Botanic infamy

OMG. The Wellington Botanic Gardens, currently teeming with life and colour and general springtime joy, gets a mention on an upcoming episode of The Simpsons, the first of the new series.

The episode guest stars local boys made good Bret and Jemaine Conchords, and the pair use the Botanic Gardens good name for great lolz:

[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJkdPbpoc5s]

And remember the annual Spring Festival is currently happening at the Botanic Gardens, so why not take the opportunity to frollick in the spring blooms and say you were down with the gardens before they were famous.

Grouper (US) with Pumice and Glass Vaults tomorrow night.

For those who caught Grouper during her last trip to NZ, she will need no introduction. For those who missed her – don’t repeat your mistake! We are lucky to have a return visit from this Portland native, playing once again with Auckland’s Pumice with newcomers Glass Vaults at Happy tomorrow night (Tuesday September 28th). Presales are $15 from undertheradar.co.nz. More on the door.

Liz Harris’ GROUPER evokes the ghosts of songs, using minor-key, folk-derived melodies swathed in sheets of delay to carry her fragile vocals. Over albums such as Wide (2006) and Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill (2008), Harris has expanded upon her deceptively simple form, moving from all encompassing ambiance, cocooned in oceans of reverb, to a more stark, yet no less absorbing form, vulnerable imagery emerging from the music like half-remembered dreams.

Auckland’s Stefan Neville a.k.a. PUMICE is in no need of an introduction for discerning NZ listeners. A ramshackle one-man band, playing guitar, vocals, tape loops and drums simultaneously, he bridges the void between all-out improvisation and tightly executed song craft. It’s noise, it’s lo-fi, it’s drone, it’s pop – often all at once – Pumice defies all expectations with his live show. Neville’s discography is beyond extensive, having been consistently pumping out releases since 1994.

Having already brought her arresting and beautiful show to NZ in 2009, Grouper’s return is a welcome chance for those who missed out first time around to see Harris’ aching and moving music in the flesh.

WOW winners

I’ve just got back from the WOW Awards Show, so here’s a quickie post with the winner and runner up.

The winner of the 2010 Montana Supreme World of WearableArt Award was Loops by Yogesh Chaudhary and Manas Barve, both design young students from India. Loops is a seamless piece made from felted Australian merino:

The runner up to the Supreme WOW Award was Horridus Lynn Christiansen of the USA. Inspired by the thorny devil lizard (Moloch horridus), it’s made of copper and had a distinct clatter as the model moved in it:

A full report on the WOW experience will come soon, including the bit where Jo forced me to touch Te Radar’s lovely soft curly hair.

Viva Mexico, viva Zapata, in fact viva my lunch

I was out with my Dad and my daughter today and needed to find lunch for three generations of Judds in the Cuba St area. I thought we’d wander down the Left Bank to get some empanadas from Buenos Aires. Despite the window saying that they are open 12-2 on Fridays, Buenos Aires was decidedly shut. So we went next door to Viva Mexico instead.

 

It was a surprise when we walked in to see that the place was completely redecorated. It’s now a revolucion-themed taqueria. I talked to the new owner and he’s a solid Zapatista — that stuff’s not just hip branding.

 

We were quickly seated and given menus. The choices are pretty basic: enchiladas, tacos, or eggs with a variety of fillings and sauces. I watched other tables’ food go out and it looked good. Like other cuisines that prize homogenous textures and complex mixtures, Mexican food can be danger of looking like cafeteria slop, so it was good to have nice plating.

 

I had not even begun to wonder where our order was when the proprietor apologised for the wait and gave us a little dish of fried cheese-stuffed jalapeños to keep us going. They were good enough that I would have been happy to be kept waiting longer as long as the apology food kept coming. Our orders came out shortly afterwards and they were damned tasty. Of note was my huevos machaca, eggs scrambled with shredded beef and a good dose of hot peppers.

 

The food, the politics and the price are all more than good enough for a humble taqueria and we left well satisfied. I know many people liked the old regime at Viva Mexico — I am happy to report that the new regime is more than up to the job ¡Viva Viva Mexico!

 

Follow-up question: where do readers rate for Mexican food in this town?

A whole lot of WOW

WOW season kicks off today, as the city turns into the World of WearableArt.

The Montana World of WearableArt shows kick off at TSB Arena tonight, with the awards show on Friday night. The Wellingtonista Will be there to report on the 2010 winners and general goings-on.

Most of the shows are sold out, but there are still a few $50 "restricted view" tickets left to most shows – a good option if you’ve always wanted to experience the extravagant WOW show.

But as always, there are other ways of experiencing the magic of WOW.

WoW designer Susan Holmes has a number of her previous entries on display at various locations around the city, incliding the Museum Hotel, TSB Arena and the airport.

Various Wellington retailers are getting crafty with their own version of WearableArt on display, complete with goodie bags and other prizes for lucky shoppers.

And coming up on Sunday 3 October at Te Papa is Get Set Create, a one-hour challenge for WOW designers to come up with a creation.

So strap on your bizarre bra and get down with the WOW.

Not in a month of Saturdays

Update: MyGalaxi will also be open on Sunday 26 September.

You know how we had a blue moon this New Year’s Eve, right?  And how that is kind of a freak occurrence when you think about it, right?

Well, this Saturday is the blue moon of markets. There are two only once-a-monthers and one super-special, souped-up weekly market being held in our fair city.  It won’t matter if the skies ain’t blue because they are all held indoors (very sensible).

First up, the Frank Kitts Underground Markets are holding a special Indie Fashion and Jewellery themed market in the Wilsons carparking building under Frank Kitts Park on the waterfront.  This market has been putting in the hard yards over winter, hocking their wares weekly and building up a dedicated following.  Their regular stallholders will be there plus a range of special guests.  Check out their latest newsletter for details.

 

Next up is the fourth outing of Mygalaxi Art Markets based in the basement of 39 Dixon Street.  These markets are keeping it arthouse under the firm leadership of Arlo Edwards (best Art Experience don’t you know) and the benevolent patronage of James Gilbert at Photospace who is the wind beneath a few creative wings.  Long live the patron, we say!

 

Frock on

The newly launched New Zealand Fashion Museum aims to preserve and celebrate New Zealand’ fashion history.

It doesn’t have a physical location, instead displaying exhibitions in pop-up locations.

Its first exhibition is Looking Terrific – the Story of El Jay, looking at the career of fashion designer Gus Fisher and his label El Jay.

El Jay held the exclusive New Zealand licence for Christian Dior designers, bringing elegant frocks to New Zealand women wanting some Parisian chic.

The exhibition is on display at Kirkaldie and Stains, which aptly enough was one of El Jay’s stockists back in the day.

The Looking Terrific collection spans 40 years of El Jay, from the ’40s to the ’80s, with all garments borrowed from private collections – often the original owner.

The exhibition runs until 3 October, and can be viewed inside (and outside) Kirks on Lambton Quay.

Pop-up shop pops back up again

OO lucky handmade shoppers, the much loved and short lived Tinakori Road pop-up shop has popped up again, but this time in a different location.

With a  mix of designers in for a day and another mix in for a week and some designers in for the whole time, it’s one of those places that’s worth a weekly visit.

You can find the Pop-Up Design Store at 24 College street from now till October 17th.