We ask: why are you here?
The Wellingtonista would like to know why so many goddamn black-legged jellyfish decided to hang out at Lyall Bay over the weekend. Sure, it was hot, and swimming was a great idea, but for me, not for you creepy wobbly things! And it didn’t make a difference how calm it was on Saturday and how wavey it was on Sunday – you were still there! Bastards. It ‘s not like you were put on Earth first or anything, and yet you act like you own the place…
Borders: opening Thursday
As Tom noted back in October, the northern portion of Capital on the Quay is to become a Borders’. Imagine a bookstore with a giant footprint, a café inside, and possibly the largest range of stock in town. That might well be what we’re getting.
Several months later it seems the the work is just about complete, and earlier this week a sign appeared in the window: opening is to be 8:00am this Thursday 15th.
At the Wellingtonista we’ve been keenly awaiting the opening: probably more because we are hoping for some great opening bargains than anything else (not that we actually know anything – please comment if you do).
Around the watercooler though, there’s been a bit of discussion about Borders’ entry into the Wellington book retail market: will it be good, or bad for the book-loving public?
Experience of the Auckland store varied: one of us felt that although the initial stock on opening was broad enough to have people hyperventilating (three different editions of “Finnegan’s Wake” – a benchmark by which any book-store, -chain, or even society can be measured he said, misty-eyed with remembrance), over time it seemed to become less diverse.
But a couple of the others have found the Auckland store to be pretty good actually, beating out even Unity in some areas (post-modern American poetry, anyone?), and that the range available is huge.
At this point, the concept of The Long Tail made its way into the increasingly thick soup of the conversation. The idea applied in this case being that Borders’ can generate volume and make money by selling one or two copies of many many different titles rather than flogging large numbers of just a few very popular titles. Which may bode ill for for our favourite small-but-more-specialised bookshops elsewhere in town: Unity, Vic Books, Parsons, and even Dymocks all have their adherents up here in Wellingtonista towers. It’s hard to say how it’s going to pan out: maybe Borders’ won’t, or can’t compete against the independents, crimping the Quay’s other book megastore pretender Whitcoulls instead… or maybe not.
St Michael’s & Kelburn Village Fair – March 10 from 10am
The St Michael’s & Kelburn Village Fair is on tomorrow at 10am.
This will be the first one I’ve managed to catch, so I can’t regale you with tales of past experiences, but I can promise you stalls, home baking, junk/treasure, and probably an awful lot of very out of date 2nd hand university text books.
There may also be fire eaters, dancing, dancing girls, dancing bears, acrobats & tightrope walkers. I dunno, but I’m hoping.
And of course, the very attractive residents of Kelburn.
And her owner.
Hi, and Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma
Hi. I’m new here. Usually I burble sporadically and semi-coherently on Drinks-After-Work; I’m looking forward to the challenge of stepping up to the plate and making sense most of the time.
Posters for this went up last night (sorry for the stink image – I can’t find anything on the web so far):
Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma is the pioneer of the Kashmiri santoor (Indian hammered dulcimer) and was (heh) instrumental in it’s acceptance into the hallowed pantheon of Indian classical music (read about it). At 69 he is the acknowledged master of santoor; indeed he is virtually synonymous with it. Using a 100-string santoor in chromatic arrangement Sharma creates complex webs of beautiful, ethereal, shimmering sound, mounting improvisation within improvisation within the raga form, climaxing in furious blowouts with fiery tabla virtuosos and frenzied, ecstatic glissando.
He’s real good. His album Sampradaya is one of my favourite Indian classical recordings of all time. And with his debut in 1997 (also on santoor), Sharma’s son and disciple Rahul became the third part of an exceptional pan-generational santoor triumvirate. Both Sharma’s are playing at St Mary of the Angels on Wednesday the 14th of March – presumably on their way to WOMAD – with Yogesh Samsi on the tabla. They will play in an exciting Jugalbhansdi style. Bookings from Ticketek.
Party Like It’s 1971 presents: Motorik
A DJ-event at The Mighty Mighty in Cuba Mall, featuring DJ Kapitan Krautrock and DJ Name playing progressive German music from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s…
This event is part of the Berlin Bonanza at The Mighty Mighty in March.
Webstock Mini
Webstock Mini was last night, and for those that weren’t there: sorry. You missed out on a treat.
There was a room full of smart, cool, clever and passionate people; a couple of very interesting headline speakers: Rod Drury on User Centred Design as applied to both Aftermail and Xero.com; and Peter Gutmann on the ludicrous but for real Copyright Amendment Bill [PDF, 1.4Mb] (get submitting – there’s a couple days left); and later, ten others for two minutes each on “How the Internet changed my life”, interpreted rather loosely but very entertainingly.
We were there too: or more correctly 40% of the Wellingtonista collective (because you can’t be called a Wellingtonista and not belong to a collective, right? It goes with the faux left-wing chic of our name, you know). And we had lots to think about. Especially the one of us that was speaking.
Others have already written about last night in a much more structured way. Rather than reinvent the wheel, we’ll link to them instead.
Phewf, that was easy. And a good use of the internet, too.
And then we’ll resort to namechecking William Burroughs as a pathetic excuse for dumping the pooled thoughts of this 40% randomly as follows:
Online to On the Wall
We all know that Wellington is a great place to take photos: its natural beauty, public art, lively street life and eclectic architecture all contribute to a visually stimulating city. The busy Flickr-ers of the Wellington Flickr group know this, and they’ve decided to take their best photos into the real world.
“Online to On the Wall” opens at the Paramount Theatre tomorrow night at 6pm, and runs until the 28th of March.
MySpace Freebies hit Wellington
Back in Feb those lucky Auckland MySpace people had the chance to check out Evermore for Free.
Well Wellington, our time has come and it’s a goodie. If you are a MySpace member just add The Black Curtain to your MySpace friends and you’ll be told the secret squirrel location of the free screening of HotFuzz this Friday.
Why Go?
Well, to start it’s free.
To follow it’s by the genius minds behind Shaun of the Dead
To continue you get a special appearance & introduction by Peter Jackson.
If that’s not enough – it’s free, people!
My only hope is that Simon Pegg is as funny in person now as he was when he was in Wellington for the Laugh Festival back in the deep dark ’90s.
Heavenly Circus
The genius minds behind Heavenly Burlesque are back again for the Fringe and this time it’s free. Gravity and other Myths is a spectacular outdoor new circus showcase inspired by the stars!
Vist Queen’s Wharf at night this week and you see some of the country’s best new circus, performing on a purpose-built outdoor circus rig, combined with pyrotechnics, spectacular lighting, sound and AV design.
I’ve been promised acts will use fire, trapeze, bungy, hula hoops, dance and object animation, all to the locally grown music of Rhian Sheehan, Module and more. This is proper circus people, not with evil clowns.
Plus here is your chance to run away with the circus in your lunchtime – Wellington Circus Trust are running introductory circus workshops at lunchtimes (12.30 – 1.30) on the days of the show performances.
Gravity and other Myths
Queen’s Wharf, (under the sails)
Wellington Waterfront @ 8.00pm
Thursday 1st – Sunday 4th & Wednesday 7th – Saturday 10th
March, 2007.
Entry by donation / Koha
and bring a cushion
Jon Auer is coming to town
The guy Matthew Sweet always wished he could be. Possibly. He’s in town for one show only. (Remember Matthew Sweet?)
From the press-release:
Jon Auer is co-founder of one of the most critically-acclaimed power-pop bands, The Posies, and has also spent a good deal of time in the legendary Big Star with the granddaddy of all ’em power-popsters, Alex Chilton. He also finds time to be the self-confessed number one solo sadcore artist in the world.
With his exceptional songwriting, eminently-hummable melodies, and unique musical vision, he takes listeners to sonic and emotional territories far beyond the expected parameters of the pop genre.
John Auer brings his signature guitar-work and angelic voice to MVP for one very special, intimate night.
Saturday the 3rd of March
MVP, Dixon Street
Doors open at 8pm.
$20 presales from Slow Boat records ($15 with an Active Card).
Thanks to Stephen for the heads up (and for making me look like I know a bit about music…)