Don't worry, I don't mean like proper grown-up investments, but instead I wanted to give you a list of things coming up in the social calendar that you might want to save that last $[insert amount here] bucks for. I've recently become only semi-hardly-employed (anyone need a freelance editor/writer's services?) and am slowly relearning the concept of selective socialising, for which advance warning is always good.
Read on for upcoming gigs, events and even some insider's rumours....

About half the Wellingtonista now call Newtown home, so we thought it was about time we did some exploring of the area. Therefore, on this coming Saturday, we're going to be doing a Newtownista Pub Crawl, and you should come with us!

We're going to start on Riddiford St down near the zoo around 7.30pm, and work our way back towards town, aiming to end up at Amigo's for tapas. Most of us haven't been to most of the bars, so we'll be intending to give them all a go-to, even the dodgy ones - but we may change our minds on the night when we look in their doors.

To come along, either show up in that area at that time, get in contact with a cellphone number so we can text you our progress, or follow my twitter account as hopefully I'll remember to update it as we go along. We're going to boldly go where some people have gone before, and it should be a jolly good time.

Gorgeous photo by Dead Possum, yanked from flickr

A swag of Wellington artists have produced video art for The Artists Film Festival, opening tonight at 5:30pm at the Film Archive (cnr Taranaki and Ghuznee Sts).

Curated by Wellington-based curator (and Listener art critic) Paula J Booker, the show promises an extreme mix of artworks....28 video works in total, possibly the largest video exhibition ever undertaken in NZ.

Highlights include someone singing to Janis Joplin until almost passing out, CHCH artist James Oram generating electricity by bike to power his own ME sign....it's all pretty entertaining/shocking/thought-provoking stuff.

EXHIBITION DETAILS
The Artists Film Festival
11 April – 17 May 2008

LIVE PERFORMANCE, Thursday 17 April, 7pm
The Twilight Drone by Johannes Contag (of Cloudboy fame) Tickets $8/6.

Contag explores the notion of the ambient film with live accompaniment to this film work shot in a snow-covered Austria...

Via my wonderful my last.fm connections (Sue!) this came to my notice:

Details:

Tickets $22.50 plus service fees, available online from Ticketek.

Pulling together some of the capital city’s favourite musicians and commanding the four-string like you’ve never heard it, the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra’s live show features comic banter, singalong favourites, stunning dress sense sparkling harmonies.

Having already jammed with the likes of Jordan Luck, Don McGlashan, Annie Crummer, Camp Mother and Shortland Street’s Dr Potts, you can expect plenty of surprise guests from across the pop spectrum, along with some classic uke gags and legendary licks in this cabaret spectacular.

Some Wednesday night party good times for you all, in celebration of the new-ish Kitchen Sink event guide site...

Come early (doors are at 7:30pm) for goody bags and a seat!

Here's another one of the wee guys in this series of temporary sculptures:

Quite an appropriate location, atop the long-abandoned toilets and amid the construction of the new Courtenay Place park.

Yes, it's Valentine's Day again. There may be some of you out there in need of last minute inspiration to "score brownie points". Don't you hate those bill boards trying to get men to buy flowers around town? They are almost as limited in their conception of masculinity as this little beauty

[contributed by Robyn of the Aucklandista.]

Those of us holed up in the Molesworth precinct earnestly "leveraging" this, getting "traction on" that and generally "actioning" the hell out stuff all day long, hardly need Valentine's Day as an excuse to have a wee -tipple. Fortunately Cellar-vate on Molesworth are having free wine tasting from 4:30 till 6:30 this afternoon, and they are promising bubbly no less! So grab your office-bound honey and head on down.

I am going to avoid any cliched suggestions involving flowers or chocolate but spare a thought for all the Japanese office ladies who suffer through the Japanese version of Valentine's Day where the onus falls on the woman to buy men chocolate and flowers. One month later, on White Day the men reciprocate three-fold, read into that what you will.

The top tip for Valentines Day, in this office lady's opinion, is the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. They are having an adults-only night at the Sanctuary (oh la la) tonight with free boat rides on the lake, birdsong at dusk and most importantly, no children. They are open until 8.00pm so get a babysitter and get back to nature.
(Ed note: we take no responsibility for anyone caught getting really "back to nature")

BREAKING NEWS!

This just in from those fine folk at Arovideo:

It is our pleasure (and absolute thrill) to announce that Arovideo will be playing host to the hottest act in New Zealand (and possibly the world) right now, "Flight of the Conchords".

In support of the local release of their widely-acclaimed HBO TV show on DVD, Bret and Jemaine will be performing a short set live in store from 10am, Wednesday the 13th of February, at 97 Aro Street in Wellington.

Then from 10.30am until 12pm, they will be signing copies of the DVD, which will be available to buy on site at $39.95 for the 2-disc set.

Space limitations on the ground floor of our store mean this will be a very intimate, exclusive event indeed, and entry will be on a "first come, first served" basis. While we cannot guarantee you will gain entry for the performance itself, their should be ample opportunity to meet the guys, especially if you are armed with a copy of their fantastic DVD! There will be eftpos facilities available, though cash is recommended.

...

What more do you need to know people!

This newbie member of the Wellingtonista was beaten to punch when it came to reporting on the glad-wrapping record attempt at the Mighty Mighty. However I thought I would add my two cents worth about the night and the overall friendliness of the Mighty Mighty for the female solo traveler.

First off, why was I heading into the night to be mummified in the first place? Well sometimes you have the kind of week where you wish that someone would render you mostly immobile by glad-wrapping your arms to the side of your body. While this does present technical difficulties when it comes to drinking beer, it does keep your hands off the keyboard for awhile! The experience reminded me somewhat of Tokyo morning rush hour trains, the term "sushi zume" packed like sushi seemed pretty apt as the final circular wrap was made around 41(?) people. The chances of being groped were about the same (you might be surprised how creative some people can be even with their hands firmly wrapped to themselves) but there were fewer suits and more hippies and smiles on this love train. Oh and free jagermeister.

This little piece of mid-week absurdity was bought to us in association with the spectacular Welly-based arts magazine White Fungus who, as it happens, published a great article about Rua Kenana just before all this shizzy kicked off in the Ureweras. How prescient indeed, you should check it out.

While this event is now over and and all you can do is look longingly at the photos of this plastic love in, there will be a follow up event. Apparently, afterwards the cling film is being melted into a statue of Roy Orbison to commemorate the event.

Something to look forward to.

Any the how, I do rate the Mighty Mighty as an institution. You can get Sassy Red on tap, the music is consistently good, and it is nice and dark with lots of apple green and velvety red. As a newcomer to Wellington I especially like it. Reason being that even if I have lost who I came with (or am the last woman standing) the good people of Wellington can be relied upon to extend the hand of friendship. So far all that has been necessary is a bag of lollies and a camera.

As the interweb moves inexorably towards a "don't make me come over there" attitude we are glad to report that two of Wellingtons most complete "What's On ..." guides are now available in glorious RSS

• Feeling Great - subscribe
• Wotzon - subscribe

They are both providing explanations about what 'RSS' is and what they cover - Feeling Great | Wotzon

Wotzon has gone an extra step further and also provides:

• Customised RSS feed - sign-up required
• Wotzon widget - download required

Of course you have always been able to keep up-to-date with the real deal by subscribing to the fine Wellingtonista feed

Eat them all up in your reader of choice (which this author would surprised to discover isn't Google Reader :-)

Poster tells it all, really...

The good folk who brought you the Berlin Bonanza invite you to savour the sights, sounds and flavours of Berlin once more. Relive the city's ubercool vibe with the Saturday market, get the true Berlin with a mondo doco, dig in to hot'n'heapin' plates of currywurst, thrill to the heady mashup of ping pong and country music, groove to alt-country cowpokes channelling the Heimat, and finish the night with a flourish of Deutschland disco dancing.

Full programme after the break...

Tonight you can have your cake and eat it too.

Longtime guitarist and co-conspirator of Greg Johnson’s, Ted Brown is playing a free gig at Bodega. Singer-songwriter Brown has been based in Los Angeles over the past few years, after making the big move there with Greg Johnson (U.S. site) in 2002. After 5 years building a following they now tour regularly across America. And did I mention that the gig is free? That's better than bad.

Across town at the Adelaide, the post-rocking Dukes of Leisure are playing with rock-posters Marineville. They'll be starting at a sensible time, providing as much opportunity as possible for drinking plenty of that cheap cheap Adelaide booze. Door $5 for that show.

You have been told so don't complain to us when you miss out at 9:05am

Tickets are ONLY available online or Ticketmaster:

... only available via the Internet at www.sevens.co.nz or by calling Ticketmaster on 0800 111 999. No tickets will be available through retail outlets.

(ticket details and how to get them after the break)

It's oooooooooooooon! We are very happy to present you with a starting date for the Wellingtonista Quiz League - Tuesday July 24. We'd love you to participate. Not only will you get to flex your brain muscles and check out the quiz nights at four different pubs, but you'll also get to network with likeminded people and have a lot of fun. So now you need to find yourself three friends, send us an email to wellingtonista @ gmail.com or leave us a comment here with your team name, and sign up to the mailing list for Quiz League announcements which may look suspiciously like the Bowling League mailing list. We'll let you know which inner-city pub we're starting at closer to the time.

After the break, the rules. Any questions?

Man, I don't know how many times i've promised the NiceUp Crew that I'll get along to one of their gigs...

It's just that I'm getting real long in the tooth, even though I'm a huuuge fan of dancehall reggae and ska.

But don't let me being old stop you from having a grand old time!

Get yourself along to Ghetto Red Hot on June 23.

And then write and tell us old geezers how excellent it was.