Voting in the Fourth Annual Wellingtonista Awards is open from December 1-15. Then come find out the results at our Awards Night at Mighty Mighty on December 17!

To vote, visit this page.

If there’s someone up on a stage, they’d better deserve to be there. The total immersion that comes from being in a crowd all enjoying the same spectacle can be indescribable. These are the shows that stood out for us.

Fur Patrol at Starry Nights: There’s something particularly magical about the Starry Nights concert – the Phoenix Foundation’s gig took out this category last year. Fur Patrol’s gig was on a slightly misty night, and they deliberately chose their most floaty-vocaled songs to drift beautifully across the water. A couple of tunes even featured a “chorus of ‘angles’” made up of a who’s who of Wellington musicians. Fur Patrol have played a lot of gigs lately, but this is one that will stand out across time.

 

Bob Log III at the Mighty Mighty Third Birthday: Not only did Bob end up with a nude man onstage wearing a rabbit mask (afterwards he said he had no idea as he was unable to see much through his helmet, but had wondered “why the crowd went strangely quiet for a while”), he boob-scotched a couple of people, had some girls riding his knees and was supported by a vodka slide, Wellington’s own one-man band Double Ya D, metal heroes Detrytus, Auckland biker loving imports The Don Kings and plenty of dancing lovelies. A perfect selection for the Mighty Birthday 2009!


Fuse Circus for The Navigators: In the past they wowed us with Heavenly Burlesque and Gravity and Other Myths. With The Navigators, Fuse stepped things up more and exanded the world of circus more than we could have possibly expected – we are not the only ones to think so:

“The verve and nerve of the five performers is unmistakable. Their success lies as much in their theatricality as in their extraordinary physicality…The overwhelming impression they leave is of a group cleverly lacing dazzling accomplishment in the air with something more akin to true theatre, for they claim more than our fascinated gaze. In playing so wholeheartedly from their imagination they invite a response in kind.” – Lindsay Clark, Theatreview.

Rhian Sheehan at Downstage: The debut season of Downstage’s Sunday music programme Soundstage has been a roaring success. The Woolshed Sessions, Little Bushman, Sam F Scott and The B.O.P, Rhian Sheehan and Spartacus R have all have worked the hell out of the theatrical environment, utilising existing sets from current plays at Downstage and incorporating multi-media effects, poetry and dance.
All have been eagerly anticipated and played to capacity audiences but the word on the street (and the buzz on Twitter) has Rhian Sheenhan as the top show of an outstanding series. Rhian Sheehan played his entire album Standing in Silence live, with a full complement of musicians, including two percussionists and a string section. The show also included gorgeous visuals by Gareth Moon (Nektar). Combining electronic elements with 15 live musicians is an ambitious feat. Highlights included an incredible middle section with a lush and emotive string theme, bringing some audience members to tears (of joy).

Question Time at Parliament: This is Wellington, so of course we’ve got to get all political up on it. If you treat the spectacle of the grown-ups who are supposed to be running our country acting like snotty-nosed little children as an art piece that you just don’t quite understand, it’s much easier to deal with.  (Get all virtual on it here).