Blog — Page 240 of 279

Wil Wagner
Oxford Art Factory
Sydney, AUS
February 19, 2017

As the frontman, singer, lyricist, guitarist and keyboardist of The Smith Street Band -- an allusion to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band –- the name meaning to encapsulate an iconic Melbourne street, which also happened to be along an iconic Melbourne route who had a typically route 86 sound, Wil Wagner has two critically acclaimed LPs under his belt.

While still aligning with the DNA of The Smith Street Band, him stepping away from the horde and only armed with his guitar presents him as an endearing, vulnerable singer / songwriter, delivering barebones heartfelt, open and simplistically honest ditties that defy the humdrum of modern life and what standards and its demands impose upon us.

In a live environment the raw and personal songs are carried by their content, Wagner’s charisma and him wearing his heart on his sleeve – the soundtrack to having beers with friends and reminisce or alternatively bleed your lil’ heart out about unreciprocated love.

While it would be easy to label and compare Wil’s solo efforts with the myriad of other punk luminaries going it alone and insist that a bit of variation might contribute to his oeuvre, it is his self-depreciation, the at times quirky vocal harmonies and his fearlessness when it comes to tapping into what is commonly referred to as weaknesses and displaying the whole spectrum of struggles one encounters as a human being, that despite the often depressing content of his songs, manages to comfort not only frazzled twenty-somethings but turns frowns of upside down all around.

Check him out while he still has “best kept secret” status...

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Photo by KAVV

Acid Haus by United Cellars
Australian Design Centre
Sydney, AUS
February 16, 2017

The wines the sturdy, late-ripening white grape Riesling, at times referred to as the “king of grapes” and one of the most aromatic wine varieties in the world, are based on, is very high in acid often not seldomly likened to fruit juice, with primary fruit aromas being nectarine, apricot, honey-crisp apple and pear, as well as interesting nuances ranging from honeycomb to chemical aromas, e.g. rubber and diesel fuel.

It is these complex, acidic flavours and the intoxicating effect the consumption can have, that inspired United Cellars to host a celebratory tribute to the psychedelic qualities of their favourite Rieslings:

Acid Haus, a smart pun on the genre-defining label with a nod to the inofficial homeland of Riesling, Germany.

Established in 2004, United Cellars has moved beyond the traditional wine club, bypassing the middlemen, to work directly with leading wineries across Australia and around the world to arrange educational tasting events and wine experiences on a regular basis, which serve as a casual forum for attendants to tap into the knowledge of sommeliers and United Cellar’s bespoke wine advisory service called "Cellar Angels".

With the Australian Design Centre serving as the launch pad, which is dedicated to embracing the highest degree of craftsmanship and the committed to advance contemporary design practices, United Cellars took us on a voyage to taste local Australian, varieties of New Zealand via Austria and the steep slopes of Germany’s Rhine and Mosel.

Riesling also performs well in neighboring Austria and Alsace. In Alsace, contemporary producers are building richer, fuller style wines through later harvesting, longer fermentations and extended time on lees. Textured examples were the Domaine Barmès Buecher Riesling Hengst Grand Cru, of which the complex 2007 and 2010 varieties were available mastering the tightrope walk between a smidgeon of residual sweetness and electric acidity, finishing dry. Delish.

Interestingly, there is more Riesling planted in Australia than in France. Much of it was cultivated by Silesian settlers to South Australia. These Rieslings retain acidity due to cool night-time temperatures, while exhibiting aromas of mainly lime and citrus marmalade; with age and the nights favourite and recommendation from your humble narrator was Brackenwood – Adelaide Hills, SA (bio dynamic), with its Riesling 2015 and Riesling Botrytis 2014 varieties, textural and mouthfilling wines with a lovely cushioning of fruits.

The schist soils of Central Otago convinced with Lake Wanaka’s bio dynamic Riesling Jeunesse 2015 and Riesling Mature Vines 2013 varieties, which provided a smooth, lip smacking acidic transition to the top examples for Germanic Rieslings, a category in which Dr. Loosen’s WS Kabinett 2015 with its steeling crunchy acidity and the more affordable, aromatic 2014 Wittmann Hugel 100 with its floral top notes and hint of ripe tropical fruits managed to convince.

The evening which had a total of 40 Rieslings on offer was accompanied by freshly shucked oysters from the Ralston brothers, cheeses from Simon Johnson and a soundtrack that was much more agreeable than the emissions of the Acid House movement of the late 1980s.

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Photos by KAVV

TEDxSydneySalon
International Towers, Barangaroo
February 15, 2017

TEDxSydneySalons are the smaller, smart relatives of the TedX events offering intimate, evening events combining talks, films and music. Designed to spark discussion and debate, TEDxSydneySalons are a great forum to exchange ideas and kickstart collaborations.

The February 2017 incarnation investigated the theme of technology and took place in Tower Two, International Towers, in Sydney’s newest suburb, Barangaroo, which is heralded as a nexus of innovation in design, engineering, and sustainability.

The lineup included an interview with 2016 TEDxSydney speaker Dr.Jordan Nguyen, a visionary writer, and engineer, who  shared his latest technological learning and personal insights into the use of innovative, intelligent and assistive technology, which is aimed at the improvement of the lives of those who struggle with physical handicaps..

Nguyen has a track record of enegaing closely with a range of individuals with Cerebral Palsy, which created the transition to Jessica Irwin, a young woman who was born with a high level of cerebral palsy and with an equally high level of self-determination and raw talent, who joined Nguyen to speak about the role of technology in her creative life: She’s a photographer and although she loves snapping pictures of musicians, her dream has been to perform with them. Now, thanks to an instrument newly, which can be played with her eyes and developed by Jordan Nguyen, this has become a reality, enabling her to fulfill her dream of playing music onstage with other musicians, culminating in a performance at Sydney’s Opera House. The software allows a person to control the computer with their eyes and basically plays her music device that was custom-made with Jessica.

Joining Jess Irwin on stage were the soloist and chamber musician, Thomas Rann, and violist James Wannan from the Australia Piano Quartet as well as Jack Symonds, a composer, conductor and accompanist, and Artistic Director of Sydney Chamber Opera.

In addition, we heard from John Goh, an inspiring school principal from Merrylands in South Western Sydney whose innovative practices using disruptive technologies are transcending traditional school learning. When Goh noticed children dozing off in afternoon classes, he decided to trial starting the school day earlier. It was a radical idea and out of step with the state's centralised public school system but Goh believed it to be the perfect solution for Merrylands East Public School. Now his school community is considering a plan for lessons to be held from 8am to 1.15pm before students work at a homework centre until 3pm. He believes schools should be innovative, flexible and continually give back to the local community. Six years ago, the school decided to install 68 solar power panels - saving thousands on its electricity bill. About 10% of his students are former refugees and the vast majority of students learn English for the first time when they start school. Goh endeavours to enable all of his students to become literate in information and communications technology and class blogs, electronically pen-paling and conversing via email and virtual chat rooms, video conferencing and working on video productions.

Swift change of topic: Alice Gorma is an internationally recognised leader in the emerging field of space archaeology and exploration. She introduced us to the concept of “lunar mining” and asked us to consider how it will affect the way we feel about the Moon.
Singer, multi-instrumentalist and harpist, Jake Meadows rounded off the proceedings with a modern marriage of not one but three harps in all their glory and electronics, which transitioned into post-event sunset drinks and discussions, where TEDx community members could try out a DJ mash up box: A touch screen onto which cubes with instruments / vocals could be placed and moved to create unique sounds and thereby a playful DJ experience of another kind.

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Photos by KAVV

Xiuhtezcatl Martinez: Why I Sued the U.S. Government

Factory Theatre

Sydney, AUS

February 12, 2017

In October 2000, Zack de la Rocha walked out of Rage Against The Machine.

I am not implying that there is any connection, but there is a gentleman and environmental activist that goes by the name of Xiuhtezcatl (“Shu-tez-caht”) Martinez, who was born in the same year and has already grown to be what would be a formidable step in for the thirty year older American musician, poet, rapper, and activist should a need ever arise: A sixteen year old trilingual Indigenous hip-hop artist, who has inspired youth, politicians and audiences across six continents with his Earth Guardians activism movement.

With his appearance before the UN Earth Summit in 2015 being only the most publicized tip of the iceberg of his mission, the sense of caretaking of the planet instilled into his DNA by his heritage of being raised as part of the Aztec Mashika people thrust him into action and motivated his work with Our Children’s Trust and other youth representative to file lawsuits in all fifty US states to take their state and federal governments to court for a lack of action on climate change. The case rests on the legal argument that climate change is so catastrophic to their future that it threatens their fundamental right to life and liberty.

It raised awareness and garnered support for his claim that there are no true elected world leaders and that the responsibility lies with the people.

In person, Xiuhtezcatl has a refreshingly open, eloquent, calm and positive presence and is prepared to find a mid-ground with people who have difficulties coming to terms with the realities of climate change and its dire implications.

Given his impressive achievements to date and the bigger picture ideas he pursues, e.g. redirecting subsidies for fossil fuel companies into renewables like solar, wind and hydro, his actions exemplify that using one’s voice yields tangible outcomes and makes a difference, which is the basis for empowering young people to be part of something bigger than themselves.

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Photos by KAVV

A Strategic Plan
Griffin Theatre Company
Sydney, AUS
Until March 11, 2017

Griffin Theatre Company’s main tenet if the fostering and support of new writing in Sydney ever since it was founded in 1982.

Fast forward almost four decades, with funding to the arts sector facing devastating cuts, subsequently causing Griffin Theatre’s scaling down of 2017s program, and voilà, the fragile arts sector is sitting on a precipice fraught with the possibility of collapse with Australia seemingly way behind other countries in both acknowledging and promoting arts industries as well as their subsequent influences on education, cultural capital, global relevance and a much simpler but less measurable statistic – public stability, health and happiness.

Set in a not-for-profit organization run by hobbyists, Ross Mueller’s satirical play A Strategic Plan is inspired by the dichotomy between the free spirited, passionate, creative realm of the art world fueled by goodwill of enthusiasts versus the administrative, soulless professional bureaucracy of pen pushers that treat it as a disposable commodity and the oxymoron of the latter with their adherence to rigid guidelines stymieing in its infancy what they are supposed to nurture.

A scenario all too familiar to anyone who has ever ventured into the arts sector and struggled with maintaining artistic integrity against monetary exploitation, based on individuals with competing agendas, confronted with the often poignant, foolishness that plagues the overregulated, form-filling administrative 9-to-5 world, with its clichéd parlance.

Set as a painfully well-observed satire against this office life, it comes with the territory that the characters are somewhat familiar and fit in with well-worn stereotypes, which are at times coloured with a broad brush at the expense of complexity, yet never The Office-esque cartoonish.

It is a wordy piece, with overlapping text and heavy, at times overly ambitious and high-volume dialogue.

Director Chris Mead manages to negotiate the transitions and journey between five different timeframes between past and present, which are blending into another, by utilizing music and lighting.

It appears as if the play has gone through quite a bit of restructuring to refine the effect and ensure comprehensibility for the audience.

The ensemble, spearheaded by Justin Smith, who manages in his role as a passion driven manager of a not-for-profit youth music venture to infuse the play with subtle notes of melancholy, is a tightly knit, well-oiled unit with great timing and engaging conversational rhythm based on clash of personalities. Nuances that are amplified by Matt Day’s sleazy portrayal of the board chair, Briallen Clarke’s radiating yet subtle presence and Emele Ugavule’s well measured delivery.

A Strategic Plan is a dark comedy, however, it is not merely a funny play as it also genuinely highlights the opposition and daily struggles one has to put up with once you have decided to take the road less traveled and live a life of your own.