Maranui v2
It’s a cold, rainy Tuesday afternoon in the first day of winter. Why, it’s a perfect day to go to the beach!
The occasion is the first day of business for the back-from-the-dead Maranui Cafe. After being damaged in a fire last year, escaping the threat of demolition and managing to keep not just the building intact but also the business, the cafe has been reborn, like a phoenix rising from a pile of coffee grounds and sand.
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While there’s still a little bit of work going on in the rest of the building, the cafe is well open for business. It’s much like the old cafe, only with a fresh, shinier feel to it.
One massive improvement is the sound-absorbing ceiling, which helps cut down the Saturday morning echo chamber of doom ambience old Maranui was notorious for.
The new kitchen is bright, white, tiled and with one of the better views offered by a cafe kitchen in Wellington, is back in full effect. The staff seemed busy and buzzy and they have every reason to be.
The cheerful interior was a perfect place to be on such a crappy winter day (especially after a tortuously slow bus trip over on the #3), complete with a view of the truly miserable, grey Lyall Bay, that seemed to say, "Oh hai guyz. I’m a surf beach. Let’s go surfin’!!! Lol". (Man, Lyall Bay is a dick.)
It’s really good that Maranui Cafe is back. It’s quite different from your standard Wellington Cafe, and come summer, the place will surely be jam-packed.
But the best thing about the new Maranui – the all-important Maranui SLC visitors’ sign-in book is charred and smoky from the fire.
Dirtying up your ears: Erogenous Tones III
Remember how last year Erogenous Tones was nominated for a TAWA as Best Art Experience? Well now’s your chance to experience it for yourself!
Erogenous Tones is cumming to you live again, again and again. Now two ladies (we lost one to the devils dandruff in Brazil) read you erotic stories XXX rated, romantic trash, and shocking fan fiction, all accompanied by sexy synthesiser music by the Kremer. A romantic night of aural pleasure, that will make you wanna come again, again and again.
So we’ll see you on Wednesday June 02 at 9pm at The Watusi, right?
Your Apartment or mine?
There are always new apartment buildings springing up, but this Apartment is very different. It’s very definitely not a studio shoebox, with vast open-plan living space and a high-raftered ceiling, and despite having a bedroom, bathrooms, dining room and balcony, it is in fact better than a home: it’s a bar.
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Many years ago there was an Apartment Bar under the Hannahs Factory in Leeds St, but The Apartment is an apparently unrelated place that has just opened in Allen St. The varying spaces promise to allow for different moods, from louche lounging to formalish dining to standing and shouting. The proximity to Courtenay Place threatens all but the last mode of drinking, but given a highly creditable Martini and some tasty snacks (chilly chilli roast almonds plus cheddar & caraway bread), this barfly thinks it could be just the place to set up home.
Talk talk (and watch)
The Film Archive is mixing things up a little for the next three weeks.
On three consecutive Thursdays (starting this week) speakers from the Education team and one special guest will talk alongside rare and interesting footage from the collections.
The series is called Talk/Show (just to make it obvious) and it’s a nice departure from the usual screening programme.
First up is a session on Wellington and its unique geography and settlement. Some great footage in here including documentary extracts, early silent footage, government and unofficial sources and early home movies.
Will be a fascinating and informative look at this rainy, windy, steep place we choose to call home!
Some more bits and pieces
- Wendy from the delicious Cultured Petone is running a cheese-making workshop. Learn to make your own haloumi and ricotta. Yum!
- A treat for NZ Music Month: Phoenix Foundation fan fiction. Bear costumes surprisingly do not feature. Please feel free to contribute your own fan fiction stories in the comments.
- Issue #2 of FishHead is out now. We haven’t read it yet so we don’t have further comment to offer at this stage.
- Richter City Roller Derby is having a CARNIVALE-themed fundraiser at the Garden Club on May 29:
This fabulous event features the talents of The Eyeballs, The Beat Squad, MC Lisa Tomlins, The Raskolnikovs, DJ Rhys, DJ Forge and DJ Taip. Cheap drinks available until 12am, and a prize will be awarded to the Best Dressed.
- The menu for the Mebus Winemaker’s Dinner at Cellar-Vate on May 26 has been released (along with the email addresses of everyone on their mailing list, whoops!):
Leaving a paper trail
We’ve raved about Monterey Bar before, but just quickly, we want to point you to their blog on which they display the best of the artworks drawn on their paper-covered tables. You have to wonder about what was going on when this divorce settlement was written, or what exactly is wrong with these tights – but I could tell you the backstory to Senor Handsome if you ask nicely.
Joel Salom’s Gadgets
Bizarre uses for ping-pong balls, megalomaniac robot dogs, fire juggling, and a healthy dose of audience participation are just some of the ingredients in Joel Salom’s Gadgets, which opened tonight at Downstage as part of the Comedy Festival.
It’s a mixture of accomplished physical comedy from Australia’s Joel Salom, backed by Marko and Jim, a couple of very talented musician-performers who, from time to time, become part of the action.
Cyclists who cruise are awesome, cyclists who whoosh are not
[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY8FSTlH5C8&]Cycle Aware Wellington has a cute campaign going to encourage cyclists to ride nicely on the waterfront.
If there’s anything we at the Wellingtonista endorse, it’s freebies and nice cyclists.
More details here.
This job is pretty rubbish
Remember when rubbish collectors used to come up and collect from your bins at the back of the house, even when you lived up big steep pathways? Good times. Anyway, here’s a mini documentary called Dusties from NZ on Screen for your Friday afternoon viewing. Enjoy!
Doug Jerebine (AKA Jesse Harper) in town this weekend
Legendary (and non-mythical) NZ guitarist brings his Eastern influenced Blue Cheer-Hendrix-Atomic Rooster meets Sonic Youth skwall to Wellignton at Happy on Saturday 8th May.
[video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OOG-As652k]We can’t pinpoint when Doug was last in Wellington, but he was there in August 1965 when The Pretty Things swung through town, playing in Mike Perjanik’s group*. Doug left for the UK in 1968 searching for more open minds. The next year he recorded an albums worth of Hendrix influenced material under the name Jesse Harper. Acetates and tapes filtered back to NZ and the Human Instinct appropriated the best songs for their first two albums. Giving away music in 1971, Doug moved to India where he stayed for 35+ years.
Currently based in NZ – Doug Jerebine will be bringing his searing musical message to Dunedin, and taking no prisoners. This will be a unique performance. Accompanying Doug will be Miles Gillett (drums), son of Bob Gillett – Doug’s musical inspiration and fellow member of Dougs late 60s group The Brew, and Chris Orange on bass. Opening the show will be the EXCELLENT MANTARAYS!
For more info on Doug, check out Keith Newmans excellent Doug Jerebine story.
Doors at 8pm – DOUG ON STAGE AT 10pm
ADMISSION $15
* Google him – fascinating career – and you probably know one of his most famous compostions if you watch Australian soaps!