Spring is in the air and Craft2.0 is back. Wellington’s favourite indie craft market returns to TheNewDowse this Saturday October 30th. Instead of hibernating, loads of crafty types from wellington, and a bit beyond spent their winter months getting excited and making things, with one purpose in mind – Craft2.0. Craft2.0 is a special shopping […]
Fabulous fashion + beautiful bikes + Wellington women = Wheel Stylish! Bikes are back baby (not like they actually went anywhere) and there is *such* a range of cycling experiences to be had. You’ve got your hipster fixie rider, your lycra-clad fit freak, your sensibly attired public servant with the backpack who did not get […]
Oi Galera! The 2010 Live Brazil festival kicks off tonight and runs until Sunday night. There will be Brazilian music, dance, and food — what more could you want? Most events will be at Estadio on Blair St (the former Temperance) but tonight’s performances are at Te Papa. Check out the programme.
Wellington musical collaborations are so hot right now, with the pulsing funked out drama of Eru Dangerspiel cramming more than 15 musicians and a damn choir onto the stage at the Town Hall last night and Rhian Sheehan’s outstanding show at the Opera House in June it seems that being all lush and orchestral and big is, well, big. The spores of certain Welly super-groups can be found in basements all over Wellington collaborating on new projects, getting back together with each other, going solo again, it is bloody hard to keep up!
Those Twinset boys seem to be slutting it all over town and Warren Maxwell has managed mix it with NZSO (as Little Bushman) plan a couple of shows with a reformed Trinity Roots and work on new material with Strike Percussion.
Phew.
A little taster of the full length show brewing between Warren and Strike will be on offer at Downstage this Sunday as part of the Soundstage series. There will also be some fresh reinterpretations of Strike and Little Bushman classics (this girl is looking forward to seeing what they can do with Corrupt Demeanor). Looks like there may be another guest musician spot too, so once again time to have a few less $5 flat whites and book tickets.
What: Strike Percussion and Warren Maxwell
Where: Downstage theatre
When: Sunday 17 October
Cost: $35
Image by Dominika Zielinska from a set of live rehearsal shots.
It’s World of WearableArt season again, where scores of ladies (and some gents) converge upon the capital it witness the extravaganza that is the World of WearableArt show. This year’s awards show was held on Friday night, and again The Wellingtonista was invited along for the WOWstravaganza.
The fun of the WOW show is that it’s never just models walking down a catwalk. For a start, WOW uses dancers (and some of the costumes require physical strength and stamina to wear) and that catwalk is an three-headed serpent with rotating circles for maximum display potential.
After the jump, winners and pics galore!
Sometime last week I took my sister to lunch at Foxglove. We both started with the caramelised onion soup in a cob bowl with gruyere cheese and white truffle, which was less liquid than we expected, but it was delicious. Just look at it:
It was pretty filling just by itself, so I was anticipating a small portion for my main. Instead, I got two glorious bits of beer battered market fish with green pea gribiche (which is pretty much just tartar sauce) AND then they brought out fries and salad to go with it. Yum!
My sister, meanwhile, had confit chicken leg with crayfish ravioli and mushroom cream.
What I tried of it was tasty, with a surprise citrus zing. Our Magrain Sav was delicious as well, full size portions served in full size glasses (take note, Finc!). Service was great, until we tried to pay, and were left floundering for about ten minutes while we were also waiting for our coffees to go, because lunch had taken about an hour and twenty minutes. Others have complained that the ferns by the door are smelly, but we were on the other side of the restaurant so we didn’t notice. Based on the quality of the food, and the generous servings of it, I would definitely return to Foxglove, as long as I had plenty of time to spare.
I spent two weeks living on the 28th floor of a hotel in Tokyo when I was ten, and ever since then, I have been obsessed with hotels. As you probably know, here at the Wellingtonista, we’re also very fond of free food and drink, so when the Travelodge invited us to for Cocktails & Canapes, of course we responded enthusiastically.
The Travelodge is off Glimer Terrace, going up and down the Plimmer Steps. It used to be the Copthorne, but for the past year it’s been part of the (Australian) Toga Hospitality. The rooms have all been done up, and then their function areas, and finally Steps Restaurant, so they threw themselves a shindig to celebrate.
When we arrived, navigating a maze of escalators and lifts up from Lambton Quay, I was momentarily all atwitter with "Wine is NOT a cocktail, dammit!" but then I realised that we were drinking bubbly with strawberry liqueur in it, and that does indeed count, so I retract my tweet. The canapes, meanwhile, were delicious. Vegetable tempura was hot and amazingly crisp, lamb meatballs super flavoursome, the prawns looked good if you like that sort of thing, crostini were plentiful and the pork belly with apple sauce was a nice idea although it could have been a bit more crackled. And then after speeches, out came dessert canapes – fruit tarts, mini pavlovas and truly excellent brownies. It was a great range of food, and there was mountains of it, ferried around by lovely staff. Based on that, I would have no hesitation in recommending Steps Restaurant for a function if you are looking for a hotel environment.
Support the Earth Hour initiative tomorrow (Sat 28th) and turn off your lights between 8pm-9pm.
But it will be dark!
I know … fun eh!? Light candles, play spooky games (I recommend Werewolf) or tell ghost stories – in essence HAVE FUN!
And it’s not just about the lights, that’s the minimum. If you can turn off anything else then do so – how about turning off the computer!!!
More info:
And finally – how do we feel about Christchurch being the official New Zealand Earth Hour rep … crap eh, it should be Wellington!!
Write to both Kerry Prendergast (Mayor – kerry.prendergast@wcc.govt.nz) and Ray Ahipene-Mercer (Portfolio Leader: Climate Change – ray.ahipene-mercer@wcc.govt.nz) asking for a big push for 2009 – think of the coverage we’ll get internationally, all because you all got behind it and asked!
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.
This via the Mighty Mighty Facebook group
Heya Kiddos!
Mighty Mighty is looking for part time glassies and bartenders, gotta cut the gravy. Contact us at mightymighty@xtra.co.nz or drop into the bar.
Also while I am at it 😀 Come pop in for some super times @ The Mighty 😀
A Word From El Capitain Richo and The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers!
They also give us the low down for the week ahead – read on …