Nowadays, in the 21st century where everyone works in New Media sitting on laptops in cafes smugly sending each other Kanye memes via bluetooth, the threat of an impending Monday morning has become irrelevant. So why not celebrate this fact with Cabinet.Cabinet is a series of four fortnightly Sunday events happening in October and November at the Red Rattler in Marrickville. With acts ranging from music, film projections, live art and short performances, the quality appears sky high with artists including Monk Fly, The Outer Space Cowboys and the always amazing Glitch Jukebox. The arvos kick off on Sunday October 11 with CuBBYHOuSE – super thespian clowns from Sydney who’ve just got back from training in Europe and touring New York. They have a sort of The Goodies meets Michel Gondry vibe. Keep your eyes peeled for their full length show coming to The Old Fitz in November.
If you're a fan of both types of music â€" country and western â€" this could be the show for you. Justin Townes Earle, a Nashville singer-songwriter, is one of the younger exponents of authentic roots based music coming from the land of the large, the USA.Alongside peers and pioneers Gillian Welch, The Handsome Family, his father Steve Earle and Lambchop etc, the young Earle takes root firmly in the traditions of yesteryear with archaic recordings and sounds and those Southern twangy inflections. Justin Townes Earl â€" his middle name a homage to the late country legend Townes Van Zandt â€" can traverse much of the country sound, with a quality of melodies and penmanship that lifts his music above a tribute, adding to the rich history of his genre-mates. There is a diversity and timelessness to his music from authentic Grand Old Opry, Johhny Cash-esque stompers to storytelling numbers like the sombre, introspective title track to his latest LP Midnight At The Movies. If you like your grits served up with a bit more quirk, a little less authentic country but still with loads of charisma and stories, then you should be happy that Wagons, the Melbourne collective formed around songwriter Henry Wagons are doing the whole tour with Earle. https://youtube.com/watch?v=EKEiePB6IVM
It’s hard to do throw ups when you got no can control. Maybe it’s time to give up trying and join a knitting circle instead. Your nanna will be pleased.Guerilla knitting/urban knitting/knitting graffiti has taken over many a city and now it’s Kings Cross’ turn as local art collective Reef Knot prepare for their part in Art&About: I Heart Kings Cross.I Heart Kings Cross is all about community collaboration â€" ah, warm and fuzzy in so many ways. Reef Knot are inviting knitters of all abilities to join knitting circles around the city â€" (last big one being held in Fitzroy Gardens, Kings Cross Saturday September 26 from 10am). All contributed knitting will be installed around Kings Cross during October. The trees are going to be that much more huggable.https://youtube.com/watch?v=U94PrTn7Rds
If you've ever seen an MC battle, you know the excitement in the air is absolutely palpable. Worse than seeing a comedian booed off stage is the sight of an Eminem wannabe desperately trying to keep up with a pro. The Red Bull Soundclash has lined up the battle of the century: two very different bands from two very different genres face off for supremacy. Melbourne indie band Little Red will take on Perth hip hop sensations Downsyde for four rounds of musical challenges including covers, remixes, wild cards and musical ping pong. Don't miss the opportunity to see indie vs hip hop in the ultimate battle of the bands.We have 20 double passes to giveaway, just email your name and address to hello@concreteplayground.com.au with 'Red Bull Soundclash' in the subject line for your chance to win. https://youtube.com/watch?v=abkY3n0b63o
Seattle: Nirvana, Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal. Those are the things that come to mind, but maybe I shouldn't have admitted the last two.While she shares the same label that Nirvana started their careers on, Jesy Fortino AKA Tiny Vipers is here to bump those Seattle associations out of the way with beautiful acoustic folk. She has recently released Life On Earth, her second album which owes to visionary artists like Josephine Foster and Nick Drake, aligning herself with contemporaries such as fellow Seattle chaps Fleet Foxes and Coco Rosie more so than the grunge and cut off shorts over tights (I’m looking at you Eddie Vedder circa ’93) of old Seattle.Her music is ethereal and heavy, meditative and lyrical. She is here for a run of dates around the country and a special appearance at Sound Summit festival of experimental music. The show at The Hopetoun is sure to be special evening; it's a perfect setting for her music and Sydney’s Rand and Holland, Guy Blackman and Seaworthy will be supporting. https://youtube.com/watch?v=G5B6SQwF21c
I suppose everyone has to give up the funk eventually… Sydney eight piece Kid Confucius have stripped back the influences coming from D’Angelo, The Roots and future soul, omitted the cheese and even swapped afros for skinny ties on their third album The Let Go. Maybe they’re just giving the funk a rest. The soul, musicianship and texture are still retained on The Let Go, but instead of tight horns and slow grooves, it’s all full throttle guitars and southern licks. They’ve almost done the opposite of Kings Of Leon, instead of disappearing into stadium oblivion and smothering everything with reverb, KC have turned down the fidelity that can be heard on 2005’s Stripes, turning to vintage gear and tape machines with the aid of Tony Buchan (Andy Bull, Macromantics).The latest single is called Big Black Cloud and it’s a smoking rocker following on from the more sunny dual guitar-handclap love song Darling I Need Ya and the garage/soul of Good Luck. They are taking their umbrellas and their Big Black Cloud tour around the east coast with the help of indie rockers Bird Automatic and the Central Coast’s Slow Down Honey, who are making some very sweet and radio friendly pop. https://youtube.com/watch?v=6GDowiGwO08
Held annually during This Is Not Art (TINA), Sound Summit turns 10 this year! Happening in and around Newcastle over the October longer weekend, Sound Summit is a series of panel discussions, workshops and live sessions all about independent and innovative music. Learn things, share things, take things, make things – it’s all about collaboration and expression.While the focus of past years has been hip hop and electronic music, this year the genres have been dropped and sounds of all types are being represented from Australia and overseas. Ducktails (US), Vivian Girls (US), Pumice (NZ), Tiny Vipers (US), and local artists Qua, Moonmilk, Toecutter and Kyü are being joined by so many more.
Once home to Bingo nights and Karaoke, Taxi Club has been treated to a tidy makeover and is being taken on by Sydney’s indie social scenesters - we’re always looking for a new place to party, right?! This week the ladies of Duke Magazine are transforming the venue into a Gangster's Paradise! Still have those mustard keppers and pink bandanas in your parent's loft? Dust them off and prepare yourself for the best 90s r&b and hip hop. Sirens, Radge, Perfect Snatch, National Treasure and more are all playing – All I can say is someone better spin Mary J Blige.
Back in the days of dripping and blackout, when good times were rationed and families huddled together in the same bed, it was a very special treat to sit by the wireless and catch up on the latest soap-dramas and mystery thrillers. Sadly, when television reared its visible face, the masses flocked away from dear old Aunty and the radio drama became a cultural goody saved for the likes of Radio National.Now the times, they are a changing, because suddenly everyone's plugging devices into their brain boxes so as to drown out the roar of the outside world and the radio drama has become a viable, massively consumable medium once again.You're all invited to witness the birth of one such giant, edible piece of airwave: the comical tales of the town Pullamawang and its efforts to secede from Australia and become the mighty nation of Tripolis. Written and voiced by Gen Y members of the local comedy and performance scene, The Day Before the Day Before Tomorrow will launch by recording its virgin episode in front of a live audience at Fox Studios.Yes, that's right, if not for anything else this event is a must for anyone who wants their obnoxious giggling recorded on a laugh track for the benefit of future generations.
The Paper Scissors are back, and if you’re one of the folks who heard (and subsequently wailed along to) Yamanote Line when they released their debut album Less Talk, More Paper Scissors in 2007, you'll know this is a very good thing.Led by frontman and all round nice guy, Jai Pyne, the Scissors return to the Oxford Art Factory tonight for the penultimate show of their Howl tour, which has had east coast audiences bouncing with sonic sensations reminiscent of the Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene.If your Friday night’s looking a little dull or you just haven’t rocked out in a while, get along to the OAF. Things will change rapidly.https://youtube.com/watch?v=k8keQfdeWSU
For the majority of us who missed out on seeing Led Zeppelin perform live overseas or during their only visit to Australia in 1972, this tribute event promises a little more than the local RSL. “We are aiming to establish a community of people who appreciate the way we pay homage to iconic bands and performers. Our shows feature exceptionally talented contemporary performers revisiting and reworking classic music in great rooms, not mimicking or trying to recreate the music note for note,†says Classic Rock Series Music Director, Joseph Calderazzo. The line-up of vocalists includes Dave Gleeson (Screaming Jets), Simon Meli (Ooh la la), Steve Balbi (Noiseworks), Natasha Stuart, Danny Marx-Young and Virginia Lillye, who will be joined by a 13-piece powerhouse band including the Sydney Lyric Strings ensemble. Calderazzo says he is looking forward to delivering: “A great rock show by some great local performers - with all the bells and whistles but with the honesty and intent that makes rock music what it is.†A rock photography exhibition by Philip Morris (whose lense has captured the immortal quartet plus Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and AC/DC) will also be held in the Enmore Theatre.Photo by Philip Morris
Host Robot: Good sir, would you like a beverage?Member of Public: Why, yes, yes I would, that would be lovely. What doyou have on offer?HR: We have freshly squeezed lemon juice, baked cordial and grey coffee.MoP: Oh, well, is it possible to have my coffee black?HR: I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.MoP: …what?In all likelihood, you may encounter a scene similar to the one above when you visit CarriageWorks this August. Artist Wade Marynowsky’s fascination with robotics and the affectations of a gentler time are married in his exhibition, The Hosts, which illustrates the capacity for automatons to have as much fun as real people.Marvel as gizmos create the illusion of genteel manners and bourgeois party banter, and then develop a severe case of paranoia fuelled by the shocking realism of their performance. Are these robots simple 1s and 0s, or has Marynowsky ushered in the first stage of Pride and Prejudice and Skynet? The Hosts are cordially inviting everyone to their opening on Thursday night at 6pm, with Grind House Alley to follow at 7.30.
The following use of food metaphors are brought to you by my empty stomach and the smell of bacon permeating my house. Enjoy. For those seeking a more eclectic taste of Canadian film fare, the 4th Canadian Film Festival will certainly serve up a bain-marie of delights. Start by road-tripping with Joshua Jackson, follow it up with a digest of contemporary philosophy and dessert on the icy Inuit tundra. Or, perhaps you'd rather chow down on magic mushrooms, a side of savage hockey and a nibble of Quebecois youth? Better yet enjoy the degustation menu and grab tickets to every film, because this is a wonderfully affordable festival. Accompanying your movie meals are a host of intimate parties throughout the week, including two galas and a whiskey-fuelled porno screening. By the end, you'll be so full of Canadian bacon love that you may as well douse yourself in maple syrup and die happy.
Joni Mitchell best summed up Woodstock in her 1970 song of the same name:“We are stardust/We are golden/And we’ve got to get ourselves/Back to the gardenâ€.Funny thing is, Joni didn’t even make it to the festival; she wrote the song on the strength of what she’d heard from Graham Nash. Woodstock is one of those universally entrenched cultural events that live on in the imagined memories of everyone who wasn’t there, partly because those who were can’t remember it.This month, Blender Gallery adds to the legend with Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music, an exhibition of photos celebrating 40 years since the festival took place in upstate New York. Photographs from Elliott Landy, Amalie Rothschild, Burk Uzzle and Henry Diltz display, in full colour, the peace, love and freak flags flying high.
Unfortunately in recent times the environmental doco has become the brown rice of cinematic experience â€" a seriously relevant but ultimately dry undertaking. But occasionally a non-fiction offering will rattle genre convention and achieve what is commonly found only in the contrived theatrics of feature film â€" suspense, intrigue and a gripping emotional ride. The Cove centers around Richard O’Barry - trainer to the original Flipper in the 1960’s TV series and now passionate activist - and an Oceans 11 style team of recruits, charting their perilous plight to expose the large-scale slaughter of dolphins carried out by Japanese fisherman in a secret cove in Taiji, Japan. Director Louie Psihoyos skillfully combines classic espionage style cinema with a grounded, authentic approach to portray the shocking reality of this covert and brutal activity. The result is a profoundly affecting film that defies genre and is likely to launch even the laziest of land-dwellers into action. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Sw5qgVp0jng
Josh Pyke made us all very happy when he steered a guitar-shaped boat around Sydney Harbour in his popular music video and YouTube favourite. In October he will embark on a different course with his shortest and most ambitious tour to date, playing four huge shows along the East Coast plus one in Perth. The proud owner of two shiny gold records for the ARIA-award winning Memories & Dust and sophomore record, Chimneys Afire, these will be his last performances before he takes time out to write and record a new album.As part of the Variations tour he will perform his thoughtful and cerebral folk/pop at Luna Park’s Big Top, one of the largest venues he has headlined in his career. New Zealand songbird Gin Wigmore and singer-songwriter Fergus Brown will be guest supports.https://youtube.com/watch?v=rwRqD4Kmiy4
Remember all those angry op-eds about postmodernism and curriculum reform that had people shouting about how the children were going to read cereal boxes? "But there is such a person as the author!" they would cry, and do that ironic thing where anyone trying to explain why they thought it was a good idea to have cultural literacies that embraced interpretation of day-to-day systems of meaning was super-pretentious. Anyway, sucks to be them right now because the State Library of NSW has just launched a show that is all about commerce and commercial communication. There is advertising and packaging, there are pictures of stores and examples of the things you could buy in them. Curator Margot Riley has designed On Sale! as an immersive experience, recreating shopping in Sydney from its early days to the present. Tracing goods from the docks to postage delivery, and shopping experiences from market stall to department store to luxury boutiques, this is an historical survey that gives visitors an insight into the technologies and economy of the periods it covers, as well as an understanding of fashions and values through time. It's like peeking into the grocery basket of the person in front of you, except educational! (And not rude.)
Anyone familiar with Takashi Mike films - of which several are released each year - knows to expect blood, or rivers of it. 13 Assassins is no exception; there are a lot of wet swords, leaking bodies and severed samurai scattered throughout. The film opens on a tranquil courtyard, the centre of the screen occupied by a kneeling solitary man whose face is awash with stony concentration. He pulls open his garment and feels around his waist like a carpenter stroking a piece of wood, his hands indicating a looming deed. We then realise the act that is about to take place, the camera locks onto his unflappable face and the awfully resonating sound of his ceremonial knife entering his stomach is heard: first flesh, then guts, then bone - none of it on view on this occasion but it still feels real, gory and emphatically somatic. The man is performing what is known as Seppuku, or 'stomach-cutting', an act of suicide that becomes the pretext for the rest of the film and the reason for a specially commissioned mission. At its heart, 13 Assassins is a classic samurai film, which makes sense given that it's a remake of Eichi Kudo's 1963 movie of the same name. We're dropped into Japan during the Edo period, feudalism is withering, samurai are out of work or have simply become disillusioned, self-righteous henchmen. The story follows the ageing and retired samurai come-fisherman Shinzaemon Shimada (played perfectly by Koji Yakusho). I have to admit that it's refreshing to see an older character take the narrative by the reins, and we get to enjoy Shinzaemon Shimada being called forth to assemble a small but reliable team of samurai willing to give their life to the cause. Expressions of dutiful resolve and honour are all over the screen. The strategy is complex but the mission is clear: kill Lord Naritsugu (Goro Inagaki) - a bored, barbaric and psychotically numb ruler who is the half-brother of the Shogun. The cruelty of the lord is made obvious by his various indulgences - rape, hacking off heads, hacking off limbs, cutting out tongues, target practice on a single family and so on. Some of these atrocities are seen and others are implied, but we soon get the idea that Naritsugu has an impending date with bladed justice. After extensive strategising in quiet corners and dim lighting, Shinzaemon and his men get to staging the trap, a fabricated town that the samurai build and modify to look like any other provincial settlement. Needless to say, Lord Naritsugu and his 200+ warriors and guards enter and like flies in honey discover that there is no way out. The dramatic and slightly confounding climax follows - a stack of death, some flaming stampeding buffalo that perhaps needed more time in the CGI department, heroic acts and muddy, bloody, slippery, messy fighting (something else to notice here are the colours as bodily liquids, dirt and Japanese fabrics collaborate). It's completely gluing and totally fun, but only if you're willing to follow many different deaths occurring all over the place. As the team of 13 are slowly decimated, the final encounter occurs between Shinzaemon and Naritsugu - which is interestingly staged and executed. Although justice is found, the ending is ambiguous and ghostly. One thing is for certain at the end of the film, there is nothing romantic about death, it just hurts. https://youtube.com/watch?v=NgPC74-Tde8
Even if you don't know much about art, about composition and brushstrokes and particular movements, you probably know what you like. What medium tends to grab you, or what colours and shapes. Every time I look at a Margaret Olley painting I can easily say that's what I like. I like the colours, the thickness of the oil paint, worked on layer upon layer. I like the simple subjects. Flowers and vases and fruit. Footage of her walking around her house showed that this was exactly what she lived among - bright colourful furniture, huge bouquets of flowers bursting from their vases and lots of greens, purples, oranges and deep reds. In memory of Margaret Olley, who passed away in July aged 88, the Art Gallery of NSW is holding a tribute exhibition to the beloved Australian artist. One of the last exhibitions under the current director Edmund Capon before his impending retirement, this will be one to see. Take your mum along and remember a fine Australian artist, celebrated by all and painter of a bygone era.
The blockbuster comedy festival Just For Laughs that started in Montreal and has since become the world's largest comedy festival, is coming to Sydney. We get the big names flying in and out on tour but we're due for an internationally recognised festival of our own. So hold onto your seats, here it comes. This inaugural festival, hopefully the beginning of a long line of repeated festivals, will be hosted by none other than Mr Basil Fawlty himself, John Cleese. With that kind of pedigree, how can you go wrong? Also on the lineup is Martin Short, best known for his many movie appearances including Franck in Father of the Bride. He brings with him Demetri Martin, whose straight talking brand of comedy has seen him rise to Senior Youth Correspondent on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, and Dylan Moran, the loveable rogue from Black Books. Add to that Margaret Cho, Louis CK and Russell Howard and you have a pretty solid comic weekend ahead of you. If you want to be a part of history, and be at the first ever Australian Just For Laughs, check it out this weekend.
Ken Unsworth's new show at Cockatoo Island is actually more of a performance than an art show. Technically, the art will be finished by the time the general public gets to see As I Crossed a Bridge of Dreams lying in state, waiting for an audience. For two nights before the public show starts, Unsworth is said to be filming the installation at a private event — the installation in situ, with dancers, musicians and a live audience. The results will be open to the public as attractive remnant, with footage of the private event on as part of the show. Ken Unsworth's leftovers are other people's major shows. Visitors who remember Unsworth's 2009 show A Ringing Glass (Rilke), in memory of his late wife, can again expect to check out a full-on meal of art. And where the performers have gone, the cameras remain. A piano is central to the show, so attendees are invited to play and be immortalised as part of the ongoing video documentation. And although the main meal itself is a little exclusive, there's no shame in revelling in leftovers like these. Image by Mourner.
Dylan Thomas gave his dying father a heartbreaking poem. John Lennon gave his Mum Julia a song. Architect Harry Seidler built his parents a house. The Historic Houses Trust looks after that house these days, and has preserved its pioneering mid-century designs as though the fifties never left. The original colours are on the wall and the Eames chairs sit around intact. Every year the Historic Houses Trust brings the fifties back extra strong for a day, with a Fifties Fair that celebrates the fashions, bands and vibe of the era, erring more on the side of the rockabilly than a Mad Men aesthetic. This year's Fifties Fair offers to coif you up with a period hairstyle, the better to push into the Fair's best dressed competition, which Candice DeVille will judge before expounding on the history of the fashions themselves. Meanwhile, live music from Paulie Bignell and the Drey Rollan Band will entertain you between dips into the stalls of fifties swag, classic cars that will be on show and wide-eyed stolling through the house itself. Image by Jody Pachniuk.
Around the same time Stan Lee was helping to invent half the superheroes that dominate today's box office, comic-maker Robert Crumb was helping to invent the alternative. Crumb didn't draw superheroes. He drew unsettling comics with id-driven characters who often gave in to their darker passions. Now emerged from the underground, Crumb is this year's star of the Opera House's Graphic Festival. Riding high on last year's success, it returns to bring you a fresh sampling of local and overseas comics and animation. Gotye will premiere his new album live to images, while comics luminaries like Eddie Campbell and Scott McCloud will be taking to the stage to explain to you their words and pictures, and spaces in between. McCloud wrote Understanding Comics, the famous guide to comics panels and gutters used by Shaun Tan to ferment The Arrival. Tan's Oscar-winning short will also screen. The Talking with Gods documentary will examine author Grant Morrison, who emerged with a dadaist run on Doom Patrol before moving on to mainstream success in more familiar series like the X-Men and Superman. Spy vs Spy illustrator Peter Kauper — famous for strong, wordless stories — will lead a masterclass, while the free Oz Comics panel will have locals like Mandy Ord and Matt Huynh bring you up to speed on the Aussie comics scene. And as you loiter in the foyer in between these stellar sessions, take the chance to play the best in indie, sometimes subversive games. Update: Robert Crumb has cancelled his appearance.
L.A. beat producer Daedelus is returning to Australia to play a number of shows following the release of his latest album Bespoke. Littered with cameos from musicians such as Milosh and Baths, Bespoke furthers Daedelus’s reputation as a vibrant and eclectic artist. Daedelus’s music oozes with thick washes of sound, ethereal vocals and slower grooves in the style of Flying Lotus or MF Doom. His output is as varied as it is prolific — one of his albums largely features audio samples from spy movies, while another draws on the French surrealistic art method known as exquisite corpse. In short, Daedelus seeks to provide a staggering sensory experience. Renowned for his 19th-century ‘dandy’ dress sense and evocative video clips, the Daedelus experience is to be seen as well as heard. So if this sounds like something you’d like to be a part of, be sure to catch his Sydney show at Goodgod Small Club in Chinatown this Friday. Supporting artists include Australian up-and-comers Collarbones and Galapagoose, the latter of which Daedelus has recently signed to his Magical Properties label.
With the video for their latest single ‘Hands’ featuring half-naked, axe-wielding chicks in roller blades making out with their palms, you could say that there’s a lot to like about Melbourne six-piece Alpine. And that’s before you even get to their music. Which happens to be seriously good. Alpine’s five track EP Zurich, released Nov 2010, features the angelic vocals of frontwomen Phoebe Baker and Lou James layered over gutsy guitar hooks. The result? Beautifully crafted melodic indie pop tunes with bite. Their hugely popular track ‘Villages’ is a perfect example of this exciting mélange of sounds, and the slightly darker and ethereal ‘Hands’ — the first cut from their debut album due out early 2012 — makes for a strong follow-up. Alpine’s signing to Ivy League Records in 2010 sees them sitting side by side with the likes of Cloud Control, Sparkadia and Josh Pyke, just to name a few. They’ve also been the support for high-calibre bands like The Naked & Famous and SIA, and were one of the highlights at last year’s Falls Festival. This should be enough to convince you that Alpine is worth checking out this Friday Jan 20 at Oxford Art Factory, with support from Crayon Fields frontman Geoffrey O’ Connor doing his solo thing.
The Sydney Festival First Night has come a long way since the first time it took over the city in 2008. Having comprehensively left its mark on the Sydney CBD, this year the Festival is taking its pedestrian mojo a little further west for a reprise of last week's street side, entertainment bacchanal. This Saturday the Festival revs up for a second attempt, as Parramatta gets the chance to light up with a Parra Opening Party all its own. Stars of the CBD party return, with action spanning Church Street for As the World Tipped and UK DJ Norman Jay MBE in his open-top red double decker bus of sounds. The Kings School will play host to the music of the Barefoot Divas and Gipsy combo Taraf de Haïdouks and the Koçani Orkestar, while Parra also plays host to a rival Spiegeltent, which will be open for a closer look before filling itself with a week of interesting things. It's not often you get the chance to do it all again, but this year the Sydney Festival takes you back there for another punt at a great night out, every bit as electric as the first time around.
A lot of people have a strong attachment to Tintin, the boy reporter created by a Belgian artist who travels around the world solving crime and having endless adventures on the way. Having worked as a reporter for a little while now, I've never fought a pirate or voyaged in a pirate ship. I've never had to escape from a burning plane or trick very large dogs into not attacking me. All I can ask really, is why the hell not? 'Cause it looks like a lot of fun. The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn was brought lovingly to the screen by the massive fans Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg. Working in motion capture, they've brought the characters very much to life, even in 3D, lifting them off the page. Tintin (Jamie Bell) discovers a model of the Unicorn, a long-lost ship supposedly sunk full of treasure. With Snowy and Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis) close behind, he soon tears into his usual hijinks. While the motion capture technology at times can be alienating, not allowing you to fully identify with the characters, the rollicking adventure that the story takes you on is enough to keep you entertained. I felt as giddy as a schoolkid excited by a rollercoaster for most of this movie. It was a fun, exciting and completely over-the-top adventure.
Tired of queuing up for outdoor cinemas over in the Eastern Suburbs and only managing to secure, like, a 4x4cm patch of grass? Yeah, us too. Well, fret no longer, outdoorsy-types. Over on the other side of the bridge, North Sydney’s Starlight Cinema is returning for a full season of killer films, and the best bit is there’s grass aplenty for your picnicking pleasure as it’s staged on A SPORTING OVAL. Chillax over a stack of films we’ve fallen in love with this past year including season opener, Woody Allen’s Midnight In Paris as well as The Help, which screens the following night and stars the achingly-gorgeous Emma Stone. In late January, catch the cheesy guilty pleasure, Mamma Mia!, the even-cheesier Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 and the original cheese classic Footloose. February and March highlights include Moneyball, The Inbetweeners, We Need To Talk About Kevin and Bill Cunningham New York; all guaranteed to impress dates of the artsy variety. But what we really love is the ample parking available on site, not to mention the fancy ME Bank Star Class seating which offers prime film viewing, reserved deckchair seating, drinks wait-service and a food hamper filled with dinner and dessert. Fyi, it’ll set you back $55 per person but if you’re out to impress, it’s worth every penny. Gates open at 7pm and screening starts at sundown. That’s around 8.30pm in January and 8pm in February and early March.
Things are getting a little bit cosmic at Firstdraft this month. Those of you familiar with the gallery can guess exactly how much fun this will be. Those who haven't yet visited, this round would be a darn good time to start. In a takeover of galleries one and two, Melanie Irwin is hypnotized by geometry. The title is telling, drawing on Archimedes (you remember, the bathtub guy) and his experiments with polygons and pi. This lady sees shapes everywhere: in the skies, portioned by power and tram lines, and in our constructed surrounds. It's an exploration of matter and the seemingly incidental ways in which it forms, interacts and decays. Peter Thomas takes aim at the terrorists involved in September 11. This is not quite as serious as it sounds — his assertion is simply that perhaps they should have read their horoscopes. Teasing the irony out of absolute faith, Thomas's exhibition delves into the universes, and motivations, of people who do unexplainable things. Space Happens channels the playful era of VHS board games, aiming to be artwork that allows its audience a different relationship to the work and each other. In other words, a little bit of fun. Each player is the ruler of their own planet, and must dodge nasty aliens and space obstacles to complete their journey, while of course beating everyone else to the finish. Image: Space Happens, by Kenzie Larsen
"I don't conquer, I submit." - Giacomo Casanova These simple words can sum up the totality of Casanova's life. Born in the declining years of Venice's sea power, Casanova's political and sexual intrigues are more the product of a man who just gave in to surrounding decadence rather than the malicious vices of a demonic figure. His exploits as a spy, a con artist, a lover and a philosopher may have left no trace were it not for his final decades, exiled to boredom in Bohemia, where he penned his memoirs. These same memoirs are given voice and form by John Malkovich in The Giacomo Variations. Malkovich's readings of Casanova's debauched life are paired with excerpts from Mozart's famous operas Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro and Cosi fan tutte. It is no surprise that Mozart's operas deal with lust, bawdy gentlemen and nefarious schemes, given that he and Casanova were contemporaries. The Giacomo Variations is a lush, playful night of high-art with low brows. Even if sold out, it's certainly worth an early morning queue down at Martin Place. Image by Brigitte Lacombe
Yes, if you haven't heard already, it most certainly is that season. It's a little hard to miss: tacky tinsel, supermarket panic and Mariah Carey's 1994 hit album on repeat. But there's no need to be a Grinch about it. Even with these age old cliches floating about, there's still some fun to be had. Take Gaffa's annual Xmas Show for example, which they've pulled together no less than 172 of their favourite artists to be part of. Knowing the sorts of works that Gaffa typically pulls together, I think it's safe to say that there will be a little bit of Christmas anarchy in the air. To get the full impact you should jump in quick, as artwork purchases are offered for collection almost as soon as they've sold. It's also worth noting that this is the first Christmas that Gaffa will spend in their new space, so there's certainly a little bit of additional celebration to be had. Image: Rudy Ardianto, Open Season
Art goes through cycles. Artists rebel against an old idea and forget that the old one itself rebelled against the one before. Vermeer's generation discovered the appeal of new technology with the camera obscura. Picasso's discovered themselves through the informalities they saw, and thought they saw, in African Art. The Futurists rediscovered machines and thought they saw their lives in war and manifiestos. The four artists in the latest exhibition at the Paper Mill — Oogga Booga — have looked inside and turned back to their instincts for inspiration. Hossein Ghaemi channels things and people from deep inside himself, most often in the form of his artistic alter-egos. Ben Ryan brought his talents up from Hobart last year for First Draft's Names and Places, and this time plans to reeducate the audience's senses around the gallery space. Claire Finneran's work will delve into the yen for tribalism, while Ben Terakes explores nature and nurture. So enter the Paper Mill's triangular gallery and resist your natural instincts to roller-skate on its flat open spaces — while Oogga Booga's name may be flippant, the works themselves look at sterner things.
Thanks a bunch, Spunk. I was looking forward to the usual asscheeks plus photocopier, ennui and horniness Christmas party shenanigans this year. It's one of the three times annually that Jonathon Franzen's "it's not depression, it's clarity" line about acute negativity is true. As for the other two — January 25 (the anniversary of the final episode of Miami Vice ever) and, well, what do you really need to know my birthday for, anyway? Tangents aside, record company folk you aren't my bosses and so you don't strictly count, but you've put a dent in my low, low December party expectations with this great venue / boss lineup Christmas party claptrap. Returning for his first Sydney performance in a really long time is Jack Ladder, as well as Leader Cheatah, Holly Throsby playing a DJ set, plus "very special guests", all at a lovely small bar with a charmingly lenient cucumber and gin and tonic policy. Now I only have myself to blame if I have a crap time. UPDATE: After weeks of speculation and amazing sets at Meredith, Nashville's two finest bands, JEFF The Brotherhood and Those Darlins, have been announced as very special guests. Jesus' attendance is still unconfirmed.
Have you noticed that at this time of year everyone wheels out the same tired old cliches about how Christmas with your family sucks, usually because some random uncle/aunty is always drunk? Call me old fashioned, but I enjoy Christmas with my family. We eat way too much, only buy each other presents we've asked for, and then we all go to a friend's house for more food. It's a humble but beautiful Christmas tradition that I cherish. That said, it's never too late to add one more thing to the Christmas lineup. This Friday, the Oxford Art Factory is inviting us along to enjoy their own Christmas tradition, their 3rd annual Christmas Party, and it's only $5. While I wouldn't expect too many carols to be sung, you'll instead enjoy the burly, passionate voices of The Preachers, the chilled out rock of Circle Pit, the psychedelic guitar riffs of Zeahorse, the old-school vocal punk stylings of Myth and Tropics and the kick back rock infused Cabins. And they're just on one of the two stages. So if you feel like dispelling the stereotypes and actually enjoying your Christmas celebrations this year, why not do it with a cider in hand enjoying some of Sydney's most interesting up-and-coming bands at this iconic location? And I think we can promise that turkey will not be served. Image: Cabins
The Blackeyed Susans have traveled far across the rocky wilds of Australian independent music since their Perth formation in 1989. Their lineup has shuffled more than a blackjack dealer's favourite deck, and they have often fallen into periods of deep torpor, but the dark romance of their sound has never wavered in its strength. Listen to the Susans and you're drawn into the land of the blues ballad, the cabaret croon and the cracked chords of dirty country. Originally scattered across a sporadic discography, these tales were gathered together in 2009 as a retrospective collection, Reveal Yourself 1989-2009. Upon the back of this release the reinvigorated Susans toured to Europe with the Triffids in 2010, only returning after their defeat by the erupting Eyjafjallajökull. Now, in light of their rebirth, the Susans are touring a series of Christmas shows, with two sets to be unwrapped in Newtown's the Vanguard. Those able to grab a ticket are in for a fine treat. A regal whiskey would taste the way this band sounds — twenty years have seen members of the Triffids, Augie March, Dirty Three, Martha's Vineyard, the Cruel Sea and Chad's Tree infuse the Susans' back catalogue. https://youtube.com/watch?v=_HK-Nrn68c4
I heard an eerie Lennon quote on the radio recently. "That's part of our policy, not to be taken seriously, because I think our opposition, whoever they may be, in all their manifest forms, don't know how to handle humor … we stand a better chance under that guise, because all the serious people, like Martin Luther King, and Kennedy, and Gandhi, got shot". Sadly for Lennon and anyone who appreciates the man, his music or the idea of a world free of war, his policy didn't work and he was shot dead by a lunatic. On the eve of the 30th anniversary of John Lennon's death, Herb Armstrong (grandson of Louis), Fergus Brown, The Preachers and others are coming together to cover his "most loved songs" in a unique tribute show, launching the re-release of his anthem, 'Give Peace a Chance', to a new generation. Three decades on, this collaboration aims to further his legacy of peace, love and music with all profits from Album sales/tickets being donated to the Australian Children's Music Foundation (ACMF). Also attempting to reflect the positive influence Lennon had on the mankind in this tribute are one of the original Buena Vista Social club voices and a host of other Australian, UK and international acts listed here. Given the talent of those contributing and the respectful way that Yoko Ono has continued her ex partners name and ideals, this will no doubt be one of the most enjoyable tribute shows yet.
Forget everything you thought you knew about pole dancing. Seriously. Wipe the slate clean and prepare to be amazed. This most intriguing of dance genres has, over the last few years, evolved into an awe-inspiring blend of athleticism, fluidity of motion, and sensual beauty that has lifted it out of its chequered past and onto a different aesthetic plane altogether. Pole Evolution — Australia's first pole dance company — was founded in 2009 by company director and principal dancer Jennifer Critelli. Together with the 20 talented dancers that make up the company, Jennifer has made it her mission to showcase the uniquely beautiful scope of movement made possible by the meeting of the human body with the simple solid steel structure. Spiral Rhythms is their latest work and promises to be a truly entertaining and visually striking performance that revolves, quite literally, around the pole. It's a spectacular performance piece fusing pole dancing with contemporary dance, classical ballet and gymnastic feats that seem to defy gravity. Add to this an exciting musical soundscape and costumes designed to enhance the visual impact of the dynamic choreography and you’ve got yourselves one helluva show.
Anyone who has tried to reconstruct the events of a foggy evening, only to discover some embarrassing actions on their part, knows this: when it comes to interpretation, context is all. This year, the MCA is extending a helping hand to those of us attempting to make sense of their new acquisitions. These new pieces will be presented in the context of the existing collection, including both local and international artworks. The result? A unique insight into the ways in which this institution develops their collection, as well as the works themselves, and a perfect way to celebrate the fifth year of their New Acquisitions series. Highlights include Sangeeta Sandrasegar's delicate organza works and Arlo Mountford's audio-visual reinterpretation of three sixteenth-century Flemish paintings (still pictured). Image: Arlo Mountford: The Folly
Kathy (Amy Mathews) and David (Joe Del Re) are married with children, as are Beth (Megan Alston) and Brad (Sebastian Goldspink). David and Beth screw around and everything goes to shit, changing the course of all concerned's lives. That's the gist Orange Lemon Water, though if you're a fan of writers like John Updike or Richard Yates — or you've ever betrayed a spouse — you'd know that there's a lot of uncovered ground in that synopsis. This is a fairly brief play at 75 minutes. But by half way, I was asking myself whether it would be worthwhile staying through to the end. Why I'd watch this sort of thing. Why devote time to watching a representation of lives falling apart? Of people hurting one another? If that suggests that Chris Wright's story of domestic breakdown is poorly written, it's worth noting that it's not. Orange Flower Water is gorgeously scripted and wrenchingly incisive on topics like desire, guilt, obligation and, most of all, regret. The guy was a writer for Six Feet Under and a lot of that show's better qualities are evident here. There's very little filler and every scene does a good job of examining thoughts typically buried or denied. It's more a question of what value there is in seeing two people cheat on their partners and the cowardice and loss that unfolds afterwards. Of, at best, the writing being so perceptive that you see yourself in these people. And I think if there's an answer it's something along these lines: everyone wants to be the hero of their life story; to be a good person. But we're all capable of being the lowest worms. You can't write this sort of thing without having lived it, without indicting yourself for having been a less than worthwhile human being. Wright vaguely cops to as much in interviews. And it's maddeningly gratifying to see something well-crafted come out of that. To see the jumbled, unscripted mess of someone's life turned into something that people will pay to watch. It may not be a hoot sitting through this production, but there's something redemptive in being offered the option.
There are many facets to singer Mikelangelo, most prominent though is the hair. The same from almost any angle, Mikelangelo's coif is like a creature all its own, pushing you to wonder if the do itself drives the star's deeper animus. Alternately Croatian, Melbournian, homicidal, horny, talented or tasteless, you're never quite sure how much of him is real and how much is affected. All his component parts seem plausible, yet he somehow leaves you with a deeper feeling of doubt. He's bringing it all to Notes in Newtown with a new line-up to back up his mournful croon. Having toured previously with his mordant, gypsy-folk band the Black Sea Gentlemen, he's playing now with surf-western band the Tin Star. Mikelangelo has changed in other ways since his previous engagements. He's always had a particular penchant for fashion, but now he's sharing his couture tips in personal blog of styling tips, retro-chic shops and pomade. So if you want to get to have a closer look — at the hair, the fashion, the singing or the Tin Star — Mikelangelo is ready to receive your adoration. Image by Miguel Sanchez.
Cyndi Lauper was in Japan during the recent earthquake and spent her time there touring and donating royalties to the disaster relief fund. Lauper also campaigns for gay rights, having been a part of the gay community since she came out as straight to her queer friends during high school. Until the earthquake though, her latest cause had been reintroducing the blues to audiences with her new album Memphis Blues. She's bringing it straight here from Japan, hitting Sydney for two nights at the soon-to-be annexed State Theatre. Cyndi Lauper doesn't have a reputation as a blues singer, but she claims the influence drove her early career and lies at the root of all her other influences — jazz, rock and pop. And she gets out some pretty classic blues songs, like Crossroads by the now-familiar singer Robert Johnson. So if all you know about the blues comes from the Simpsons, and all you know about Cyndi Lauper is that she's the Sex and the City to the Eurythmics' Battlestar Galactica, this woman is coming to educate you.
4 musicians, 6 singles, 238562845 reasons to take in the Bloozepower. super FLORENCE jam are comin' atcha like a swift flannel. A raucous breed of gritty god-yes rock, four-piece shotguns sFj are one of the hardest working crews on the Sydney circuit, with albums, EPs, demos and grandness spilling outta their ear and mouthholes with more rigour than a C&C Music Factory. Everybody dance now, indeed. Tirelessly releasing a new fandangled single every month until the chilly winds of July whistle through the studio door, this quakin' quartet have already wowed with the wham-bam-thankyou-ma'am punk slam of Simmer Down and glam blockbuster That's The End Of It, a track that defies wallflowers everywhere, and now bring numero trois: Bloozepower. Bloozepower sees the lads hop back to a Deep Purple Machine Head meets mid to late Zep blend of soaring vocals, thrusting riffs and head-back-and-forth general awesomeness. With 4:46 to play with this time around, this tale of intemperance and pleasure-seeking after brutal heartbreak is a powerful thing from a foursome continuously defying the average and making better music than half the claptrap weaseling out of your radio. Always surprising, always grin-inducing, sFj are ready to flash their explosive versatility all up in your mindtank, with their bold blend of swirling twangs, spiraling psych-soaring melodies and engulfingly contagious percussion. Ah hell, enough analysis; these guys flipping well rule. With support from the likes of Sydney rockers The Salvagers, hard indie prog-poppers Where's Jerome, and local party funk outfit JUNK, this is one little Saturday bowl of ear-treats not to be missed.
You know he's doing it for the hardcore when his re-issues come packed in a lunchbox. Songsman first, wordsmith second, the tracks stand as complete works sans lyrics, voila Special Herbs ala MF. For me, DOOM (in ALL CAPS or otherwise) has always been tinged with the Wu from the onset. If it's not the "paint a picture with words" or the "know I got soul" sample miscellany it's the hijacking of Marvel egos that leave an abstract impression. After a six-year interval and a rise to cult following in the early zero zeros, sporting nothing more than a backpack and a mask, DOOM has at least touched bases with the cream of the underground on a plethora of collabs. He used to pump one out every other month, but having said that his last studio album is almost two years old and I'm still trying to get my head around it. Narrowly saving face, DOOM caught bad press for allegedly sending to shows the onstage equivalent of a ghostwriter. The irony was lost on those who never read a comic when The Fantastic Four would finally foil Dr. Doom only to discover it was a Doombot all along. Undecided on whether I'd rather see him on stage as opposed to back in the lair crafting the next Madvillain release (pray to the gods, not Madvillianry 3), that Ghostface we've been promised or the newly confirmed Thom Yorke duet, I'm calling this rap show of the year.
It's difficult to argue with the fact that we are uniquely positioned to appreciate the beauties of the ocean. Still, it comes as a bit of a surprise when the Artistic Director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra also professes his love for surf photography and steers a series of performances in that direction. This is exactly what Richard Tognetti has done. His first attempt, experimenting with the links between sound and surf, resulted in an international tour and an acclaimed documentary — the cleverly named Musica Surfica. This is the second installment in that series. The program features parts of Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 15, a traditional number entitled The Seal Song, and a number of Tognetti's own compositions. To offset the sound, a big screen projects Jon Frank's still photography and footage. Frank has been a senior photographer for Surfing World magazine for over ten years and has filmed a number of surfing documentaries, including Musica Surfica. The Glide is unique amongst the multimedia collaborations we've seen of late, in that it's a genuine blend of two exceptional talents. If the subject piques your interest, take this chance before they're off across the waters again. Image: photo by Jon Frank, courtesy of ACO
Mike Hudson is a singer-songwriter whose alt rock/folk style is loaded with rich vocals (think a young Joe Cocker/Rod Stewart) and bliss-inducing melodies that will literally warm your insides. Seriously, this guy is soulful. His musical influences include John Butler Trio, Sting and the Police, and Cat Stevens, but Mike's style is all his own. His music has been described as sounding almost familiar, not because it's overly derivative but rather because the composition, the melodies, the rhythm, the voice are just so right that you almost recognise them. Let's call it prescient familiarity. I promise you'll know exactly what I'm talking about once his music has seduced your ears and nestled itself comfortably into your playlist de jour. Just like it's always been there. After releasing his album Enigmatic to glowing reviews in 2009, he is now unleashing his new EP We Live in Colour onto the world, supported by Sam Jones and Kids of yesterday. Beach Road Tuesday night. See you there.
The four artists exhibiting at Firstdraft this month transform the gallery into a science class with biological urges, refashioned flora, paranoid communications and volcanic eruptions all making an appearance. Troy Emery exhibits a new take on taxidermy, where the craft of presenting animals looks more like your grandmother's knitted blanket than you might imagine. His aesthetic firmly situates these creatures in the realm of the fantastical, reminding us of the constant human fascination with the mythical. Malcolm Whittaker is concerned with the animal within us all and perhaps the universe itself, tracing the imperative towards new territory in unlikely places. Responding to the recent eruption of an Icelandic volcano, Rachel Freeman's paintings seek to disconnect this violent landscape from the media representations which cling to it. Utilising colour fields, Freeman instead approaches the phenomena on its own terms. While Heath Franco's work is a departure from the physical nature of the other exhibitions: a surreal realm of chance meetings and alienation realised through multi-channel video installation. And if that's not quite enough to drag you to the gallery already, you should certainly make the effort this weekend when Imperial Panda and Firstdraft collide and transform into a force to be reckoned with. Pick up some unexpected music trash (or treasure) at Saturday's Used Music Swap Meet, or begin Sunday with a pancake brekkie before jumping inside a camera obscura. Image: Troy Emery, Wild Thing 3, 2010
Spring has sprung, and to get into the swing of the new season, the Opera House wants to get Sydney dancing. To entice the more reluctant movers and shakers, Artistic Director of the Australian Ballet Company David McAllister has selected three of his favourite dance films to screen free in the Opera House forecourt over the weekend. The idea is that you rock up early for a dance class before settling in to revel in the art form on the big screen. The superlative Powell and Pressburger classic The Red Shoes will open the event. Any film fan must see this beauty, which Kate Jinx raved about earlier this year (sentiments I heartily second). And if you won't take our word for it, listen to Martin Scorsese, who calls The Red Shoes "one of the true miracles of film history". Next up is the Academy Award-winning Australian animation Happy Feet. The accents of Mumbles and his fellow penguins may be American, but this marvellous family film is the work of Aussie director George Miller (Mad Max) and the world-class animators at Animal Logic (soon to impress again with Zack Snyder's Legend of the Guardians: the Owls of Ga'Hool, followed by Happy Feet 2). Rounding out the programme is '80s classic (and a prevailing guilty pleasure) Footloose. The film that brought Kevin Bacon fame — before he became a parlour game — Footloose sees a rebellious teen's will to dance prevail over the censorship of a parochial town. The film's title track is probably as famous as Bacon's iconic dance routine, and both are sure to tempt audiences to bust a move. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZYL3j27sSH8
Go forth, children! Collide! Launching their highly anticipated second album after the success of 2008's The Long Now, tempered trio Children Collide are set to bring Sydney stages a little too close to the sun, with a fiery avalanche of sound, surrealism and flannelette sass ready to burn up unsuspecting Sydney stages. With a record to sell, new numbers 'Jellylegs' and 'My Eagle' are sure to nestle amidst smouldering favourites as their gritty brand of flapping rock hurtles itself across the country next month. With a new LP dubbed after British physicist John Ellis' groundbreaking theoretical work, Theory of Everything intends to ensnare that intrinsic human need to explain the unexplainable and draw upon that insatiable need to consistently utilise physics to justify all the elementary connections between nature and the universe. But it's all art vs. science around here, as CC's latest venture delves into the spiritual unknown and the fortune teller's booth. Cheekily marketing themselves through wars of theology and mysticism, the band are offering their newly launched 'Children Collide Singles Club' the gift of tarot cards for their loyalty rather than a set of test tubes. With their undauntedly loud brand of indie punk generally punching both eardrums and airwaves, CC's youthful capture of musical idealism has thus taken a more alchemic form on this sophomore release, as lead vocalist Johnny Mackay cites a need for listeners to interpret at will. Spin that Wheel of Fortune. https://youtube.com/watch?v=UbeHiwdqgNA
The seventh Israeli Film Festival is taking place in Sydney this week. Showcasing an exciting, diverse range of films, the programme includes the controversial Eyes Wide Open, which navigates the subjugation of gay culture in an Ultra-Orthodox community in Jerusalem. Much is also being made of Phobidilia, the kinetic psychological portrait of a man who locks out the world, then loses his grip on reality. For a slightly lighter tone, there's A Matter of Size, which follows the trials and tribulations of 160 kilo Herzl as he battles the bulge, before discovering sumo wrestling. Documentaries round out the programme, with the Ultra-Orthodox community perhaps receiving a right of reply with Haredim — A Trilogy, in which members tell their own stories about existing in an increasingly secular, western State. However, for history buffs, the real draw card may well be the award-winning documentary A Film Unfinished, which further exposes the Nazi propaganda machine through the discovery of a missing reel of film from the Warsaw Ghetto. The trailer alone should have you clamouring for tickets. https://youtube.com/watch?v=OhfYOe48h4A
If you're going to make a racket, it may as well be a Mad one. With a keen revival of the Supa Funn party variety, innovative underground crew Mad Racket are bringing their smoky, gritty cult-following-of-a-shindig back to Marrickville Bowling Club with one major kick. With a highly anticipated debut album Destination Unknown ready to tear up earphones and throw shapes on d-floors, Melburnian four-piece Super Melody is set to bring their unique branch of beats, breaks and genre-spanning electro banter that can only come from a dude who's spent time with Architecture In Helsinki. Look, if anything, watching the live results of a suburban recording session in Cecil's sister's brightly pink walled bedroom when his dad went away for the weekend is worth one hell of a bash. Fronted by the self-described, "part crooner, part mad scientist, part tropical percussionist" Cecil and Super Melody fuse '80s supasynths with lusciously bending guitar licks and a general goodtime mantra akin to something like "party on, Wayne". Hardly wearing mouse ears for kicks, the Racketeers' Jimmi James, Zootie, Ken Cloud and Simon Caldwell are sure to bring a shine to the copper ceilings of this wondrously kitsch venue, spinning beats and serving treats the only way they know how: well. Get involved.
