriter Rokia Traore). The result is a production that challenges the notoriously antiquated depictions of race and gender found in the original play, and promises to leave Shakespeare buffs – and audiences in general – with plenty of food for thought.
YCK Laneways, a new cultural precinct that launched in 2021 encompassing the CBD laneways in York Street, Clarence Street and Kent Street, is currently in the swing of six week cultural festival titled YCK Intersections. The festival's lineup of live music, workshops and pop-ups is taking over venues across the three CBD streets including Since I Left You, Esteban, PS40, The Duke of Clarence, Stitch Bar, Uncle Ming's, Prince of York and many more. Alongside these activations, the YCK team is throwing a three-day party called Master the Art, which stretches over the ANZAC Day long week at Barrack Street — and features a stacked lineup of live sets and cooking masterclasses. Heading up the music bill over the three days from Friday, April 22–Sunday, April 24 are Wafia, Sneaky Sound System and Day1, with support from the likes of Ula, Kota Banks, A.Girl, B Wise and East Av3, just to name a few. As for the food and drink masterclasses, you'll find Sydney favourites like Maybe Sammy, Cantina OK!, Hickson House and Sydney Oyster Farm Tours running you through skills ranging from crafting the perfect margarita to upping your oyster game. Tickets to each night of the gigs and each masterclass are available for $60 a pop — with masterclasses available in discounted bundles — however, we have 150 passes to give away to Concrete Playground readers. If you want to head along and upgrade your cocktail-making skills or hit the dance floor to 'UFO' this weekend, just use the code 'CPSHOUT' at the checkout to secure a free pass. If you've left your long-weekend plans until the last minute, you can thank us later for setting you up with a top-notch experience free of charge. But hurry, as those 150 passes are sure to be snatched up quickly. Check out the lineup for the Barrack Street party and YCK Intersection's full program at the YCK Laneways website. [caption id="attachment_836314" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hickson House[/caption] YCK Intersections: Master the Art takes place at Barrack Street, Sydney between Friday, April 22–Sunday, April 24. If you're keen to head along, use the code 'CPSHOUT' at checkout to score free tickets.
Chicken & Sons have the sixth best burger in Sydney, according to the Fatties (a 33,000 strong group of hardcore burger lovers), and they’re bringing it across the bridge. The crew will be taking over the kitchen at The Bald Faced Stag in Leichhardt from Thursday, January 14. This isn’t your regular chicken burger joint. They’ll be serving up things like truffled mac 'n' cheese, pulled pork shoulder and specials for the Fatties. You should also leave room for some of their brined chicken cooked over coals and a bev. It’s the perfect place to bring some friends, order up a storm and relax to a slew of up and coming bands. This isn’t the first kitchen takeover Chicken & Sons have done and they’ve left many a happy diner in their wake. You better hurry, the takeover is only a month-long.
One year ago this month, Sydney favourite The Soda Factory launched, and has since provided copious amounts of good times and just a partial hotdog gut. Now it's time to celebrate, as the Soda Factory marks the end of its first, amazingly popular year with an entire weekend of party shenanigans. On Friday, February 22, grab a complimentary drink on arrival (5-7pm) before checking out some brand spankin' new taster dishes (complimentary from 5-8pm) in what will be the launch of the upcoming dinner menu and diner bar section. If you thought their dawgs were delish, feast your eyes on impressive new menu selections: hot buffalo chicken wings (with blue cheese dipping sauce), fried chicken and waffles with maple syrup, and cheeseburger spring rolls (what is this? We wants it). With live tunes courtesy of The Syphons plus special guest DJs, this is sure to be a killer start to the birthday bonanza. Then, revisit your youth and back it up the next night with DJ Grandmaster Flash. He'll be returning to The Soda Factory direct from NYC and joining the party people on Saturday, February 22. Add that to all the regular Soda Factory elements (like absolutely free entry), and this is certainly one for yo' diary. Pop on your best party shoes (and perhaps those free-food-friendly, stretchy pants) and come and help blow out the candles on what has been a truly monstrous year. The new Soda Factory diner menu will be available from Monday, February 17, 5-10pm, daily. An alternate, late-night menu will also be offered from 10pm till late.
Becky Sharp is pretty, clever at living luxuriously above her means and ruthless; thus, basically a perfect personification of vintage shopping. Lovely things can be even lovelier when someone else paid full price for them, another someone else restored them and brought them together for sale and yet another someone else wants them but isn't as quick as you. And if the key to getting away with murder (which Thackeray's heroine basically does) is having enough style to pull it off, well, you'll need a good wardrobe. At these vintage markets you'll find authentic period garments as well as hats, gloves and sunglasses enough to look mysterious or witty forever. Also featured are buttons and bows for the restorer and adorner and boudoir pieces to indulge one's ladylike impulses toward self-regard. Stocks are replenished each month by the regular storeholders. Just remember that while you can absolutely get amazing designer pieces in near-perfect condition, sometimes vintage is cheaper for a reason, and what looks hilarious tried on amongst a mix-up of styles can just be awkward on the street. Make sure they work for you would be Becky's advice were she to care about the welfare of others, and it's mine as your faux-didactic narrator.
