The team at pop-up restaurant space IconPark have announced their latest temporary tenant: a European-style canteen with a different menu every day. Headed by executive chef Naomi Lowry, formerly of Biota Dining and Pilu, the canteen will occupy IconPark’s Stanley Street location from now until the end of March, when the space’s permanent leaseholders are expected to be revealed. Open 7am to 4pm Monday through Friday, the restaurant will focus on rustic, wholesome foods, with diners picking one of two proteins and selecting veggies or salads to go with it. Dishes announced so far include white wine juniper braised lamb shoulder with cumin yogurt, lemon pepper leaf and thyme roast chicken, and cocoa salt-crusted slow roast beef. Sides? So far we've seen balsamic roast beets and roast carrots with almonds and fetta. The IconPark space has previously been the home to Matt Stone’s Stanley Street Merchants and barbecue joint Rupert & Ruby. Tenants are selected through crowdfunding campaigns; whichever restaurant concept raises the most amount of capital gets the keys to the fully licensed kitchen. In December, IconPark revealed that the winners of their latest contest would be awarded a permanent lease. So if you’re keen on the sound of the European Canteen, head down to Stanley Street ASAP. Icon Park's pop-up canteen is open 7am to 4pm, Monday to Friday at 78 Stanley Street, Darlinghurst. Menus change daily.
Probably one of the most fun, interactive and accessible events on Sydney's cultural calendar, Underbelly Arts Festival will be kicking into gear on the first weekend of August (but they're letting you into The Lab from July 22). Dedicated to providing a platform for early career artists, this biennial showcase is all about amplifying the bold new voices of Australian art. Featuring over 100 artists, the festival will be a colourful patchwork of thought-provoking installations spread across Sydney’s industrial playground, Cockatoo Island. “The island is filled with possibility,” says artistic director Eliza Sarlos. “And I think it will continue to do so because every artist brings their own unique skills and imagination to the spaces.” From investigating artist studios to visiting a bar that serves air, to stuffing your face with Mary's and throwing shapes at an art party after a long day's exhibition exploring, there's plenty of indulgent adventures to be had this year at Underbelly — here's a sneak peek into what you're allowed to get yourself into. STUFF YOUR FACE (AND MIND) SILLY The Underbelly team is acutely aware of the relationship between artist and audience. And this year, they've cooked up an even bigger program to get your mind cogs moving. In addition to art, music and performance, there will be plenty of delicious noms from your favourite food providers — think inner-west all-stars such as Mary's, Rising Sun and Young Henry's — curated by Sydney foodie, FBi Radio presenter and The Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry founder Lee Tran Lam. You can also look forward to a kickass art party smack bang in the middle of the weekend. SEE ART BEFORE IT'S READY Prior to the festival on August 1 – 2, the exhibiting artists will finish creating their works in an intensive two-week-long residency or The Lab. “One thing that excites me about Underbelly is what happens before the festival,” says Sarlos. “We have all the artists from different disciplines in the same space together. It’s that exchange that happens when people are creating under the same roof, side by side.” The Underbelly ethos is primarily forward thinking, showcasing art practices that dwell on the consequences of our current moment. “Art has this wonderful capacity to present versions of tomorrow and perspectives on what the future should hold,” says Sarlos. “I think Underbelly is in a great position to facilitate that. It's a precarious time for the arts, so it's important to have those opportunities to pause and reflect.” The festival also provides a laboratory to conceptualise solutions to the big issues. This has spawned a number of socially and politically engaged works. For instance, Emily Parsons-Lord is developing a bar that serves air. Yes, you heard correct. You will literally be served samples of air. Her work, The Arrariam, is concerned with the history of air and the impact of human development. MAKE A BUNCH OF NOISE Alongside the visual art offerings, there is a stellar music and sound program planned. “It’s really exciting to be presenting music in an art context because I don’t think it happens enough,” says Sarlos. “It’s rare that you’re in an environment where you have access to art, music and performance. One thing I love about the festival experience is that there aren’t those arbitrary lines.” From sonic sculptures through to serene acoustics, there will be a whole bunch of technologically innovative sound installations to experience. “We have the amazing Lucy Cliché (Lucy Phelan) recording a piece specifically for one of the bunkers on the island,” says Sarlos. “Getting to hear it in the space it was designed for will be quite special.” Saturday evening will be packed with punchy beats and danceable tunes. The art party lineup will feature Cassius Select, GUERRE, Austin Buckett, Megan Alice Clune and Softwar, to name a few. The Goodgod Karaoke House Band will also make an appearance, inviting festivalgoers to warm up their vocal chords and soak up some good ol' nostalgia. BRAG ABOUT NEW INTERNATIONAL ART YOU JUST LEARNED ABOUT For the first time, this year’s program will include a cohort of international artists. And as the festival spreads its wings, Sarlos believes it’s never too soon to reach overseas. “We’re definitely here for early career artists and I think that’s true for international artists as well. What is interesting for me is building networks with people across the world. I think there’s no reason to wait until you have a blockbuster to create those connections and opportunities.” UK sculptor James Capper is one of the foreign artists climbing aboard. He will be unleashing a number of earth-marking machines to crawl across the island and create their own compositions. “Even though it was developed in the UK, it’s funny how strongly this work resonates with industry driven and mining obsessed Australia,” says Sarlos. ADDRESS THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM With recent government cuts, it's a bleak time for emerging artists attempting to carve out a career or simply pay bills. But simply by attending Underbelly Arts, you'll be supporting said artists and inevitably getting into heated debates over a cider at the end of the day about 'the state of things'. Thinking about this unsteady and uncertain future, Sarlos is a keen campaigner for visibility across every level of art-making. “I certainly don’t advocate against the major art institutions — there’s an important role for them to play,” she says. “Art offers such a beautiful ecology of people creating at different stages — everyone benefits from what everyone else is doing. If you lose the support mechanisms or the access points for audiences to see work from the new generation you miss the opportunity to develop sustainable careers.” Underbelly Arts Festival runs August 1-2 at Cockatoo Island, with The Lab running July 22-26. Check the website for more details or to lock down tickets. Images: Underbelly Arts, Prudence Upton, Lucy Parakhina, Rafaela Pandolfini, James Capper.
Early risers, yoga fiends and peaceful art lovers, this one's for you. Celebrating the MoMA exhibition Yoko Ono: One Woman Show, 1960–1971 and the 50th anniversary of Ono’s 1964 New York performance of Morning Piece, the MCA is presenting an early morning of free, peaceful fun. Kicking off at 9am on June 21 at the MCA, Yoko Ono Morning Peace 2015 is Sydney's instalment of the global event. Reconnect with the early morning with a free mandala workshop on the lawn, outdoor drawing classes on the sculpture terrace, yoga workshops on the rooftop terrace and front lawn with lululemon athletica (June 21 also marks the United Nations’ inaugural World’s Yoga Day). The MCA will be open early from 9am, including the Light Show exhibition, and the MCA Cafe will also be open from 9am, with a special New-York themed breakfast menu (we're talking cronuts, Mimosas, bagels, Belvedere Bloody Marys). So what are we actually celebrating this early in the morning? It's been 50 years since Ono's Morning Piece was first performed in Tokyo in 1964, a work she the presented again on her New York apartment roof in 1965. The work saw audiences gather at sunrise to meet Ono, who sold artworks with attached pieces of paper on glass, picking out a particular period of morning (e.g., “February 3, 1987 after sunrise,”). The Ono would encourage each 'owner' to look through the glass to the sky, with the knowledge they possessed a 'future morning'. Pretty lovely stuff. So now we celebrate the original 'morning giving' ceremony across the globe, with the sun rising in different time zones. It's a peaceful art gathering of global proportions, organised by New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in partnership with Milan's Fondazione La Triennale di Milano, Moscow's Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, LA's J. Paul Getty Museum, Hong Kong's M+, the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo and the MCA — yep, gang's all here. If you can't make it to the MCA, you're encouraged to host your own Morning Peace event, according to the following instructions “On the solstice at sunrise / celebrate mornings of / past, future, and now./ Listen to the world./ Touch each other / when the sun comes up.” (Yoko Ono, spring 2015). Yoko Ono Morning Peace 2015 at MCA is happening on June 21 from 9am. Entry is free, but bookings for the two 'Morning Interpretations' outdoor drawing classes (11am-11:45am and 12pm-12:45pm) are recommended. Check the website for session times (and BYO mat and wear plenty of layers if you're going to jump into a yoga session). If you're still hung up on the whole Beatles break-up thing, give Yoko a chance with this little gem:
Next time someone complains that you're glued to your phone, tell them that you're earning free food. Yes, that's the dream the burger-slinging legends at Royal Stacks is making come true with their new interactive game. Getting your favourite meat-and-bread combo is about to become as easy as spending hours doing something that, let's face it, we all already do. Available to download from the iTunes store from December 2, Royal Stacks' foray into phone-based entertainment combines fun with freebies, and virtual burgs with the real thing. Created by Melbourne's PlaySide Studios, the Tetris meets Jenga-like game requires players to stack ingredients onto a bun, line everything up to make the ideal tower of pixellated deliciousness, and try to make sure the massive creation doesn't topple over — all while building the biggest burger possible. In the process, as you work your way up from Royal Stacks' Single Stack to The King — and work through different skins and themes — you'll receive points that can be used in store for things like burgers, fries, milkshakes and frozen custard. And, if you visit a Royal Stacks joint on the day the game launches and download it while you're there, you'll also get a free serving of fries. Okay, so we all know that this is a clever piece of marketing — but we all want free burgers. Basically, it's the best of both worlds — and everything a game-playing burger lover (aka everyone) could've hoped for, really. Available to download from iTunes.
Local fashion, handmade wares and community vibes aplenty. It's a formula that sounds familiar, though for Enmore's new quarterly pop-up New Form, it's served up a little differently. Billed as "not just another arts and crafts market," New Form aims to be an inclusive hangout space for Sydney's style-savvy culture-lovers, delivering a tightly curated mix of design, fashion, music, art and food, all with a local focus. Uniquely, each edition will be helmed by a different creative mind, who'll lend their own expertise and style to the concept. They'll choose the live tunes and art installations, select an exciting lineup of designers to show off their wares and handpick all the other vendors. New Form has also teamed up with folks at The Design Residency, who'll showcase two of their exciting mentee designers at each edition. For its debut outing on Sunday, October 8, the pop-up is heading to a space on Gladstone Road, pulling together labels like Zuku Jewellery, Tuesday Vintage, Carly Rose, Serpent and the Swan, and Studio Coy, along with plenty of other fresh local talent. Food offerings will include Turkish Gozleme and Miss Mabel's. Catch the first edition of New Form on Sunday, October 8, at 3 Gladstone St, Enmore. For more information, check out their website.
Still coming to terms with the fact that the Newtown Social Club's gig-hosting days have come to an end? Us too. But — for better or for worse — when one door closes, another one opens. And come July, the same doors will swing into action — but this time they'll reveal a mini-golf bar. Yes, the old NSC bandroom is becoming an indoor 18-hole mini-golf course. The new venue is called Holey Moley Golf Club, and it comes to Sydney after opening in Brisbane last September and Melbourne earlier this year. Set to open in on Thursday, July 6, the bar will pair putt putt and pints across the two-storey King Street space. Just what each stop on each of the two nine-hole courses will entail is yet to be revealed; however Game of Thrones, Super Mario, Alice in Wonderland and clowns all feature up north. Yes, clowns. It's as batshit crazy as it sounds. We hope Holey Moley isn't simply filling one of Sydney's many struggling live venues with a gimmick, and their parent company Funlab have advised that music will remain a feature with regular DJ sets. Drinks-wise, expect cocktails from The Caddyshack Bar and a bao station for bites between holes. Newtown isn't the only spot on Holey Moley's expansion trail either, with an Adelaide venture due to open in May. Holey Moley Golf Club will open at 387 King Street, Newtown on Thursday, July 6. Keep an eye on their website for more information. Image: Holey Moley Melbourne, by Lucas Dawson.
They've been one of Sydney's best Thai eateries for more than two decades, and they're bringing their beloved street food to the Gateway dining precinct at Circular Quay. Rejoice, Chat Thai fans – and then start lining up. Sure, that's good advice whenever you're in the mood for some yen ta or som dtum; however when those delicious dishes are half price, things are going to get busy. If you ever wondered just how Chat Thai could make the news of a new store even better, this is it. To celebrate their opening weekend in the grandest style possible, they're going halvsies on everything on their menu from 10am to 10pm on October 15 and 16. Yep, everything. Because you need something to read while you're standing in the queue, we'll keep telling you about their new digs. Joining the likes of Gelato Messina, Neil Perry's Burger Project, Four Frogs Creperie and The Gozleme Co. in the new eating destination, it's their biggest place yet — with a noodle bar, two kitchens and 145 seats to prove it, as well as more than 100 meals on the menu (including some brand new additions) and a hefty booze list. The Gateway Sydney restaurant joins Chat Thai's other spots in Haymarket, Centre Point, The Galeries, Manly and Randwick, meaning that you're never too far from your favourite food fix. For now, you'd best get standing and waiting — and then eating as much half-price tastiness as possible. Find Chat Thai at Gateway Sydney, Circular Quay. Check out their website and Facebook page for more information. Via Good Food.
Taronga Zoo is turning one hundred this year, and to celebrate they're throwing a party. A big one. With lions. And tigers. And quite possibly bears. But this isn't a party that just anyone can get in to. No, this is a party to which you need to be invited. Luckily for animal lovers, the zoo has just launched its official 'birthday ballot', with 5000 tickets up for grabs. To get your name in the draw, all you need to do is signup via this link. Go ahead. We'll just amuse ourselves with this panda until you get back. "Our birthday party will be a milestone day to celebrate 100 years of bringing people and wildlife together," said Taronga CEO Cameron Kerr. "There will be special experiences with our amazing animals, unique presentations and more to enjoy. It will be an unforgettable day!" The birthday bash will take place on Friday October 7, marking one hundred years to the day since the zoo first opened in Mosman. The winners of the ballot will be announced by mid-August. If you miss out, or just can't wait that long, the zoo is also offering $1 entry to anyone who visits on their birthday. If you need any more convincing, Taronga's brand new baby meerkats will probably be there and look like this: Images: Dollar Photo Club, Taronga Zoo.
March can often arrive with a pang of seasonal realisation — summer's done. But there are some who resist the change, especially those intent on creating an entire beach festival in Coogee. You'll quickly forget any farewells to the sunnier months at the Coogee Foreshore Festival, a seaside celebration transforming Coogee Pavilion into a burgeoning marketplace. It's just one tasty, beachy adventure amongst the annual March into Merivale festival. Head along to the Coogee Pav on March 20 for a day of foreshore frivolity — and you'd be well-advised to leave your self-consciousness behind. Want to get your face painted, tie an animal balloon to your wrist or get your pic taken with a roving entertainer? Do it already. Just in case you're finding it hard to let your hair down, there'll be summery drinks a-plenty, courtesy of Veuve Clicquot, and oodles of food, from not only Coogee Pavilion and Coogee Rooftop, but some of our favourite Merivale restaurants including Papi Chulo, El Loco, Mr. Wong and sushi e. [competition]562012[/competition]
The most powerful companies in the world understand that power exists only insofar as the public continues to allow it, for without their buying power, these companies are nothing. The most famous and certainly most destructive example of this approach took place in the 1950s, when Hollywood’s major motion picture studios agreed to blacklist a group of their most successful screenwriters on account of their affiliation with the communist party. No crimes were committed, no treason alleged, yet these men were suddenly denied any ability to work in the industry to which they’d dedicated their lives and provided so many financial and critical accolades. Families struggled, many crumbled, and some of the blacklisted even died. And all of it because a few powerful conservatives including John Wayne and gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (played here by Helen Mirren) deigned to call them ‘un-American’. The best known of the so-called Hollywood Ten was screenwriting legend Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston), the highest paid writer in town and the scribe behind such hits as Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo and Kitty Foyle. When he refused to comply with the infamous hearings of the House Un-American Activities Committee, Trumbo was immediately blacklisted and imprisoned, and soon realised the only way he’d be able to continue working was to write B-movies for a pittance under an assumed name. So began an extraordinary period in Hollywood’s history that ultimately resulted in not one, but two Academy Awards going to entirely fictitious writers. It's a story so fantastic it would seem to surpass the imagination of even the likes of Trumbo. Trumbo tells a compelling tale. Led by a remarkable performance from Cranston, the extensive cast breathes much life into the story – and while it feels insufficiently told, the portrait of the man at its centre remains a moving one. [competition]562052[/competition] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gryhSJxx7I
When David Bowie passed away on January 10 this year, it felt like the entire world fell into collective mourning. Two months on, and we're still feeling the loss. And the best way to deal with that, of course, is to listen to his music. To that end, the Sydney Opera House has organised a mega David Bowie tribute concert. Happening over two nights, on May 19 and 21, the show will feature a slew of big Australian names, including iOTA, Tim Rogers, Steve Kilbey, Deborah Conway, Adalita and Jack Ladder. They'll perform all the bona-fide Bowie classics alongside the Sydney Symphony Orchestra; expect to see 'Changes', 'China Girl', 'Life on Mars', 'Under Pressure', 'Let’s Dance' and 'Starman' on the setlist, alongside numerous other tunes. You'd best be quick, as we're pretty sure tickets will be snapped up in no time. They range from $69-129, depending on where you're sitting in the Concert Hall, and groups of ten or more score tidy discounts. Sales start at 9am this Saturday, March 5 — set an alarm. David Bowie: Nothing has Changed will take place at the Sydney Opera House on Thursday, May 19 and Saturday, May 21 from 8pm. For more info and to book tickets, go here.
If you’ve feasted on jalapeno kingfish sashimi and paired it with next-level aged sake, then you’re familiar with the culinary creativity of Sake. If you haven’t, we reckon it’s about time you were treated to one heck of a dinner. To that end, we’ve teamed up with Urban Purveyor Group to give one of our clever, hungry readers 200 bucks worth of free nosh. Yep, 200 bucks. That’s enough cash to buy you and your loved one or mate or mum a serious feast. We're talking 'gramworthy new-style sushi to significantly impress your date. To enter, all you have to do is pop over here, fill in a quick form and write something vaguely interesting in ten words or less. That’s it. Then spend up at Sake's Double Bay venue or OG spot in The Rocks. GO. Why not brush up on your sake knowledge in the meantime?
Whoever said you can't teach an old dog new tricks had never met The Dolphin. The decades-only pub received a makeover in 2016 from Icebergs' Maurice Terzini (who has since stepped away from the project), housed a pop-up bar from one of the world's best bartenders in 2019 and is now trying its hand at brunch. Brunch itself is not new, of course, but it's a new concept for the Surry Hills favourite. Back in November, The Dolphin dipped its toes into the brunch game with resounding success, booking out its one-off Long Brunch. As a result, the pub is making it a monthly affair, hosting a brunch feast on the last Sunday of each month. Unlike many other iterations of brunch, this one has natural wine, cheese and bacon rotolo and not a single avo toast in sight. Roll in before 11am and you'll be loaded up with coffee, juice, a four-course meal and a cocktail for $65. The food lineup has been designed by head chef Josh Carrick, while the cocktails come courtesy of bar manager Josh Reynolds. You'll start with the likes of a toasted prawn crumpet, stracciatella with egg and sorrel and the aforementioned rotolo, then continue with a potato waffle with bacon and maple mascarpone, before finishing with prosecco and passionfruit trifle. Bookings are available each month at 10, 10.30 or 11am on the last Sunday of the month.
It's been about an hour since I left the theatre and I still seem to be unable to stop talking in Oscar Wilde. There is something so endearingly intrusive about Oscar Wilde's prose. While the finer points of his comments on society are perhaps lost on those who are not surrounded by turn of the century London society, his barbarous wit is ever amusing. Only Wilde could come up with a story where two women insist on marrying a man called Earnest, and where two men pretend to be Earnest in order to secure the love of said women, and one of the men happens to have once been found in a handbag in Victoria Station. The Importance of Being Earnest is an immensely popular play. There have been at least two film productions boasting names such as Judi Dench and Colin Firth. It does become then, one of those productions that it is hard to tackle without being compared to numerous other incarnations. The Darlinghurst Theatre Company have, however, managed to live up to the challenge. Though faced with a relatively small space and, I assume, a budget much smaller than that of the most recent Hollywood Reese Witherspoon-starring screen version of the play, director Nicholas Papademetriou has done an excellent job with staging, simplifying the stage down to the most important elements. The actors, including Linda Cropper as Lady Bracknell, who is currently featuring on Channel Ten's Offspring, are all well cast and manage the task of the outrageous comedy with considerable outrageousness. While the pomposity of the upper class accent occasionally defeats some, for most it's spectacularly well done. Watch out in particular for Adele Querol's Cecily — a great talent whose aristocratic airs were more than spot on. The most important thing to remember with a Wilde play is that it's meant to be completely ridiculous. Like the Greek playwrights before him, Oscar Wilde takes everything to extremes. While at times it means that each line is far too outrageous to be true, it is always funny. You won't be disappointed by a trip to Darlinghurst Theatre's The Importance of Being Earnest. In fact all I need advise is to stock up on the cucumber sandwiches before you go. After watching the actors consume copious amounts of tea, sandwiches and muffins, by the end I was truly famished. Rather.
Have your weekday lunches and dinners been lacking in lustre a bit recently? Are you ready to retire the soggy sandwich, or underdressed salad, and make your meals a little more exciting? Thanks to the Rockpool Dining Group you can — without breaking the budget. A heap of the group's fancy Sydney restaurants, which are overseen by chef Neil Perry, are serving up tasty dishes — and a glass of wine or cocktail — for a mere $25 at lunch and dinner for ten days this month. Head out for a meal in the CBD between Monday, April 15 and Sunday, April 28 and you can pick from the likes of a David Blackmore wagyu burger at Rockpool Bar & Grill paired with a glass of shiraz, pizza and Chianti at Rosetta, three tacos and a margarita at Bar Patrón or a prime rib sandwich and a glass or red or white at The Cut Bar & Grill. And all of them will set you back just $25. It doesn't stop there, either. Regional Chinese fine-diner Spice Temple will be pairing one of its five bar noodle dishes — pick from spicy pork and fermented chilli belt noodles, Shanghai noodles with braised lamb and crispy chow mein with pork — with its famed Zodiac Cocktails for just $25 a pop, too. Since these 12 cocktails usually set you back at least $20, it's a pretty great deal. You can check them all out here. Not in the city? All all Saké outposts — in Manly, Double Bay and the Rocks — will be offering a $25 deal, too, serving up a selection of sashimi and nigiri with a Sapporo or glass of wine for the discounted price. To snag the deal head in to any of the below restaurants for lunch or dinner — the only catch is you'll have to sit at the bar. Bookings can be made here. ROCKPOOL DINING GROUP'S $25 BAR LUNCH LOCATIONS Rockpool Bar & Grill Spice Temple Rosetta Trattoria The Cut Bar & Grill Bar Patrón Saké The Rocks, Manly, Double Bay UPDATE: APRIL 12, 2019 — Rockpool Dining Group's $25 meals were originally only available at lunch. They're now available at lunch and dinner. The above copy has been updated to reflect this.
In 2001, Rolling Stone writer Guy Lawson published the extraordinary article: 'The Stoner Arms Dealers: How Two American Kids Became Big-Time Weapons Traders', and the response was predictably one of outrage and surprise. The entire story seemed preposterous, impossible, far too crazy to believe. As it turns out, it was precisely that quality that enabled its two subjects to get away with the impossible for so very long. David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli, two Miami-based Jewish boys in their mid-twenties, had become high-end international arms dealers, most famously landing what came to be known as The Afghan Deal – an exclusive USD$300 million contract to supply the US-backed Afghan forces with weapons, equipment and one hundred million rounds of soviet-era AK-47 ammunition from Albania. Two guys, mid-twenties, and Packouz's previous job was as a part-time masseuse. Such is the subject matter of War Dogs by director Tod Phillips (The Hangover), chronicling Packouz (Miles Teller) and Diveroli's (Jonah Hill) astounding ascent to the big leagues of international weapons trading, as well as their inevitable fall. The title, War Dogs, refers to the nature of their particular profession: scrambling for small-scale arms contracts posted by the Pentagon to help redress the constantly undersupplied forces in the disastrous Iraq and Afghan theatres. Described as "eBay for weapons dealers", these contracts were sourced off a website containing tens of thousands of Pentagon requests for tenders. By focussing on the jobs too small to interest the major players, Packouz and Diveroli were able to amass a small fortune in a remarkably short space of time. Broken up into chapters with names like "God Bless Dick Cheney's America", War Dogs is at pains to show us the corruption of the American Ideal and the toxicity of unrestrained capitalism – both decades-old points long since made in every form of media, and laboured here with an especially heavy hand. With its Americana rock soundtrack, freeze frames and bro-tasctic dialogue, the film plays like a wannabe Big Short or Wolf of Wall Street, yet lacks the emotional drive or dramatic tension to ever really deliver. Neither funny enough to be a comedy, nor serious enough to land as a drama, it instead ends up somewhere in the middle (a fate similarly suffered by the recent Tina Fey project Whiskey Tango Foxtrot). Overall, far too much time is spent on the overtly amusing and entertaining elements of the boys' earlier days, leaving the heart of this remarkable real-life tale – a deal gone awry, double-crosses and a friendship in free fall – to the final stages only. As an indictment on the arms trade, it likewise barely scratches the surface, opting instead to focus on the absurdity and corruption of the political system that enables it. Admittedly, that narrative is a compelling one, revealing a level of bureaucratic absurdity not known to most members of the public. Still, when compared to 2005's Lord of War, which dealt with similar material, this more recent offering emerges as the undisputed weaker of the two. Bland, unimaginative and ill-befitting the extraordinary story behind it, War Dogs feels like an amazing opportunity gone begging. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rwh9c_E3dJk
Hold onto your paper plates, Sydney — there's another Night Market coming to Carriageworks. This time it will celebrate both the height of Sydney summer and the art precinct's latest installation Until by Nick Cave, which is the theme of this year's market. A slew of 60-plus stallholders will take over the carriageway from 5pm on Friday, February 15. You can expect to once again sample goods from New South Wales' top tier of restaurants, winemakers, breweries and providores, alongside cooking demos, talks and live music. Highlights include Ben Shewry of Attica, one of Australia's best chefs, teaching you how to cook Aussie seafood over fire, and chats with chefs from the refugee-run Four Brave Women restaurant. The menu has been curated by Kylie Kwong with dishes responding to Nick Cave's colourful, immersive artwork — which addresses topical issues of gun violence, gender politics and race relations, as well as highlighting the importance of community and compassion. While there's no word yet on what exactly you'll be eating, Carriageworks has announced some big names on the lineup. Innovative Indian restaurant Don't Tell Aunty, Josh Niland's Fish Butchery, new vegan eatery Paperbark and Neil Perry's Mexican spot Bar Patron are just some of the restaurants that'll be providing the food, while Dear Sainte Éloise, Monopole, P&V Wine and Liquor and Archie Rose and Young Henrys will be on drinks duty (among many others). Tickets are $10 — head to the Carriageworks website to book ahead. Image: Jacquie Manning.
Theatres in Sydney over the last 12 months have been brimming with anti-epic domestic snapshots of fraught intimate relationships, and the latest from UK physical theatre company Frantic Assembly continues the trend. Todd and Kali are despicable human beings. They never leave each other’s side, love IKEA, brag about their beautifully equipped kitchen and say things like "fuck off Ingmar Bergman you are so fucking talented" after watching The Seventh Seal. They will disgust you on multiple levels. The play on ‘Stockholm’ — being both the yuppie couple’s syndrome and dream getaway destination — is excessively literal, and the script is ultimately unambitious in its breadth and depth. The performances are strong, with Leeanna Walsman coming off brilliantly as the obsessive, vulnerable and sensual jealous lover. However, she and her co-performer Socratis Otto are clearly not dancers, and the movement sequences work with mixed success. The climactic fight scene is both highly charged and graceful while the bedroom make-up sequence is almost unbearably clumsy. This is a contained and consistently tense production, a highlight being the live aroma of chopped onion cooking in butter on stage — here’s to theatre exploiting its olfactory capacities more often. Image by Brett Boardman.
From the wild, WTF and wonderful finalists, the Art Gallery of New South Wales has announced their 204 Archibald Prize winner. Fiona Lowry has won the prestigious prize for her portrait of Penelope Seidler. Runner up was Mitch Cairns with his portrait of Red Richardson AM. The Wynne and Sulman Prizes have also been announced. Taking the Wynne for landscape or sculpture was Michael Johnson with his abstract Oceania High Low: And the Sulman (best subject painting, genre painting or mural project) landed on Andrew Sullivan's T-Rex: Check out our picks for weirdest and most wonderful Archibald finalist tales over here.
Love celebrating holidays — even if they hail from the other side of the world? Maybe you're a homesick North American looking for something that reminds you of home? Then no doubt you're looking forward to US holiday Thanksgiving, which falls on November 25. Lucky for you, Cheers! Spirits From the USA is partnering with leading venues across the nation, helping us Aussies celebrate the day. This week until Sunday, 28 November, select bars in Sydney will be turning happy hour into 'thanksgiving hour' by offering a range of thanksgiving-themed cocktails for you to cheers over. The brand has collaborated with innovative Australian bartenders to create an exciting cocktail list that showcases classic American spirits such as Angel's Envy Bourbon, Westward Whiskey and Woodford Reserve. There are eight participating Sydney venues: Maybe Sammy, Kittyhawk, Burdekin Rooftop, Burrow Bar, Gin Lane, Grain Bar, NOLA Smokehouse and The Swinging Cat. So, head on down, grab yourself a festive cocktail and cheers to being able to celebrate IRL with mates again. [caption id="attachment_833763" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Swinging Cat[/caption] For more information on Thanksgiving Hour, head to the Cheers! From the USA website. And you can even follow the events on Instagram. Top image: The Burdekin, Billy Zammit
Moseying along George Street can involve many things. Rushing to get the train at Town Hall, weaving in and out of QVB or The Galeries, trying to avoid throngs of people doing the same thing — they're all on the list. But on Friday, December 3, the stretch between Market and Park streets will host a huge three-course lunch, serving 600 people right there on the pavement. The sprawling al fresco midday meal is fittingly called George Street Long Lunch, with Chat Thai's Palisa Anderson, Kitchen by Mike's Mike McEnearney, Glass Brasserie's Luke Mangan and Continental Delicatessen's Michael Nicolian all whipping up dishes. It'll also come with a soundtrack, thanks to George Ellis Orchestra featuring Josh Pyke, as well as the Hot Potato Band. If you're wondering why Sydneysiders are being asked to sit down for lunch in the middle of the city street, it's part of a day-long series of dining pop-ups around town that's been dubbed Sydney's Open for Lunch. Aiming to give the city's hospitality sector a boost, the overarching event is all about long-table lunches, other dining and drinking activations, and just spending a day out of the house as Sydney recovers from this year's lengthy lockdown. While the George Street lunch is one of the event's big drawcards, Sydney's Open for Lunch will span across the city — through the CBD, Chinatown, Barangaroo and Parramatta.
Online natural wine marketplace Notwasted has teamed up with Potts Point sandwich eatery Small's Deli for the picnic pack of your dreams. Throughout spring, Sydneysiders can order the packs through Notwasted's website, then pick them up via click-and-collect (no delivery) from Small's Deli from Wednesday–Saturday — just order before 11.30am and they'll be ready from 12.30pm that day. If you fancy yourself a sommelier, you can choose your own drinks from the Notwasted range, and add them to your cart featuring whatever picnic pack you desire. Or, perhaps you're picnicking for your October birthday — and in true indecisive libra fashion, you can't decide on what wines to pair with your sambo. If that's the case, there's a pre-paired option. And yes, the wines also come chilled. The meat charcuterie box includes garlic and fennel salami, triple-cream brie, Maffra waxed cheddar, house pickles, fruit pate or chilli honey, plus a third of a baguette. Or, there's the vego charcuterie box, featuring triple-cream brie, cheddar, house pickles, fruit paste, apple and baguette. Both cost $29 for two people and $58 for boxes that feed four. There's also a sandwich pack for $30 (plus whatever booze you add on top), which includes a panini filled with salami, grilled eggplant, walnut paste, creamed pecorino and rocket, plus a baguette stuffed with triple-cream brie, Serrano ham and cultured butter. So, dust off your picnic blanket from last weekend, text your mates, and let Notwasted and Small's do the rest.
The Rocks is celebrating Halloween this year with a series of events across the weekend. Head around the inner-city area to discover haunted houses, catch spooky flicks at an open air cinema or hit the dancefloor at The Argyle during this multi-day celebration of the October holiday. If you're looking for an authentic ghost experience, you can head to a series of five haunted heritage buildings between Saturday, October 30 and Sunday, October 31, each with a secret letter hidden in the form of a QR code. If you find all five letters, it will spell a codeword which will allow you to claim a prize at The Rocks Square. Similarly, a ghost tour will be taking patrons around spooky spots in the Rocks on the same Sunday from 8pm. If you're looking for more of a party-heavy Halloween experience, neighbouring venues The Argyle and El Camino Cantina are both throwing huge dress-up parties across the weekend. Head to El Camino for ghost and ghoul-themed versions of their famed giant frozen margaritas as well as a dress-up party, or pop next door for DJs and fancy dress at The Argyle Asylum. Those looking to participate in the time-honoured tradition of watching a scary movie on Halloween can head to The Rocks' Laneway Cinema to watch family-friendly flicks like Scooby Doo and Hotel Transylvania, as well as the ghostly comedy classic Ghostbusters and acclaimed horror film A Quiet Place.
On the lookout for a dope new denim jacket? Or do you want to be rid of that weird-looking lamp taking up space in the living room? Then, by golly, you're in luck. The Garage Sale Trail works with local council partners Australia-wide to get as many trash-and-treasure troves happening on the same day as possible. In past years, more than 400,000 Aussies have taken part, and held more than 18,000 sales. While life is a little different in 2021, a huge array of events are still expected to open their doors to bargain hunters, selling more millions items. And, when the event returns across three weekends between Saturday, November 6–Sunday, November 21, online garage sales will also be part of the trail. According, whether you're buying or selling, you have two options: do so in person, or take the virtual route. It's only the second time ever that the Garage Sale Trail is going digital, too. And, digital tutorials are also on the bill, so you can learn everything from DIY wardrobe tips to hosting the best sale. Aside from the retro goodies up for grabs, the Trail is all about sustainability. Instead of ending up in landfill, unwanted clutter becomes a fantastic find. So get that tight pair of sunnies for peanuts and help the environment at the same time. The Garage Sale Trail began humbly in Bondi in 2010 and is growing bigger every year. There'll be a right slew of sales happening all around Sydney, so keep your eyes on the event website — or register online to make a quick buck from your old junk and hang out with the friendly folks in your hood. [caption id="attachment_783811" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jo Lowrey[/caption] Images: Garage Sale Trail.
White Rabbit Gallery is unique among Sydney galleries in that it focuses on 21st century works and specifically showcases Chinese art. Following a lengthy closure, its next exhibition promises to be a real treat. Big in China is a collection of works from a dozen different artists that seeks to answer the question of how you can represent and capture the spirit of a nation of over a billion people. See how the nation's rich history, cultural practices and incredible creativity all play parts in creating inspiring artworks that resonate on a personal level with such a large proportion of the world's population. The artworks here take just about every shape and form. There's a Corinthian column twisting like a snake and following attendees around the room, large-scale colourful pieces, video game installations and towering rock-like sculptures. The Chippendale gallery is open 10am–5pm Wednesdays–Sundays and entry is free.
Carriageworks has been the home of Liveworks since 2015 however this year's instalment is going to be available to experience online. The Festival of Experimental Art is known for its groundbreaking works and there's yet another lineup of fascinating pieces to discover at this year's event. From a collaborative plant lovers' nursery to a curated collection exploring liminal spaces and a thought-provoking piece on intimacy and sexuality in a post-pandemic world, there's something for everyone at this year's Liveworks. And that only begins to scratch the surface of this multi-genre, multi-disciplinary, multitudinous feast of ideas. The festival is split into three unique streams of programming, with 31 events all up featuring more than 72 incredible artists. The three streams are LIVE NOW, which presents bold and experimental art from the Asia-Pacific region; LIVE DREAMS, a look into works of art still being created as a way of examining pieces of the future; and LIVE FUTURES, a series of conversations with artists looking forwards. For the full program, head to the Liveworks website. [caption id="attachment_829710" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Liz Ham[/caption]
There's something special about visiting a vineyard. Seeing the grapes up close and meeting the people who create big kids' juice makes you appreciate every drop of vino that little bit more. But going to a winery has been a little trickier this year. So, to makes things easier, we're bringing the high country to your house with Delatite Wine's DIY Wine Blending class. On Friday, September 17 and Friday, September 24, you can take part in an online wine blending workshop with Delatite Winery's David Ritchie and Andy Browning. Throughout the session, you'll sample the leafy aromatics and blueberry characters of the 2019 cabernet. Then, you'll get to enjoy the rounded, juicy goodness of the merlot from the same year. You'll also learn about Delatite's own wine blending process and discover why it chose to make wine naturally and without filtering. Plus, you'll be encouraged to make your very own blend to go in the running to win a $150 voucher to spend at the winery's restaurant (when you're finally able to visit). To ensure you've got the right goods, you'll be sent a sampling kit filled with all the essentials. The pack will include four different bottles of Delatite wine, an empty bottle for you to build your own blend in, a measuring cylinder, wine pourer, tasting mat and more. Just make sure you register a week before kick-off to ensure it arrives in time for the class. Sound like a superior way to kick off your weekend? Delatite Winery's DIY Wine Blending will take place at 5pm on September 17 and September 24. For more information and to book yourself a spot, visit the website.
Did you miss out on your annual regional getaway this winter? Do you feel like you need a little bit of the nourishing country life to get you through the next few weeks of lockdown? If that's you, and you're a gin lover to boot, we've got a lil' something that'll fill up your empty mini break cup — in more ways than one. You can experience the high country at home thanks to our pals at Glenbosch Wine Estate. Across two weeks starting September 17, you and your mates can attend an online rooibos gin tasting session with Dirk Bester from the Beechworth-based estate. The 90-minute session will include a guided tasting of four delicious gins. Plus, you'll learn how to make your own bathtub gin just like it was done in the prohibition era. To make sure you've got the right tools for the job, Glenbosch Wine Estate will send you a supply pack boasting 500ml of Glenbosch Craft Original Gin, a botanical wheel and tasting quadrant, a botanical box featuring eight botanicals, citrus and more. All you need to round up are a few household items including a cutting board, knife, glasses, tonic water, ice and tea strainer. Gin Appreciation with Glenbosch will take place at 7pm September 17, September 24 and October 1. Sound like a genius way to level up your next after-work drinks? For more information and to book, visit the website.
Break out the martinis and prepare for a shaken but not stirred few months — because Bond, James Bond, is coming to the Ritz Cinemas. At 7pm every Wednesday and Sunday evening between August 19–November 8, the Randwick venue will screen all 24 official films in the espionage franchise, all as part of an event it's calling Bondathon. Sean Connery smouldering his way through everything from Dr. No to Diamonds Are Forever, Roger Moore stepping into 007's shoes between Live and Let Die and A View to A Kill, Timothy Dalton's two-film run in The Living Daylights and Licence To Kill — they're all included. So is Pierce Brosnan's stint as the secret agent between GoldenEye and Die Another Day, and Daniel Craig's four contributions to-date since Casino Royale. Aussie actor George Lazenby's one-movie appearance as Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service is also on the bill. The action franchise's 25th movie, No Time to Die, is currently slated to hit the big screen in November — after being delayed from April due to COVID-19. So, as tends to be the case when it comes to James Bond, Bondathon's timing is perfect. If you're particularly keen to not only rove your eyes over every single detail — and every villain, Bond girl, gadget and opening credits sequence too — but to do so while sipping a martini, they'll be on offer from the Ritz bar. As for donning a tuxedo, well, that's up to you. Need some more motivation? Let the trailer for Spectre get you in a 007 mood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4UDNzXD3qA Bondathon runs every Wednesday and Sunday evening between August 19–November 8 at the Ritz Cinemas, Randwick, with tickets on sale now.
Burger lovers of Sydney, rejoice. Cocktail lovers, too. Harpoon Harry has been back in business for a month or so now, after temporarily closing due to COVID-19 lockdowns. And, after celebrating June with cheap burgs, the Surry Hills spot is doing the same in July — and adding a range of boozy tipples to the deal. On the burger front, it's serving them up at $10 a pop all day every day in July. Usually, the special only applies on Wednesdays; however, as we all know, there's absolutely nothing usual about 2020 so far. That price applies to all three burgers on the regular menu, so you can take your pick — between the fried chicken burger with hot sauce, coleslaw, lettuce, tomato and pickles; the wagyu with cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions and Harry's sauce; and the crumbed eggplant 'schnitty' with grilled haloumi, lettuce, tomato, pickles, charred onions and aioli. It also applies to the weekly special burg, too. And, your tenner will also score you some fries — with the burger and chips combo on offer daily from 11.30am. Drinks-wise, five different cocktails are available, also for just $10 each. Choose from a classic margarita, espresso martini, negroni, spritz and whatever the weekly 'secret cocktail' happens to be. Bookings are recommended, but you can also just walk on in. Harpoon Harry's $10 burgers (with fries) and $10 cocktails are available for the entire month of July.
We've all been spending more time inside than usual this year. In the process, we've all been looking at our furniture far more often than we usually would. So, if you've suddenly been rocked by the urge to redecorate, rearrange and reorganise, that's hardly surprising — those well-loved cushions, that old couch or your overflowing shelves could probably do with sprucing up. If IKEA is your furniture go-to, then its mid-year clearance sale is here to help, too — offering discounts of up to 50 percent off on some items. Whether you're in need of something big like a bed, chair or desk, or you're eager to fill your walls and surfaces with frames and vases, you'll find slashed prices on a heap of products. The sale runs until Monday, August 10 — and, for Sydneysiders, you have multiple options if you're eager to start buying. Head into the Tempe, Rhodes or Marsden Park stores; browse online, then opt for click-and-collect; or do all your perusing and purchasing on the company's website, before waiting for delivery. IKEA's mid-year clearance sale runs until Monday, August 10 — in-store and online.
Keen to inject a bit more fun into your life this spring? Then head on down to Moore Park for this year's Spring Family Fair, which is taking over Entertainment Quarter for two weeks. Whether you're wanting to channel your inner kidult or you're looking for a way to entertain your actual kids over the school holidays, this epic fair is a surefire (and super-fun) way to kill time. Running from Saturday, September 26 till Sunday, October 11, the Spring Family Fair will have everything from carnival games to thrilling rides, such as dodgem cars, spinning teacups, a giant slide and one called the Super Sizzler. You'll also be able to cool off with a handful of water activities, including the massive Wave Slide and a paddle boat pool. Then, check out the dog talent shows, or pick up gourmet goodies and seasonal fruit and veg at the biweekly Cambridge Market, which runs from 8am–2pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Of course, there's a global pandemic to be mindful of, so expect social distancing measures to be in place, plus numerous hand washing facilities and sanitising stations around the fair. Spring Family Fair is taking over the Entertainment Quarter from September 26–October 11. Open 10am–4pm, Monday–Wednesday, and 10am–5pm, Thursday–Sunday. Pre-book your tickets here.
With the world swept up in a global pandemic, the concept of 'home' and that connection to one's roots feels as prevalent as ever right now. And it's these ideas that are at the forefront of Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre's new exhibition Bittersweet. Put together by Western Sydney artist Shivanjani Lal and running until Sunday, September 27, this one features works from ten iTaukei (Indigenous Fijian) and Indo Fijian artists, as they explore their own connections to home. The broad-ranging collection shares a diverse set of stories of people living far from their homeland, reflecting on the ways in which Pacific culture has filtered into new lives in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. You'll catch a glimpse into how the artists' Fijian roots have coloured their practice, how they've held onto traditional values, and how they've fostered a connection to the food and rituals of their ancestors. [caption id="attachment_783215" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shivanjani Lal in her studio.[/caption] Artist Dulcie Stewart pays homage to the distinctive visual stylings of Fiji's market stalls and shops with a work crafted from contemporary Fijian street signage, Quishile Charan has rallied women in her family to help source natural materials for a series celebrating traditional Pacific craft techniques, and a three-part video work by Mohini Chandra reflects on what it's like to return to your homeland after everyone else has left. Meanwhile, Fijian Indian artist Lal showcases her own work, featuring instant prints made on recycled brown paper sourced from Bombay, capturing moments from her own homeland visits. Images: Bittersweet exhibition at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre and 'Chhaapaa' (2020) by Shivanjani Lal.
If 2020 has been good for anything, it's upskilling. No doubt you started making sourdough from scratch, did some DIY projects around the house or took up an online course. You probably attempted to mix up a negroni, amaretto sour or perfectly balanced martini at some point, too. But, if your concoctions didn't quite match the expertise of the bartender at your favourite watering hole, now's your chance to level up. This winter, three top Aussie bartenders are bringing the festivities to your living room with a series of online cocktail classes. Kicking off the series is Eau de Vie Melbourne's Jonny Linstead on Thursday, August 20, from 6–6.30pm. He'll be showing you how to make a vodka-based martini dubbed the D'Vine Time. At the same time on Thursday, September 3, Brisbane bartender Millie Tang, behind old-world cocktail bar The Gresham, will be mixing up a twist on the classic Moscow Mule: the Polish Pony. Then, rounding out the three-part series will be award-winning bartender Kate McGraw from Sydney's izakaya-style bar Isabel on Thursday, September 17. Fittingly, she'll be whipping up a Kyoto Highball, which will have you dreaming of trips to Japan. [caption id="attachment_777922" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Polish Mule[/caption] A collaboration between premium vodka distiller Belvedere and drink delivery company Boozebud, the at-home cocktail classes will focus on top-quality natural ingredients. Each drink recipe will have a 'less is more' approach, so you'll be making cocktails that you'll actually be able to recreate — again and again and again. The masterclasses are free to stream via Facebook. For Jonny Linstead's class head here, Millie Tang's here or here for Kate McGraw's. But, to make the most of it, you'll want to get a cocktail pack delivered beforehand. The packs cost between $93.99–99.99. Purchase your cocktail packs via Boozebud, then head to the respective Facebook events at 6pm on August 20, September 3 and September 17 to take part in the virtual masterclasses. Images: Kate McGraw, cocktail, Jonny Linstead and Millie Tang
As dairy fiends already well and truly know, adding burrata to any meal automatically takes it up several notches. Add the delicious blend of mozzarella and cream to every dish as part of a five-course dinner and, well, you've got yourself quite the cheesy, indulgent and delicious feast going on. That's what's happening at Burrata Night. Nope, that name doesn't disappoint. Salt Meats Cheese's Sydney stores are whipping up a heap of burrata-topped options on Tuesday, October 20, then letting you eat your way through them. There'll actually be seven different dishes, including both spaghetti carbonara and gnocchi sorrentina with burrata, as well as mortadella and broccolini pesto pizzas, too. Or, you can opt for prosciutto with burrata, roasted pumpkin with burrata or burrata that's crumbed, then fried. The five-dish dinner will set you back $79, and you can choose which five of the above choices you'd prefer. You can also take the plate-by-plate approach and order single serves for $19 a pop. It all kicks off at 5pm, and booking in advance for this one-night-only affair is essential.
Every week from July to September, Chauvel Cinema will become home to all manner of retro flicks. You've just spent months streaming anything and everything at home, but now it's time to revisit a heap of bona fide classics on the big screen — all as part of the Palace Encore season. It all kicks off on Monday, July 6 with a choice that'll make you exclaim "great Scott!" — and wish that you could drive to the cinema in a Delorean. Yes, that'd be Back to the Future. Wearing a puffy vest is optional. Also on the bill: Studio Ghibli's enchanting Spirited Away, Martin Scorsese's 90s gangster classic Goodfellas and Stanley Kubrick's horror masterpiece The Shining. Or, you can don a bathrobe to watch The Big Lebowski. The list goes on, with everything from Fight Club to American Psycho also getting a whirl. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZspM1JrOmA8 Sessions screen on Monday and Friday nights, with tickets costing $10 for Palace movie club members and $15 otherwise.
Set above the Sydney Fish Market, the Sydney Seafood School has been a staple for top-notch cooking classes for a whopping 30 years now. To celebrate its three decades in operation, Manager Roberta Muir has put together one helluva summer program. And it features cooking classes by some of the best chefs in the biz. Coming up on December 14, Belles Hot Chicken's Morgan McGlone will team up with P&V Wine and Liquor Merchant's Mike Bennie to host a Hot Southern Chicken & Cool Natural Wines event. Then, on January 18, Totti's Mike Eggert will make seasonal veggies the star of his show, while Mike McEnearney (Kitchen by Mike) will host a sourdough-making class on February 1. And February 18 will see Lucio's Lucio Galletto pair his Italian banquet with boutique regional wines by Godot Wines' Piero Tantini. [caption id="attachment_671693" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Belles Hot Chicken[/caption] This all-star lineup of chefs also includes Mark LaBrooy (Three Blue Ducks), Palisa Anderson (Chat Thai), Paul Carmichael (Momofuku Seiōbo), Giovanni Pilu (Pilu at Freshwater) and Alessandro Pavoni (Ormeggio at The Spit) — to name just a few. Each class acts as a three-part experience, with a live demonstration in the tiered theatre followed by a hands-on cooking class in the kitchen, and finally a communal feast (paired with wine, of course) in the dining room. To check out the full program, head here. The classes are a bit pricey, ranging from $140–$175, but, with the calibre of chefs, you're getting a lot of bang-for-your-buck. And tickets to any one of these would certainly go down a treat as a Christmas gift. Top image: Franz Scheurer
In August, ARTBAR — the MCA's after-dark, adults-only art party — transported you to an underworld of pagan mystery. Now that the weather is warming up, your next destination is an underworld of another kind: a steamy tropical forest. Welcome to Canopy, a rainforest-inspired pop-up bar that doubles as a creative ecosystem. Created by powerhouse DJ and visual artist Hannah Brontë, this shindig is all about fierce women. Listen out for the fearless hip hop of Fiji-born, Brisbane musician Jesswar, who has played Australia's biggest festivals, including Laneway, Groovin' the Moo and Splendour in the Grass. Meanwhile, Sydney's Peruvian-born DJ Carolina Gasolina will bring her extremely danceable collection of 90s R&B and rap bangers — as well as a bunch of tracks you've probably never heard before. Also getting you on the floor will be Tongan-born, Sydney-based DJ Kilimi, whose set combines Afro, baile and jersey edits with R&B voguing favourites. And, when you least expect it, you'll meet Black Birds (aka Ayeesha Ash), who'll lead a performative workshop — while dressed in wearable art. Plus, you'll be able to check out the retrospective exhibition of British female artist Cornelia Parker, which is her first major survey exhibition in the southern hemisphere. While usually ticketed, the exhibition will be open after dark for ARTBAR attendees, so you can check out her powerful, haunting and often violent works for free. ARTBAR usually sells out, so be sure to grab your tickets sooner rather than later. Canopy will take over all levels of the MCA on Friday, November 29, from 7-11pm.
Enmore stalwart The Warren View Hotel has just been treated to a major face lift — and it's celebrating in an even bigger way. Head along to the relaunch on Friday, November 15 from 3–6pm and enjoy Grifter brews on the house. This is not a drill — the Wazza is pouring free craft beer to all of its adoring fans for three full hours. This massive beer shout will include all four of its Grifter brews on tap: the Serpents Kiss watermelon pilsner, the C-Boogie cucumber kolsch, the Pink Galah pink lemonade sour and the OG pale ale. If you miss out, there'll also be $7 schooners of the four pours going throughout November. On the Friday night, there'll also be tunes and the chance to try the latest pub menu by newly appointed Head Chef Ernie Priestley . While it has undergone a facelift, the pub is still independently owned — which it has been for a whopping 149 years. Sydney Design firm Warrane (Coogee Bay Hotel, The Tilbury) has looked after the new fit-out. It has the same "old pub" feel and the same heritage-listed exterior, but new modern touches inside. And, fret not, — the leafy dog-friendly beer garden is still in tact, as are the 100-percent independent beer taps and weekly drag trivia nights. Now all you have to do is plan how you'll sneak out of work early on Friday. Grifter Bar Shout runs from 3–6pm.
If you haven't sorted your New Year's Eve plans yet, the team over at Prince of York has you covered. The new multi-level restaurant, bar and underground nightclub in the CBD is bringing Sydneysiders a 90s- and early 00s-themed party to ring in the new year. On the decks spinning these throwback tunes will be DJs Chux and Parihaka, along with hospo legend Ed Loveday (Bar Brosé, The Passage and the recently closed Acme). You can book in for dinner up at the restaurant head straight on down to Pamela's — a den of champagne, tequila and disco — and party (like it's 1999) into the new year. The nightclub's pink suede banquettes are also available for booking by emailing hello@princeofyork.com.au. And don't forget you're encouraged to dance on the tables here, too. The party will run from 4pm–2am and entry is free. All you last-minute planners have really lucked out this year. Image: Mitchell Ferris
What role might art play in the future? And forget what it would look like — what might it sound like? It's an unusual question, and one that this upcoming exhibition at UTS Gallery seeks to engage with. Featuring artists Gail Priest, Pia van Gelder and Tom Smith, Peter Blamey, and George Poonkhin Khut, Sounding the Future presents "dreams of future soundings", with artists developing their own response to the show's posed question. Engaging with the sense of sound rather than sight for inspiration, their works combine artistic imagination with the considerations of degraded environmental conditions, new technologies, and the possibility of a future world devoid of human life. If that sounds a little bleak, fret not: the future of art doesn't necessarily mean an absence of it (or artists). Featured artist and show curator Priest explains that hope lies within the show, and within art itself, despite the at times grim environmental, economic and social future scenarios imagined by the exhibition. "The artworks show ways to negotiate these territories, often to transcend these conditions spiritually. Of course this could be seen as escapism, but for me art reminds us of the values of humanity that are worth keeping and fostering." Image: Gail Priest, Sounding the Future, installation view, 2015. Photo: Samuel James
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 4 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 city, but some include: The Grounds of Alexandria The Boathouse Bills Artificer Coffee Tea and Me Single O Three Blue Ducks Brewtown Newtown Daisy's Milkbar
Returning for its second year, Sad by Sad West is a community focused festival that's all about embracing emotion in both music and life. It's taking things back to basics and helping locals to recognise and appreciate their immediate surroundings and the artists that occupy it. Presented by Lesstalk Records and Papaiti Records, the self proclaimed fringe festival is geared toward connecting the community through events that showcase shared ideas and values through art and music. The artists will perform across different genres and mediums in an effort to portray artistic thought in a new light. The three-day Sydney event will take over venues in Marrickville and Parramatta from Thursday, May 4 through Saturday, May 6. First up they'll partner with Marrickville's Cornersmith for a D.I.Wine and Dine event, pairing a three-course meal with five Aussie artists, including Zzzounds and Micro Lectures. On Friday, May 5, the party is headed over to Beatdisc Records in Parramatta, where the stage will be shared by Aussie six acts, including Daniel Comensoli and Dave Drayton, along with New Zealand band Long Distance Runner. On Saturday, May 6 the festival will finish off at Marrickville's Red Rattler with a huge lineup of Aussie acts and an addition of two imports, New Zealand's Carb on Carb and Subsumer from the States.
You can never have too many food trucks and chicken wings, and King of the Wings is hoping that the poultry-loving people of Sydney agree. After slinging their spicy pieces around Brisbane since 2014 — and proving one of the first purveyors of meals-on-wheels in southeast Queensland, in fact — they're heading south to bring their tasty morsels to a whole new batch of hungry customers. Come May, King of the Wings will pop up at The Observer Hotel in The Rocks for what they've dubbed 'wing week', serving up tender, tasty chicken galore. Just running your eyes over their menu should be enough to motivate you to be there. It's about quality over quantity here, with the self-proclaimed wing kings specialising in five flavours: their signature Southern-style herb and spice rub, a sweet chilli-infused honey sesame sauce, traditional American barbecue, the extra hot 'Chillogy' and a Portuguese crumb. You'll be able to order them in six, 12, 20 or 30 packs. The Sydney pop-up comes hot on the heels of King of the Wings adding a second, split-level design truck to their fleet, as well as competing in last year's New York Wingfest — where they took out the best new vendor field, and came second in the best wing sauce category. Sydneysiders, if you want to find out why, you'll just have to head along.
The phrases 'rooftop pottery workshop' and 'car park bike polo vs. unicycle hockey match' get bandied about a lot these days. Oh wait, they never do — especially not in the same sentence. But on Saturday, April 1, Parramatta's multi-level Eat Street Car Park is throwing a rooftop bash incorporating both activities. No, it's not an April Fools' stunt. Fresh from his latest illustration project, All The Buildings in New York, Sydney artist James Gulliver Hancock will transform the rooftop with a live mural painting. It's set to be an evening of live music, experimental video screenings, weird hybrid sports and — better still — table tennis. With delicious Turkish flatbreads on offer alongside freshly baked doughnuts and — hold my clay pot, will you? — crème brûlée from Torch Me Crème Brûlée, life is guaranteed to be sweet on Eat Street (at least for one night). The event will celebrate the recent $135,000 upgrade to the Eat Street Car Park, which will see more maps, signage and a mural added to the structure. The project aims to make the car park feel more welcoming and safe and provide better access to Parramatta's main dining precinct.
With the memory of 2017's shambolic Oscars ceremony beginning to fade, so too are the major contenders starting to slip out of Australian cinemas. But with the latest home-grown effort Jasper Jones copping it from all sides and the new Wolverine stalking the multiplexes yet again, the dedicated cinephile may well be thinking it's going to be a while between drinks. Not this year. The Sydney Film Festival may not kick off for another couple of months, but this time round it's getting an epic run-up. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Sydney Film Prize, Golden Age Cinema and Bar in Surry Hills will be screening all of the previous winners in the lead-up to the June festival — one a week for nine weeks. The Sydney Film Prize is the Festival's official competition, awarding $63,000 to a "provocative, controversial or cutting edge film that moves the art form forward". In its ten years, the Prize has recognised numerous works and artists that have gone on to bag acclaim at film festivals all over the world. If you still don't get how big this is, Steve McQueen's Hunger will get the ball rolling on April 4, with Nicholas Winding Refn's Bronson and Only God Forgives to follow. Others in the pack include Asghar Farhadi's Oscar-winning A Separation, last year's winner Aquarius, the Dardenne brothers' Two Days, One Night, starring Marion Cotillard, and Yorgos Lanthimos' Alps about a group of people paid by the bereaved to impersonate their deceased relatives. Or, you know, down the road they're showing one about a giant gorilla fighting dinosaurs. Your call. TEN YEARS OF THE SYDNEY FILM PRIZE PROGRAM April 4 – Hunger (2008) April 11 – Bronson (2009) April 18 – Heartbeats (2010) April 26 – A Separation (2011) May 2 – Alps (2012) May 9 – Only God Forgives (2013) May 16 – Two Days, One Night (2014) May 23 – Arabian Nights Volume I (2015) May 23 – Arabian Nights Volume II (2015) May 24 – Arabian Nights Volume III (2015) May 30 – Aquarius (2015)
Guaranteed to set the staffroom afire with gossip and outrage, New Theatre wades into the prickly issue of teacher-student relationships with Evan Placey's Consensual. Seven years ago, Diane was 22, a teacher's assistant just getting to grips with the blend of riot control and guile needed to haul adolescents through a class curriculum. She made a mistake and got too close to a student who took advantage of her. Seven years ago, Freddie was 15, unhappy and a mess. A teenager, in other words. He was groomed by one of his teachers and bragged about it after the fact. Now, Diane is a qualified teacher and trying to get a new Sex Ed programme through the skulls of her Year 11 class. When Freddie turns up looking to press charges, both versions of events are played out, but Placey isn't interested in who's right. Rather, Consensual promises an unflinching account of what we tell ourselves about the horrible things we do to other people.
What if a trio of old guys robbed a bank? That'd be funny, wouldn't it? That seems to be the only line of thinking behind Going in Style, which remakes a 1979 flick of the same name and brings together a thoroughly likeable cast of elderly actors, but doesn't rise above "aren't geriatrics hilarious?"-style humour. Attempting to bulk up its premise with a hefty tug at the heartstrings and a weak statement about ruthless financial institutions proves about as effective as chewing steak with dentures. Sure, you can give it a shot, but everyone knows that it's not going to work. Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Alan Arkin play old friends Joe, Willie and Albert, who toiled away for decades together at a Brooklyn steel works, only to find themselves stripped of their pensions after a corporate takeover by an overseas company. But after Joe witnesses a slick holdup at his uncaring bank — an establishment that tricked him into a loan with a nasty interest rate, is now threatening to take his house away, and happens to be handling the pension debacle — the three hatch a plan to reclaim their entitlements via a caper of their own. Given the talent the film puts on screen, Going in Style probably could've worked quite well without throwing in the sob stories. Alas, the script by Hidden Figures writer-director Theodore Melfi is determined to justify the characters' newfound criminal urges in the most blatantly sappy and cliched ways that it can. Accordingly, Joe has to save the home where his daughter and granddaughter also live, while Willie is in dire need of a new kidney. Former musician Albert takes longer to warm to the stickup idea, probably because he isn't blighted with his own sad tale; instead, he's more preoccupied with his new romance with a grocery store clerk (Ann-Margaret). The fact is, Caine, Freeman and Arkin are all much, much better than the material they're saddled with. If there's any fun to be had here, it's in watching the three Oscar winners sit in a diner bickering and bantering. Any time they're tasked with supposedly comic hijinks, you're left wishing they were all in a better film; a horribly executed sequence in which they attempt to shoplift from a local supermarket as a practice run for their big heist is a prime example. Still, they fare much better than their poor co-star Christopher Lloyd, whose hammy performance might make you exclaim "great Scott!" in horror. Although he's helmed two movies already, in Garden State and Wish I Was Here, Actor-turned-director Zach Braff is still best known for starring in the small screen hospital comedy Scrubs. Perhaps it's not a coincidence, then, that his latest effort feels more like a bland, formulaic sitcom pilot than it does a feature film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6Qq3pIWMHk
Spend your Thursday night feasting on smoked meats and dancing to the deep disco beats of Cutloose at Sydney streetwear label ZANEROBE's Cut & Cook BBQ. Orangeville Meat Co. are providing the nosh and ZANEROBE has refreshments covered, supplying free drinks by Coors, Smirnoff, Salumi Australia and Black Bear. Sounds like one heck of an after-work plan. Set to take place at ZANEROBE's Rosebery showroom, the event will also be a chance to check out the brand's latest styles and pick up a piece or two. The whole thing kicks off at 5pm and finishes at around 9pm, so get in early to make the most of the festivities.
