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....

The Cosbys are Auckland's undisputed kings of Northern Soul -- a hypercharged R&B revue thundering through uptown, downtown, deep soul, dance and ballad sounds, and most importantly, doing it with impeccable style.

Apparently dissatisfied with the grooveless, undersexed state of modern rock'n'roll, The Cosbys found the answer by smashing together four-on-the-floor Motown rhythms with a two-fisted Stax-style horn section and a singer -- "Papa" Crawdaddy -- who is so damn good he made James Brown just give up and die.

So cut loose, ladies and gentlemen -- shake those hips, jive with the Hot Cosby Horns, be touched by "Papa". Do the jerk, watch them work, do the Mashed Potato, do the Alligator. And do it on Cosby Street, or even better - tonight (Friday 18th April) at Mighty Mighty.

10pm - $5 - good times

Website here

Some Friday music video viewing for you. Two of the best things in life -- Cricket and Music -- combined into one fine music video from Wellington's increasingly hirsute Phoenix Foundation...

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...

Mighty Mighty Bar has released their Facebook "what's on" earlier than previous ones - on 'em!

This may be the final chance you get to catch Delaney Davidson and his Ghost Orchestra before he goes back Europe way! IT IS A MUST SEE SHOW !

Also here is this weeks gigaroos! see you here, or you are square ;)

Captain Richardo and the Mighty Musketeers

WED 9th - 8:30pm ROSIE TIN TEA CADDIE + ACHILES BOTES. Sweet folk.Lapping in the sea of tranquilitea come s these nicey nice hand holding acts.

THUR 10th - 9pm - The WRONGDOINGS,DELANEYDAVIDSON and his 8piece GHOST ORCHESTRA(last NZ gig),SLIM CHANTS,Say goodbye to the drummer about town,Jelly and the last time in a year to hear his numerous and great bands.Dirty country.

FRI 11th - 10pm THE SHADES E.P Release + THE AVIATORS. AK`s finest soul outfit. Hip hop beats funk and soul,a smokey session indeed!

SAT 12th - HI ACES ALBUM RELEASE ,with The BLACKBELLES finally a recording from these local country favourites.Fill your jugs and raise `em high!

Following on from a tidbit in Mike's last post, here's some Thursday night hobo country garage entertainment for you!

Delaney Davidson plays at the Mighty Mighty tonight to release his album 'Rough Diamond' (out on local label Stink Magnetic), and unveils his Ghost Orchestra for the very first time ... featuring a real live voodoo rhythm section as well as banjo, brass, violin, lap steel and accordian. The band played and talked on National Radio last Saturday, and are doing a small number of shows before Delaney heads off overseas again in April. The Wrongdoings play support, before they (we?) lose bass player Justin to the big wide world, also in April.

The gig kicks off at 8:30 but as a warm-up Issue #4 of local design magazine The National Grid will be launched in fine style by voodoo guru Dr Eric Vornoff and tractor afficionado Boss Christ, from 5:30. #4 and back issues are available at special prices, and there's talk of a limbo contest that the Wellingtonista's own Anna Dean has been banned from entering.

Mighty Mighty, Cuba St, 5:30/8:30 tonight
and the gig repeats with extra flair on Friday night too.

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.

Opening tomorrow night at the Film Archive - Wellington multi-media artist Sarah Jane Parton presents her wacky take on the future...

Well known for her beguiling video and installation work (and love of lycra leotards) Parton has assembled a cast and crew of Wellington's finest to create a sci-fi musical odyssey starring Toi Whakaari graduates Antonia Bale, Anja Tate-Manning (Chapman-Tripp award winner), and Jade Daniels, alongside theatre veteran Rose Beauchamp, dancer Sam Lahood and a bevy of young and talented children.

With music performed by a live band featuring the members of Cassette under the musical direction of Parton’s partner Luke Buda (Phoenix Foundation), fronted by the perpetually hilarious Jo Randerson, the show contains a reasonable degree of cynicism, offset by moments of absurdity and humour.

In this cross-genre work, ideological meltdown is imminent, the revolution is doomed long before it begins and audience members are advised to bring a blanket.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS
Thursday 28, Friday 29 February and Saturday 1 March at 7pm
at The Film Archive, cnr Taranaki and Ghuznee Streets

Tickets:
Full Price - $15,
Concession - $13,
Fringe Addict - $12

Read Brannavan Gnanlingam's great interview about the show
here

German sound-artist and musician Robert Henke -- he also records pretty great minimal techno as Monolake -- is in the midst of a tour of Australia and New Zealand.

At 9pm on Friday night he is doing one of his famous Layering Buddha performances at the Adam Concert Room, at VUW. There will also be an address by Henke at 6pm the preceding night, at the same venue.

During the performance the audience is placed in between a ring of six speakers with the performer sitting in between them in the center. The layers of sound are dynamically distributed in space, providing an experience of being really placed in between the sonic cloud where the acoustic result depends on the position of the listener.

More after the break, including audio! Electrons! Downloads! Joy!

There's a lot on in the cultural capital tonight but my completely biased pick for the evening's entertainment has to be Loudon Wainwright III at the SFBH.

Supported and accompanied by one of his daughters, Lucy Wainwright Roche (half sister to the more famous Rufus and Martha), Wainwright is bringing his singer-songwriter folk-rockin' guitar to our shores on the back of last year's album Strange Weirdos: music from and inspired by the film Knocked Up. Yep, not only did Loudon III supply the music for the movie's creator, Judd Apatow (who made Freaks and Geeks, so he must be cool), but he also acted in the movie - playing a gynecologist.

Wainwright's most famous for songs like 'Dead Skunk'(1972) but alongside his musical career his acting has been ticking along for some time; the two strands successfully marrying when LWIII played singing surgeon Capt. Spaulding in M*A*S*H.

Intrigued? I am. And in the interests of full disclosure: my band, the Wrongdoings, will open for Loudon tonight, on the eve of our Auckland debut at Ladyfest '08.

Doors open at 9, tickets available from Ticketek, Real Groovy or on the door at San Francisco Bathhouse.

CUNNING LINGUISTS: if you can tell me what it's called when you add a "III" to your name I'll be dead impressed either at your linguistic knowledge or your mad google skillz - the closest I could get to it is that it's some form of pronominal suffix. And it's driving me crazy.

Lolcat style pics invade real life jumping from teh intartubes.

From flickr user Simon Lieschke, and as spotted in this morning's (ever entertaining) Wellington Flickr Pool.

In the fifth of their Malty Media Chillout Sessions, homebred Wellington electronica gurus Jet Jaguar (home after a long spell o'seas) and Aquaboogie will be playing delectable tunes and delightful compositions this Wednesday night, at Katipo Café.

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!

Explosions in the Sky!

The latest instalment in a semi-regular Wellingtonista series on the thriving local touring circuit for international bands sees the instrumental rock goodness of Explosions in the Sky hitting Wellington for the first time tomorrow night, bringing their firecracker of a live set to the San Fran Bathhouse.

Praised for the cinematic grandeur of their albums and the intensity of their live shows, the Texans have come a long way since their inception as a post-rock four-piece in 1999. The band has also been appointed as the curators for the 2008 All Tomorrow’s Parties festival line-up.

Fusing bittersweet guitar melodies with crashing bouts of noise, Explosions in the Sky have garnered a strong following among fans and critics alike, with Tiny Mix Tapes labelling them “the only instrumental post-rock band that matters”. Rolling Stone compared their most recent album, All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone, to the music of the Kronos Quartet, but with “big amps and John Bonham in the back”, and internet giant Pitchfork Media touted 2003’s The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place as “the perfect testament to art-rock mastery.”

Show details after the jump...

I just received an email from a friend who said: "If you haven’t experienced this guy, he’s worth it"

"This guy" is Andrew Bird.

From the press release:

Mystery Girl & Cheese On toast present Andrew Bird
Tuesday 15th January 2008
San Francisco Bath House
Wellington
+ Andrew McKenzie (grand prix)

Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist and lyricist Andrew Bird picked up his first violin at the age of 4. Actually, it was a Cracker Jack box with a ruler taped to it.

It's fitting that now, though classically trained, he has instead opted to play his violin in a most unconventional manner, accompanying himself on glockenspiel and guitar, adding singing and whistling to the equation, and becoming a pop songwriter in the process.

Andrew Bird has impressed huge festival audiences at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, SXSW, the Montreal Jazz Festival, Radio France, and made appearances on the BBC, KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic," and NPR's "World Cafe" and "All Things Considered." Positive reviews and Best of 2005 lists followed including Magnet, Paste, The Onion, the Boston Globe, CMJ, and popmatters, as well as a nomination for the 2006 New Pantheon award, and the following rave from Pitchfork: "I looked at my notes and next to 'Skin Is, My,' the only comment I had scrawled was 'Wow!' The same dumbfounded comment was chicken-scratched next to three other song titles. Fitting, as there's no better word to describe Andrew Bird live."

This will be Andrew Bird's first visit to New Zealand.

For more info:
http://www.andrewbird.net
http://www.mysterygirl.co.nz