X Way Vision is a video of live performances by artists from the Dunedin-based Xpressway record label. Performing artists include The Dead C, Alastair Galbraith, Plagal Grind, Chris Heazlewood & Greg Cairns, Shayne Carter, and Chug.

Screening at the Film Archive, Wednesday 27 May at 7pm. Tickets $8/6 concession.

[Read more after the jump]

So, the John St/Riddiford St/Adelaide Rd intersection has undergone a bit of a lights phasing tweak. It took this particular Wellingtonista by surprise when, last week, I confidently started to cross John St as the lights turned to red, only to discover that instead of my little green man, I was now the target for traffic coming down from Adelaide Rd.

There’s been some good that’s come from the change – the most obvious one being that pedestrians crossing John St (with the green man, that is), are no longer in danger of being skittled by right-turning traffic from Adelaide Rd heading up John St (it was a common trick for the first one or two cars in that queue to dive across the intersection as soon as the lights turned green).

On the other hand, pedestrians crossing at the same place now have to contend with traffic run the orange (or, even the red!) from Riddiford St and heading up John St. Every single morning I’ve had to cross at that point, cars have sailed through the intersection a good few seconds after the green man has gone off. It’s particularly bad if you’re crossing south-to-north, as the traffic is coming from behind you, out of your line of sight. It won’t be long before someone gets knocked over: mark my words!

How’s it working out for you? Drivers – any thoughts?

Alert reader Andy writes to inform us that it is free day Te Papa! (Today being Thu 7 March May).

…so if you want to go see the Monet exhibition you can do so without paying $15 entry. Te Papa is open until 9pm tonight.

Be warned though that there will probably be crowds.

Thanks Andy!

Update: As Andy points out in the comments, the offer is only valid for Wellington residents, so bring along some proof that you live locally. Because we all know what happens if you’re not local…

It’s Comedy festival time in the Capital.

Personally I think the timing is always quite impeccable as winter has just hit and with it comes the winter blues. There are loads of amazing local acts and also some brilliant internationals.

Now normally the international acts like to include a little local content to make the crowd love them more. Often it’s limited to jokes about wind, jaffas and Australians. Sammy J is clearly the exception to the rule, and to prove it he’s even been making some extremly cute videos.

You can catch him at Downstage from tonight.

My hot local tip is the The Comediettes.  Emma, Jim and Sarah were amazing at the fringe festival with their stand up show. Sarah’s been winning a few comedy competitions lately, so you now she’s going to bring the giggles.

There’s an exhibition opening on at Newtown’s Spacething tonight (Thu 7 May), featuring new artwork from Helen McVey and Tania Price.

There will also be live music from (the excellently named) Public Toilet ltd, Chris Palmer and Dan Beban, as well as casual rock cocktail poetry by Eliot White.

Starts at 6pm. 171 Adelaide Road. 

It’s sale time at Vic Books again, both at the Kelburn Campus and the Pipitea store by the train station.

The sale runs from Monday May 11-Thursday May 28, and if you’re clever you’ll figure out a way to get to the sneak preview with wine and nibbles at the Kelburn shop, from 3pm, Thursday May 7th.

‘Tis the season of twisted umbrellas, so it’s time to stock up on books which will keep you enthralled despite the weather. Our famous sale features fiercely discounted fiction, politics, history, art & architecture, sciences and current affairs. University Press & other academic books, quality hardbacks and paperbacks, children’s books and more.
During the sale we will also be holding special discount days:

• Thursday May 14th: for one day only, 25% off all children’s books not already discounted.
• Thursday May 21st: for one day only, 25% off all fiction not already discounted.
• Thursday May 28th: for one day only, 25% off all non-fiction not already discounted.

 

One of the highlights of this year’s Cuba Street Carnival was the painting of a GO Wellington bus by some of New Zealand’s top graffti/street artists and German artists Via Grafik.

The finished product looked great, the bus took pride of place in the Night Parade, and can still be seen in normal use on Go Wellington’s routes.

 
So when the independent Academy Cinema in Auckland planned to get some local graffiti artists to paint a Dargaville High School bus outside the cinema to help promote new graffiti documentary Alter Ego, you’d think the Auckland City Council would be as supportive as Wellington was for the bus painting.

But no! Find out the Auckland City Council’s bizarre reaction after the jump.

There’s been quite a bit of news around DB Breweries trying to copyright the already in use name ‘radler’ lately, and one Wellington liquor shop – Rumbles on Waring-Taylor street has had enough.

As seen on the Real Beer page: 

Join us in a boycott of DB Brewery’s products and support NZ Beer…

In response to what we perceive to be bully-boy tactics and a direct attack on the emerging boutique beer industry, Rumbles Wine Merchant will not be stocking the following products brands untl the threat of legal action has been lifted. We make no apologies for any inconvenience…

And you can read more about it on the Rumbles blog. Go Rumbles! Just reading about this makes me thirsty, I could really go for a Bennett’s right about now…