Sound Relief

I knew it would be a wet day when the sky went black at 10:30 am and the heavens opened up. Thankfully I had a poncho which was the fashion choice of the day amongst the crowd at the Sound Relief Bushfire benefit concert at the MCG yesterday. I arrived as Jet was midway through their set. Once they finished Tash and I located each other in the front arena section as we waited for Melbourne teen Gabriella Cilmi to start. She sang her hit "Sweet About Me" as well as a cover of "Whole Lotta Love." Next on the bill was the first big act of the day, Kings of Leon. The crowd noticeably swelled just as the rain began to fall. Due to the fact they were playing a show later on that evening, they had a short set of four songs and didn't play their biggest here "Sex on Fire" which led to some mumbling in the crowd after they finished.

Next was Melbourne's own songwriting legend Paul Kelly. There were big crowd sing alongs for "Dumb Things," "To Her Door," and the song that mentions the MCG "Leaps and Bounds." Augie March's set started off a bit slow, but picked up at the end with the barnstormer "This Train will be Taking no Passengers" and their bit hit "One Crowded Hour." As the dark clouds came over the arena Tash and I decided to take a food break during Bliss N Eso which was smart because a torrential downpour happened while we were undercover and the stage lost power for a bit. However the rain eased up and the boys were joined by Paris Wells for a song at the end of their energetic hip-hop set.

During breaks between acts we were shown video from the artists performing at the Sydney concert. We got to see snippets from Coldplay (including their collaboration with John Farnham on "You're the Voice"), Hoodoo Gurus, Little Birdy, Josh Pyke, Eskimo Joe, Architecture in Helsinki, You Am I, Icehouse, and The Presets. There were also videos in tribute to the CFA firefighters and of the devastation from the bushfires.

Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson performed a similar set to the one we saw at Homebake and had Troy Cassar-Daley join them for "The House that Never Was." Then is was time for Liam Finn and friends. Liam and EJ Barnes came out and performed "Second Chance" and "Lead Balloon" before calling out the family band- Elroy Finn, Unkle Nick (Seymour) and N-Dog (Neil Finn) for some songs. When "Don't Dream It's Over" started the crowd erupted in cheers and quickly filled the arena for a big sing along. Tim Finn came out to sing "Weather With You" and then Neil finished up with a song dedicated to the firefighters "Better Be Home Soon." It was one of the highlights of the day.

The crowd stuck around for a mellow set by Jack Johnson during which we watched the dark clouds start to come over the stadium again. After he finished the downpour began with much colder rain this time. It continued as Wolfmother took to the stage in front of an excited crowd. I found the set a bit uninspired as Andrew Stockdale is playing the exact same songs from 3 1/2 years ago except with all new band members. I was expecting at least some new material out of them. When they finished there was a joint live feed with the Sydney concert where a video message from Princes William and Harry was aired and a minute of silence held for the victims. Kylie Minogue then appeared on the Melbourne stage and lead everyone in singing "I Still Call Australia Home."

Next it was time for the first big reunion of the night, Hunters & Collectors, who hadn't played together in 11 years. They started their set with "When the River Runs Dry," and played their hits "Do You See What I See?", "Holy Grail," and "Throw Your Arms Around Me" among others. They finished with an encore of one of their earliest songs "The Slab." After the Finn family set in the afternoon Neil and Tim were back on stage with Split Enz. Opening with "Shark Attack" the highlights of the set were "I Got You," "Six Months in a Leaky Boat," "History Never Repeats," and "I See Red."

The final and most anticipated act of the evening was a reunited Midnight Oil featuring current Federal Minister for the Environment Peter Garrett. They began with "Redneck Wonderland" and played their hits "Dreamworld," "Blue Sky Mine," "Beds are Burning," "One Country," "King of the Mountain," "The Dead Heart," "The Power and the Passion," and finished up with "Sometimes." It was an amazing and powerful set to top off a fantastic day of music (despite the weather) and I was proud to be part of the historic 80,000 crowd there at the MCG.

Poor Boy

Tonight I met up with Tash and her roommate Jennifer at the new Melbourne Theatre Company Sumner Theatre for the play Poor Boy starring Guy Pearce. It was written by Matt Cameron and incorporates the music of Tim Finn throughout. The plot of the play is as follows:

Jeremy Glass is an untroubled little boy until his seventh birthday, when he suddenly announces that he is really a grown man called Danny, who died some years before. How can his parents indulge his conviction that he must find his real family? And how can his eerie insistence on his true identity not resurrect painful memories for Danny’s widow?

The new theatre is gorgeous and we had excellent seats in the second row to the right of the stage. The plot of the story took a bit of time to understand, but it ended up making sense by the end. The actors were all great and made the switches between dialogue and song easily. They had a live band hidden in the set on the stage and it was good to hear such a wide variety of Tim's songs used, especially Split Enz's "Walking Through The Ruins." Our other excitement of the night was spotting Ashley Zukerman from the tv show Rush in the audience. Poor Boy is finishing up its run in Melbourne this week and then heads up to Sydney later in the year.

End of Fashion, Oh Mercy, and The Greasers

Last night Tash and I met up at the East Brunswick Club for a great night of bands. The evening started off with The Greasers who I haven't seen for a while. Dom and the boys played a good set despite a couple issues with the guitar lead. I was happy to hear "Metamorphosis" and "No Love Left" again live. Next up was Oh Mercy who played a very tight set without a lot of banter between songs this time. "Salvation Jane" and "In My Stride" were highlights and it's good to see them getting support slots on national tours.

The headline act of the evening was Perth band End of Fashion. They played a very strong set and sounded fantastic. You would have never guessed that lead singer Justin had laryngitis a week ago. It was a bit of a surprise that the venue was only about half full for them but the fans that were there were very enthusiastic. They played hits off both their albums and it was good to hear "Fussy" although I missed the horns. The night ended with "The Game" and then it was off for home.

Corner Bushfire Benefit

After wasting some time in the city I headed to Richmond to meet Tash and Mary at the Corner Hotel for the Corner Bushfire Benefit. As you probably know, Victoria suffered through severe bushfires a few weeks ago which left over 200 people dead and countless others homeless as some towns were burnt to the ground. Many venues throughout Melbourne were holding benefit concerts tonight with proceeds going to the Red Cross. The first act of the evening was Hot Little Hands. Their set was ok and they did a good cover of "Rip It Up."

Next on the bill was The Basics, the main reason we attended the show. It was their first live gig in three months as Kris has been overseas. They didn't sound too rusty as they played a few newly written songs as well as "Just Hold On," "Money (Gimme, Gimme)," "Like A Brother," and their new single "With This Ship." It was great to see them again and hear those sweet harmonies. We are eager for the new album to come out but it appears that they are still recording some more songs. When they finished their set Tash and Mary went over to Wally for a chat and to get pictures with him. I was good and refrained.

After a comical welcome to the evening and explanation of the auction items by Julia Zemiro of RocKwiz fame, The Pictures took to the stage. Lead by Davey Lane of You Am I, there set was full of classic Aussie rock sounding songs. I thought they played great and were very entertaining. After they were done we went upstairs to the rooftop to have some food, and then decided to head for home since we weren't that interested in the rest of the bands on the bill. Hopefully the evening raised a lot of money to help those affected by the bushfires.

Sydney Road Street Party

It's time once again for the Sydney Road Street Party. I met Michelle and Ruth at noon and we had a wander up and down the street. There seemed to be less people and booths this year (maybe because of the cooler weather). It was also disappointing that there was no fashion show by the local shop owners and the Muslim Women's Association wasn't cooking any gozleme this year. It's the one reason why I attend the Street Party every year!

However the afternoon was not a complete loss. Ruth came along with mystery envelopes to play her own version of The Amazing Race- The Amazing Ruth. The first envelope involved tasks at the Street Party, and then we had to go to Bridie O'Reilly's for a drink. The next clue told her to travel into the city and go to Shanghai Dumplings in Chinatown. Since I had to go into the city later on I just tagged along. We met the man in the fluorescent vest for her next clue- which was a roadblock task of matching places to things that she had done there while in her relationship with Danny. It was then that I realized what was really going on. When Ruth successfully completed her roadblock she was handed her final clue, where she had to head to the pit stop at the Rialto. We said goodbye and heard later that she said yes!

The Harpoons

After a yummy dinner at Mexicali Rose with Mel, we walked down to the Great Britain Hotel where we were joined by Tash for the 7" single launch by The Harpoons. The last time I saw them was in August so I was curious to see how the band has developed since that early show. The evening began with a short set of surf music by TAN, which is basically The Harpoons without Bec (although she did join them for a couple songs). They had the crowd dancing away, especially to "Wipe Out."

After a break, The Harpoons officially started their set in front of an enthusiastic crowd. They are so much more confident on stage now and the harmonies were just fantastic. Bec's voice was soaring throughout the night. They played some newer songs as well as what's on their Myspace page including "Swim My Baby," "Hey Girl," "Garden City," and the songs on their 7" record "Faith" and "Tonight Tonight." It was such a great set and nice to see so many people discovering and falling in love with them. Tash and I will be back at another show soon if only to get a chance to buy their demo CD.

Tim Finn

Tonight I met up with Fran and Rosemaree to see Tim Finn play at the Northcote Social Club. It was a laid back show with Tim on acoustic guitar and piano and Brett Adams on electric guitar. They also had a viola player in the mix for a few songs. The set list covered every aspect of Tim's career from Split Enz to Crowded House to his solo albums. It was great to hear rare tracks like "Ghost Girl" and "Parihaka" live. The big surprise of the evening was when Tim brought Andy White up on stage and they played the song they wrote together in ALT "Many's The Time." For "The Saw and the Tree" and "Charlie" the viola player switched to playing a saw, which added a lot of atmosphere to the songs. Tim also changed up the arrangements for "Poor Boy" and "I See Red." The big crowd sing-a-long took place on "Weather With You" which included a few verses of "Fraction Too Much Friction." It was great to see Tim in an intimate venue with a sold out crowd cheering him on every step of the way.

Farewell Late Night with Conan O'Brien

On Friday the sixteen glorious years of Late Night with Conan O'Brien came to an end. I remember watching the first episode of Late Night in September 1993 and seeing this unknown and nervous pale, red-headed Irish Catholic host who was taking over from David Letterman. Conan and sidekick Andy Richter had a very rough first year but the comedy was always brave, intelligent and inspired. They took chances and even though not everything hit the mark you had to admire their originality.

The last couple weeks have been filled with highlights from throughout the years. The final show included some great old clips (yay for the snippet of Ken Burns' Conan) and Andy stopped by one last time. Will Ferrell made an appearance as George W. Bush and The White Stripes played a lovely version of "We're Going To Be Friends." The show ended with Conan giving an emotional and heartfelt thanks to everyone who worked on the show, helped his career, and his friends, family and fans. He did good to hold it together for the most part.

Throughout the years my favorite bits on Late Night have always been the remote segments as it's where Conan really shines. One of my favorite remote pieces was the 1864 Old Time Baseball:


Conan was recently a guest on Inside the Actor's Studio and gave a very insightful and funny interview to James Lipton, who was a frequent visitor to Late Night over the past few years. You can watch it here. It will be interesting to see how Conan goes as host of The Tonight Show, but I have great faith that he will succeed at the 11:30 pm hour.

Trivia Night for Make Poverty History

Tonight after work I joined Marnie and her friends for a night of trivia at the Trades Hall in Carlton. It was a benefit for the 2009 Make Poverty History Internship Program. After a short introduction and film clip our evening of trivia began. There were three rounds of questions- two were general trivia and one was music. There were also two silent rounds where you had to match a person or character to a quote, and music graphs where you had to figure out the song and artist. Our team was behind by a couple points after two rounds, but we triumphed and took the whole thing by the end of the night. We divided up the great prizes for first place amongst our group and I came away with a gift certificate for a 60 minute organic facial at endota spa in the city. It was a fun night for a good cause.

Oh Mercy and The Frowning Clouds

Tonight Tash and I headed up to the Northcote Social Club for the second week of Oh Mercy's residency. After we finished our dinner we headed inside the band room for the second opening act of the evening, The Frowning Clouds. This young band from Geelong is one that I have been wanting to see live for a while now. They played their own songs, which are inspired by early 60's garage rock, and a couple covers as well. They had the whole look down- shaggy hair, skinny pants, ankle boots. Thankfully they also have the musical talent to not just be an early Rolling Stones rip-off. Definitely a band to watch.

It was great to see Oh Mercy again as it had been a while since I last saw them play. They have a new drummer who just joined the band recently. Most of the songs were new ones, a few I recognized from previous gigs, and they played my favorites "Salvation Jane" and "Seemed Like A Good Idea." Eliza was having trouble with her bass lead and Alex was having issues tuning his guitar but overall it was an entertaining set. Alex is such a great storyteller that I could listen to him sing all night. I am eagerly awaiting the appearance of their debut album (whenever it may be released). I also must commend the band for actually finishing at a decent hour, i.e. while the trams are still running.

Happy Birthday to Me

Today is my birthday. I started the morning with a phone call from my parents, and at the office received a beautiful bouquet of Aussie native flowers from them. After work a group of my friends and I headed for drinks at Madame Brussels on Bourke Street. We tried a couple different pitchers of punch, which are their specialty. After chatting away and a quick bite to eat, it was off for home. Thanks to everyone who has sent me birthday wishes today.

St. Kilda Festival

Today Tash and I headed down to the St. Kilda Festival. Thankfully today's weather was much cooler than yesterday's horrific 46.4/115 degrees. We spent the majority of the afternoon at the Max Beach Concert stage. The first act we saw was Kate Miller-Heidke, a trained opera singer who has moved into pop music. As expected she has a very powerful voice and is a bit of an eccentric performer. She and her band did a rock opera version of John Farnham's "You're The Voice" and finished with her hit single "Can't Shake It" complete with dance moves.

Next up was Dan Sultan, a phenominally talented indigenous singer/songwriter. I was completely blown away by his voice, charisma on stage, and total mix of music styles- roots, soul, and a bit of country. Dan and his band had the soulful energy and showmanship of James Brown and at times it felt like a revival was taking place.. He's such an amazing talent and will just get bigger and bigger as more people hear and see him perform live.

After a bit of a walk around to check out the various booths and other attractions, we were treated to the 80's glam metal of The Galvatrons. Imagine the synthesizer part from Van Halen's "Jump" used over and over again in songs with metal riffs and you'll have some idea of how their set sounded. I'm sure the kids felt they were cool and relevant, but to me they sounded like they were trying too hard to be an 80's metal band and it was all just cliche and unintentionally laughable.

Our last band for the day was The Good China on the Air New Music stage. They drew a good-sized and enthusiastic crowd for their half-hour set. This was probably their biggest show to date, and both Tash and I were really happy that their following is growing steadily in Melbourne. They played another entertaining set and had the crowd clapping along to their closing song "All Nothing." We even managed to get The Good China badges, which were being handed out to the audience.

25 Random Things About Me

This meme has been doing the rounds on Facebook, so here are 25 random things about me:

1. I was born and raised in San Rafael, California. In Marin Country there are many old 60’s musicians and other famous types who live there. Throughout my school years I attended school with some of their children, including the son of Peter Tork (The Monkees), daughter of Jerry Garcia (Grateful Dead), and son of Joe Eszterhas (screenwriter). If you’re curious, Jerry Garcia’s daughter was into hip-hop.

2. I have been a huge fan of Crowded House since I first watched them play a spring break concert in Daytona, FL on MTV in 1987. They were my first ever concert in 1989 when I was 14 years old. Throughout the years I have become friends with other fans as well as a few people who work for the band. This has allowed me to meet lead singer Neil Finn, who for some reason seems to think that I actually work for him. The last couple of times I chatted with him (which was a few years ago) he thanked me for all the work I do. If only I was on the payroll!

3. I love to bake yummy treats. I am especially good at baking cookies and pies. I still have not mastered recipes involving boiling sugar to specific temperatures like toffee, but that’s probably a good thing because I love English toffee and it would be very dangerous if I could successfully make it at home.

4. I was a primary school teacher for over 4 years in California. While I enjoyed the majority of my students, one thing that is rarely spoken about is the classroom selection process. If you are a new teacher at the school, you are guaranteed to have the worst class possible for your grade level because the other teachers will dump all the bad kids in your class. It happened to me twice.

5. The busiest year of my life was when I decided it would be a good idea to complete my master’s degree while teaching full time in a brand new school and grade level. I still don’t know how I managed to finish my thesis on time, teach, and maintain my sanity.

6. I’ve lived in Australia for over 3 years now and have not lost my American accent. When I studied at the University of Melbourne for a year abroad I had a bit of an Aussie accent on my return to the US that didn’t go away for a couple of months. Perhaps age is a factor with the adoption of accents, which really makes you question why Madonna has been sounding British for all these years.

7. I hate hot weather and absolutely dread summer. One of the great things about living in the San Francisco Bay Area was that you would never get more than three hot days in a row because the fog, nature’s air conditioning, would come in and cool things down. I also had access to my parents’ pool. No such luck in Melbourne.

8. My skin is very pale. It is absolutely impossible for me to tan as I just turn red and then peel. I’m ok with my white skin and feel no need to use self-tanners, although I think I’m starting to become a bit translucent.

9. I am a walking encyclopedia of useless knowledge. I know the most random pop culture questions and oddball facts. I chalk this up to the large amount of media I read and watch, especially late night talk shows.

10. Music is a huge part of my life. I own more CDs than I care to count and am grateful to have grown up in the days of alternative music. Back in the mid-80s and early-90s I would listen to radio station Live 105 and watch MTV’s 120 Minutes (remember Dave Kendall?). It was fantastic times in music: British bands, Aussie bands, College radio, Modern Rock, Britpop, and Grunge.

11. I love television and watch a lot of it. I remember when I was young viewing Dallas and Dynasty with my mom (why did she let me watch that when I was in elementary school?). I tend to like comedy talk shows, teen dramas, reality tv, news, and home improvement shows.

12. I’ve only been to three countries so far in my life: United States, Australia and New Zealand. It’s hard to believe, but I’ve never been to England, Europe or even Canada or Mexico. All I do is fly back and forth across the Pacific Ocean.

13. For senior prom in high school my date was a friend of a friend. By the end of the night I was looking to ditch him. We were in the parking lot of the hotel about to make our grand escape when just as we were getting in the car he spotted us and asked if we could give him a ride back to Marin. So close and yet so far.

14. I never really had any grandparents. My dad’s parents and mom’s father weren’t alive when I was born, and my mom’s mother died when I was a few years old.

15. Melbourne is the best city ever. It’s got a similar vibe to San Francisco and is full of culture. You will never be bored here or lack something to do on a given night. There is a thriving music scene, Australian Rules Football and other sports, various community festivals, Fashion Week, the International Comedy Festival, museums, galleries, theaters, etc. I love living here.

16. Slides, water and concrete don’t mix well together. I learned this lesson at day care when I was young. We thought it would be a good idea to put some water on a metal slide and go down it. When I slid down in a swimsuit on my stomach feet first I didn’t stop at the bottom but flew in the air and landed on the concrete, completely scraping up my hands, arms, knees and feet. The teachers carried me into the kitchen area to bandage me up and I remember leaving a pool of blood behind. When I got home to soak the rocks out of my skin in the pool my cousin Leilani was very upset by my injuries (see Lei, I do remember some things from childhood).

17. The first time I owned a mobile phone was when I moved to Melbourne in 2005.

18. I am a long time supporter of Apple. I played many games of Donkey Kong and Frogger on an old Apple IIe computer growing up. I am a bit ashamed to admit that I bought a PC once (it was when Apple was close to going out of business in the 90’s). Thankfully Steve Jobs came back to the company and I have been a loyal Apple customer ever since. I’ve had an iBook, currently own a PowerBook G4 and of course an iPod.

19. I don’t drink coffee. I prefer tea, hot chocolate, or chai lattes if having a hot beverage. However, I do like coffee ice cream. Go figure.

20. I am a fairly organised person. The clothes in my closet are grouped by type and color and my CDs are in alphabetical order. I have even been known to organise others’ food cupboards. People have mocked me for my clean desk at work over the years but I can’t function with clutter. White space is your friend.

21. Although I rarely drink soda I prefer Coca-Cola to Pepsi.

22. My parents never pick me up from the airport anymore. It all stems from one spring break trip home in college when the airline was asking for people to volunteer and get off the flight so they could lessen the weight of the plane and clear the parking structures next to the runway in San Diego. I went for one of the vouchers they were offering and got booked onto another flight. However, by the time I was able to call home and tell them what happened, my Dad and brother had already left for the airport. I don’t think they enjoyed the wait. I got a few free roundtrips, but from then on it was the Marin Airporter for me. However, my parents do now drive me to the airport when I fly back to Australia.

23. I’ve always been interested in photography. My mom studied photography when I was little, and my parents even have a potential dark room in their house (although it’s currently being used as storage). I took photography classes in high school and college and own multiple cameras (both film and digital). I tend to take mostly nature and architectural photos.

24. I have never had a pet in my life.

25. I do not own a car in Australia. As much as people like to complain about Melbourne’s public transportation system, I actually find it pretty good. I do live in the inner city, so I have access to buses, trams and trains. If I had a car I honestly don’t know when I would drive it. Everything I need is in walking distance or a quick ride away on the train or tram.

Heat Wave

It's so hot in Melbourne that the train tracks are buckling. Today was 43/109 degrees, and it will be above 40 degrees until Saturday. I'm sure you can guess how thrilled I am about this.

Australia Day

Happy Australia Day or Invasion Day, depending on your perspective. Here are some articles for your reading pleasure:
- Sarah Smiles "Dodson urges rethink on 'offensive' date of our national day"
- Barry Everingham "Another Australia Day without our own head of state"
- Melanie La'Brooy "Living in fantasy land"

The Inauguration of Barack Obama

I got up very early this morning (2:00 am) to watch the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama. I have always enjoyed the ceremony of this day and being able to watch history in the making, which was especially the case this year. I first saw Obama speak at the 2004 Democratic National Convention and was absolutely amazed by his speech. I remember discussing it at work the next day with other people who had seen it and saying that this man could be President one day. Little did I know we would be so fortunate for it to happen this soon.

I thought Obama delivered a strong and inspiring address full of conviction and hope. I especially liked this quote:

And so, to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.

Leadership has been sorely lacking over the last eight years. I trust that although Obama has a huge task in front of him on both the domestic and international fronts, his intelligence, calm nature and desire to succeed will see the US and the world change for the better. I'm so excited to have this man as our President. It's not just the breaking down of racial barriers but also a generational shift in power. I wish the Obama Administration all the best over the next four years (and hopefully four more).

Obama's inauguration and address:

Institut Polaire

Last night Tash and I met at The Evelyn for the first night of Institut Polaire's residency. The first band for the evening was one of our favorite new Melbourne bands The Good China. They were down one member, but considering that meant there were still 8 people on stage you really didn't notice. There was already a decent sized crowd to see them, and they put on another energetic set of their uplifting songs.

The next band was The Summer Cats. Their set was one of the more bizarre ones I have ever seen. The whole thing felt like an indie band comedy skit with their intros and songs. Imagine an indie Mr G as the lead singer and you may have some idea of what we witnessed. It was just awkward.

Third on the bill was Seagull, who came on stage and played their whole set without introducing themselves once. A throwback to the best UK shoegaze bands, their atmospheric songs were both beautiful and confronting. Lead singer Chris Bolton used a looping petal on his guitar to build sonic soundscapes and his delicate vocals made the whole thing a bit of an abstract artistic statement. Seagull are definitely an interesting band and one to watch.

Finally it was time for the headliners Institut Polaire. Originally from Perth, all eight members of this musical collective have recently relocated to Melbourne. Their set consisted of songs from their first EP and the new album they are currently recording. "City Walls and Empires" was a definite highlight, and their music follows in the tradition of many great Australian pop bands.

Madame Brussels

Depending on how the week is going, Chantal and I will head out for a drink or two after work (earlier in the week if things are really busy). Our usual spots are across the road at The Commune or down Bourke Street at Lane's Edge. However, Melbourne is full of unique bars that are hidden on the upper levels of buildings or down side alleys. Tonight we tried a new venue to me on Bourke Street, Madame Brussels. It's located on the third level of a building and you enter into a garden-themed indoors (with grass) which leads outdoors to the rooftop terrace. The place is very cute and all the servers were dressed in pastel tennis outfits. It was also packed as the venue is very popular. We enjoyed our jug of cocktails and then headed out for dinner, greeted by a line of people waiting to get in as we departed.

Retreat Hondas

Tonight Belinda and I headed down to The Retreat Hotel in Brunswick to see The Hondas play. The hour long set started off a bit slow, but began to pick up with Taka's song about freedom, Quang's song about a monkey, and old favorites like "I Am A Homosexual," "Ariana," "Julia," "Dream Girl," and "God Save My Soul." The banter was very amusing as always and there was even a group of people up dancing towards the end. Once again it was fun evening with The Hondas.

Franz Ferdinand

Now you would think after 20+ hours in transit that I would have been to bed very early this evening. However you would have been wrong because instead I went to see Franz Ferdinand at the Palace Theatre with Tash. The opening acts were Red Riders and The Temper Trap, who really impressed me with their anthemic songs.

Franz Ferdinand took the stage to huge cheers from the sold out crowd. They played many of the hits from their first and second albums, which had the crowd singing along. "Take Me Out" received a massive reaction from the whole theatre as everyone bounced around to the song. The guys were very smart with their set list as they sprinkled in new songs from the upcoming album throughout the night, and they sounded great and fit right in with the catalogue. The concert was absolutely fantastic and ended with Alex, the lead singer, jumping into the audience and crowd surfing back to the stage for his final bow with the rest of the band.

Sunrise

Sunrise at Auckland Airport around 6:30 am this morning.

Making Tamales

Today my parents and I drove up to my brother's house for a lesson on how to make tamales from Simi's parents, who were visiting them. This trip also allowed me to spend some time with my brother, who has been working the majority of the time I have been here, and to see their house fully decorated as I last saw it right before they moved in.

Our tamale lesson began with James and my Dad kneading the shortening and liquid into the masa. Next we became an assembly line of tamale makers as we spread the masa, pork and an olive into the corn husks and then folded the husks to make a tamale. It was a huge batch but we got through the 20 pound bowl of masa fairly quickly. After about an hour and a half of steaming some of the tamales we were ready for our late lunch, which also included rice, beans, and salsa. It was so great to have homemade Mexican food! The rest of the tamales for assorted family members were divided into zip lock bags to freeze and eat later on. Too bad there is no way I could get through customs and bring some tamales back with me to Australia.

Slumdog Millionaire

Tonight Lynne and I went to see Slumdog Millionaire at the Rafael Theater. Jamal Malik, who was raised in the slums of Mumbai, is a contestant on India's version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" and is one question away from winning 20 million rupees. Suspicious that he is somehow cheating, he is arrested and interrogated by police. The movie jumps from the present to the past as Jamal explains to the inspectors how he was able to correctly answer each question. Through these flashbacks you get to see the story of Jamal's life and that of his brother Salim and their friend Latika. It is a fantastic film and definitely worthy of all the award nominations it is receiving.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! I started my Christmas Day at the 10:30 am mass at St. Raphael's Church with my parents. After mass we did last minute preparations for our annual Christmas dinner. My aunt and cousins come over to join the family each year and it's always fun to catch up with them. Unfortunately my brother had to work this year, so it was just his wife Simi and their dog Chloe. Chrissie, Lei and Mei were a bit late arriving as they got caught in traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge from people trying to get into the observation points. Their tardiness didn't stop me from enjoying multiple cups of mulled cider though.

We sat down for dinner around 6:00 pm. My mom loves a festive table and did a tablescape of cranberries and roses as well as individual name cards with cute stickers and stockings with treats. We had a very yummy meal consisting of the following:
- Vegetable soup
- Bread rolls
- Turkey
- Ham
- Dressing
- Potatoes
- Green Beans
It was all delicious as usual. Of course we had a lot of left over food but that will just be eaten in the upcoming days (plus we sent home a tupperware container for my brother).

While we were digesting our dinner and making room for dessert, my cousin Lei gave us a presentation on her summer trip to Europe. Not only did she have photos but props as well. It was great to hear about her travels and see pictures of Switzerland, Spain, France, Italy and Sicily. Next we exchanged presents and then it was on to the dessert table. I had done the majority of the baking the day before having made the pumpkin pie and sugar cookies and helped my mom with the snowball cookies. We also had cream puffs and petit fours. It was sugar overload but very good and we were all extremely full by the end of the evening. I was happy to be able to enjoy Christmas with the family as I only seem to make it home every other year to celebrate with them.

Australia

Today my mom and I went to see Baz Luhrmann's film "Australia." The story is narrated by Nullah, played brilliantly by young Brandon Walters. It is set during World War II in the Northern Territory. Nicole Kidman plays an English aristocrat who comes out to her husband's cattle station Faraway Downs. Working with the Drover, played by Hugh Jackman, they resurrect the cattle station and attempt to break the Carney cattle monopoly. The cinematography and costumes are as fantastic as you would expect from one of Baz's films. The movie is long however, and really could have ended before the bombing of Darwin. I'm not sure if Baz got his Aussie "Gone with the Wind" but he's made a good attempt.

On The Road Again..

In another one of my very long days I flew from Melbourne to Auckland to San Francisco on Air New Zealand today. The flight was full but as pleasant as a long haul flight can be. I got to watch a few movies: Ghost Town, WALL-E, Waitress, and Tropic Thunder. I also listened to Salmonella Dub's live album with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and even got some sleep. It's nice to be back in the Bay Area, although the rain has followed me across the Pacific (not that I mind that much).

Homebake 2008 and Sydney

Friday night Tash and I flew up to Sydney for Homebake, a festival which features all Australian bands. On Saturday morning we grabbed some breakfast and then walked to The Domain. There was a brief wait in line before we eventually got into the venue. It was a very hot day- 35/95 degrees! After stopping to buy some bottled water we headed to The Dome stage for our first act of the day, The Holidays. Next up on the stage was Melbourne female duo Dash & Will in their first ever festival appearance. Their set was a lot of fun as they used tennis rackets to lob lollies into the audience and brought out a beach ball for the crowd to toss around.

We then headed to the Main Stage for another Melbourne band I've been wanting to see for a while, Eddy Current Suppression Ring. They played a great set of their old school punk songs, and I really enjoyed hearing "Which Way To Go." After a wander to refill our water bottles, we went back to The Dome stage for my favorites Little Red. They played a high energy set with a mix of old and new songs and had the crowd singing along. I was very happy to hear "Lazy Boy" and it was good to see such a positive response to the boys outside of Melbourne. After retreating to the shade under a tree to cool down a bit we were ready for End of Fashion. Their set was really good and included their first big hit "Oh Yeah" and the single "Fussy" off their latest album.

British India was our next act on the Main Stage. They really had the crowd going with their indie rock tunes. Unfortunately we were right in the sun for their set, so my goal of avoiding sunburn failed (even though I had on sun block). Besides the multiple stages, Homebake also set up a Cinema Pavilion to show a variety of short films. After grabbing some food we headed down to enjoy some films and relax in the dark for an hour and a half. My favorite of all the shorts we saw was "Mankind Is No Island" by Jason van Genderen. It's a really moving and thought provoking film.


When we emerged from the cinema the weather had gotten much cooler, which was a big relief. We headed back to The Dome stage for Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson. They mostly played songs from their album together "Rattlin' Bones." They are both great songwriters and musicians, and Kasey was very funny and sweet with her song introductions. "The Devil's Inside My Head" was stomping bluegrass number that had the crowd dancing. When their set finished we made our way through the crowd to the Main Stage for dance act Sneaky Sound System. They played a lot of their hits including "Pictures," "UFO," "I Love It," and "Kansas City." The crowd was totally into it and singing and dancing along.

The headline act of Homebake was Crowded House. Tash and I got as close to the stage as we could. I thought the set was a bit flat in comparison to the other shows earlier in the week. Neil had a bit of a raspy voice and the sound from where we were in the crowd was a bit muddy and hard to hear. Their set list probably needed a few more energetic hits in it considering this was a young festival crowd. The big hits though went down really well and the band were nearly drowned out by the singing of the crowd. I also got to hear "Hole in the River" which hadn't been played in Melbourne. In the encore some idiot threw their flip flop and hit Neil, which really pissed him off. He told the guy if he threw up his other shoe and took off his pants that he might let him stay. Security ended up carting the guy away and the show continued. They finished up the night with "Better Be Home Soon" and had the crowd hold up their lit mobile phones in the air- the modern equivalent of the lighter. All in all it was a fantastic day of music.

Today Tash and I started off with breakfast at a cafe along Cockle Bay Wharf, then had a wander around Darling Harbour. Next we caught a bus to The Rocks and checked out their Sunday market. After ice cream at Circular Quay we walked over to the Opera House as it began to rain. We hid for a bit inside the Opera House and once the weather cleared headed back outside. We spent some time at QVB having coffee, cakes and conversation before heading off to the airport for our flight home.

Crowded House

Over the past two nights I have been to The Forum Theatre to see Crowded House play their first Melbourne shows in over a year.

2 December
Anika Moa was the opening act and she played a half hour set. Like her album launch a month ago she flew a couple of her band members over from New Zealand. She was as funny as always and the dub version of “Youthful” with her freestyle rap in the middle went down very well with the audience. “My Old Man” and “Dreams In My Head” were also personal highlights.

Crowded House came out onto an unlit stage with headlamps on and launched into “Locked Out.” Unfortunately when Neil went to take the headlamp off he cut his forehead and started to bleed a bit. He thought that was pretty rock ‘n’ roll. The entire show was an epic 2 hours and 45 minutes long with multiple encores. The band included additional musicians Don McGlashen and Elroy Finn on certain numbers. They played five new songs throughout the evening, which sounded fantastic and gave me a lot of hope for the new album. I especially loved “Isolation” for its jangly guitars and “Lucky” for the amazing soaring chorus. Some old classics were also played that I haven’t heard live in a while: “Chocolate Cake,” “Love You ‘Til The Day I Die” (with You Am I’s Davey Lane on guitar), “Whispers and Moans” and “Fingers of Love.”

There was lots of banter and storytelling throughout the night. Neil was perplexed about the fact the balcony area of The Forum had been walled off since the last time he was there, which led to a microphone being passed around the audience to find out when that had happened and into a broader question time with the band. One guy and his band mates requested “Private Universe” to be played and ended up on stage playing and singing with the band (along with a few other audience members).

This show reminded me of the Crowded House shows of old with the audience interactions and sing-a-longs as well as funny stories or comments leading to musical improvisations. When coming out for the second encore Neil took to the drums and Matt to the keyboards as they and the rest of the band had a bit of jam. We even got a Matt drum solo at one point (which was very good- he adds such a drive to all the songs). I felt this was the first time that Neil has been able to play in Melbourne and not have the ghost of Paul Hester looming over him (although we did get a brief verse and chorus of “This is Massive”). It was such an amazing show and a great reminder of why I still love this band after all these years.

Set List
1. Locked Out
2. World Where You Live
3. Isolation (new)
4. Turn It Round (new)
5. Pineapple Head
6. Amsterdam (new)
8. Don't Stop Now
9. People Are Like Suns
10. Chocolate Cake
11. Not The Girl You Think You Are
12. Heaven That I'm Making
13. Lucky (new)
14. Fall At Your Feet
15. Whispers And Moans
16. Love You ‘Til The Day I Die
17. When You Come
_______________
18. It's Only Natural
19. Cars Collide (new)
20. Private Universe
21. Distant Sun
22. Weather With You
_____________
23. Instrumental Jam/This is Massive
24. Fingers Of Love
25. Throw Your Arms Around Me
26. Better Be Home Soon

3 December
What a difference a day makes. Tonight’s show was a mellower affair that only went for 1 hour and 50 minutes- almost one hour less than last night. I think the main reason was because the crew had to load out for the show in Sydney tomorrow night. I had a great position near the front off to the right side of the stage. There was a lot less banter and Neil commented that he had run out of things to say after the night before. It was a heavy guitar driven set with the appearance of “In My Command” and “Silent House.” We got even more new songs which also sounded good and “Italian Plastic” by request from the audience. The funniest moment of the night was Nick and Matt acting out the opening verse of “Something So Strong.” It was so great to see Crowded House in a smaller venue again instead of the big arenas they played when they were here last year.

Set List
1. When You Come
2. World Where You Live
3. 789 (new)
4. Fall At Your Feet
5. Don't Stop Now
6. Lucky (new)
7. Four Seasons In One Day
8. Inside Out (new)
9. In My Command
10. Silent House
11. Either Side (new)
12. Amsterdam (new)
13. Don't Dream It’s Over
14. Distant Sun
15. Locked Out
_____________
16. Something So Strong
17. Mean To Me
18. Better Things (new)
19. Italian Plastic
20. Weather With You
21. Better Be Home Soon

Thanksgiving Dinner

Tonight I held my first Thanksgiving dinner in Australia at the suggestion of my Aussie friends who decided it would be good for me to start a new tradition here. Since I held it at my place it was a small gathering with Tash, Michelle, Ruth and Danny. I spent the majority of the day cooking away in the kitchen. The various dishes that I served were:
- Salad of mixed greens with pear and sugared walnuts
- Herb roasted turkey breast
- Dressing
- Mashed potatoes with buttermilk
- Green beans with glazed shallots and lemon
- Pumpkin pie
- Shortbread cookies

Considering this was the first full dinner I have done by myself it came out pretty well. All the dishes were cooked from scratch and my Mom was very helpful in hunting down some recipes for me. Overall everyone seemed to enjoy the food although I cooked so much that I have a lot of left overs that I will be eating throughout the week. The pumpkin pie was a big hit as that is a bit of a rarity here.

The Good China, The Box Rockets, and Quang Goes Mangoes

Tonight Tash and I met at The Empress Hotel for an evening of music. The opening act was one Quang Dinh going under the moniker "Quang Goes Mangoes." He played solo with just an acoustic guitar for about a half-hour. It amazes me how prolific a songwriter Quang is as the songs he played were all new to me and didn't even draw on his Little Red or Hondas material. The guy has got talent and an ability to convey emotion through his lyrics and vocal range. It was nice to have a bit of a chat with him after his set (even if he was "toasted").

Next on the bill was The Box Rockets. They were pleasant and have a bit of an 80's British band sound to them. While enjoyable to listen to, their songs weren't really that memorable and blended together a bit. The headlining act for the night was The Good China in the first week of their residency at The Empress. The band is a group of 9 multi-instrumentalists, and they are a lot of fun and play very happy and uplifting music. Both Tash and I were impressed by them and how they rotated turns singing at the front of stage and swapping instruments for each song. You never knew what instrument would make an appearance next. It was a very democratic music collective! If you get a chance to catch them around Melbourne go for it- you won't be disappointed.

Melbourne Cup

Today I was very fortunate to be able to attend the Melbourne Cup horse race. Michelle's uncle allowed a group of us to use his corporate box for the day, so we got all dressed up and headed over to Flemington Racecourse. It was a fantastic day and amazing to have our own private space that overlooked the finish line. We had free drinks and a very yummy lunch with a variety of dishes. I felt so spoiled!

At 3:00 pm it was time for the race that stops the nation. The Melbourne Cup itself was a tight race with Viewed winning in a photo finish. Unfortunately the two horses I put money on didn't place, but in the next race I made back my bet plus $1 when The Fuzz finishing second. Some of the other girls had better luck with their bets and had a couple big wins. After the last race of the day we headed for the parking lot and although there was traffic getting out, it was nice to not have to face public transport or trying to catch a taxi to get home.

Anika Moa- CD Launch

Tonight Tash and I returned to The Spiegeltent for Anika Moa's Australian CD launch for "In Swings The Tide." This time we were able to share a much more comfortable booth with some other people for the show. Anika flew out the drummer and bass player from her band, so that added a richness to her songs. My favorite of the night was the reggae/dub version of "Youthful." We even got a couple verses of a reggae version of Crowded House's "Weather With You." Anika was her usual humorous self with the intros for each song and had the crowd laughing out loud most of the night. It's too bad she's going to move back to New Zealand at the end of the year.

Vote on November 4th

"VOTE" by Shepard Fairey

Dan Kelly with The Ukeladies

Tonight Tash and I met at The Spiegeltent down by the Arts Centre to see Dan Kelly and The Ukeladies. This was our first time in The Spiegeltent, and it is a small and intimate venue to see a show. Shortly after taking our seats near the front Dan Kelly hit the stage and started out solo before being joined by The Ukeladies for the majority of the set. He was quite hilarious with his intros and played some old and new songs. "Drunk on Election Night" was a highlight solely for the vulgar lyrics sing-a-long. Their new single together about global warming, "The SUV Song" can be heard here. They also did an amazing cover of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U." Overall it was a very entertaining hour plus set and I would definitely recommend checking out Dan if he's playing a show near you.

Crowded House Karaoke with The Basics

Last night was the convergence of two of my favorite things- Crowded House and The Basics! After the success of their Beatles Karaoke night, they decided to tackle the songs of Crowded House. Tash, Mary and I met at The Empress Hotel for dinner before taking our seats for the show. The premise of the night was simple- choose a Crowded House song from the list and The Basics would be your backing band. The boys started the night with "Weather With You" and then volunteers started to come up on stage. Some versions were better than others, and the guys probably could have practiced some of the songs a bit more as the instrumentations are not as easy as they might seem.

Mel joined us a few songs in and during the intermission dobbed me in to David the keyboard player, so I ended up signing up to sing "Mean to Me" with another girl. We were the third ones called up on stage and thankfully the song went pretty well! Even the band said we did a good job. As the night went on more people started to volunteer to sing. We had a few repeat songs but overall it was a fun night and the boys played "Not The Girl You Think You Are" and "Distant Sun" on their own before closing with "Don't Dream Its Over." I had a quick chat with Wally after the show and then it was off to home. I still can't believe I got up on stage and sang with The Basics!

AFL Grand Final Parade

Yesterday Inala and I escaped the office to attend the AFL Grand Final Parade. This year the reigning premiers Geelong were playing Hawthorn. All the players were in the parade from the Arts Centre up Swanston and Collins Streets. There was a huge crowd there to cheer on their teams. It was the first all Victorian final for 8 years, and Hawthorn's first trip the Grand Final in 17 years. The game itself today was fantastic and Hawthorn pulled off a huge 26 point upset of Geelong (who had only lost one game this season). I'm sure Tash will be celebrating this victory for the next month or so.

Little Red-O-Rama

It has been fun with Little Red over the past week with several shows starring the boys.

September 12
This was the second sold out show at the Corner Hotel. The opening bands were the same and last month, and this time I got to see Andy Bull play. He was entertaining and has a bit of a soul/funk sound to him because of the horns section. The Holidays started out good but after a while their songs began to get repetitive.

Little Red were in excellent form on the night as they tore through their set list. I was really happy to hear "Isabella" and "Believe In Your Man" tonight, as well as the unreleased "Forget About Your Man." We got some new songs as well, and it's good to see Tom playing keyboards on those numbers (an added instrument to the Little Red repertoire). Unfortunately due to Andy Bull starting late I had to miss the encore so that I could catch the last tram back to the city.

September 18
The Hondas came and played a show at the Brunswick Hotel so of course I couldn't miss it being so close to home. It has been a while since they played together, so their set was a bit messy at times but still entertaining. They played songs from the first album as well as brand new ones they have just written. I was glad to hear "God Save My Soul," "When I Was Young" and what could be the gay anthem for 2008 "I Am A Homosexual." It was all over in about 50 minutes and I went over to Taka afterwards to thank him for playing. Hopefully he'll get his visa sorted out.

September 20
Yes, I know what your thinking, "But you just saw them a week ago." I probably would have skipped Little Red's last date at The Corner Hotel except for the fact that The Fearless Vampire Killers were opening and I've been wanting to see them for a while now. Thankfully they did not disappoint and put on a fantastic set of 60's inspired psychedelic rock. I was very impressed by them and it's no surprise that they were named one of the "10 Bands To Watch" for 2008 by Wireless Bollinger.

Little Red put in another great performance, and Mel was impressed by them. They played a similar set to the previous shows, and of the new songs "Lazy Boy" is my personal favorite. The show closed with a rousing rendition of Coca Cola and all the bands came on stage to sing along (if anyone knows people who work for Coke, that song is begging to be used in some advertising). It will be very interesting to see what the future holds for Little Red and hopefully they will continue on their upward trajectory.

You can watch Little Red live from The Annandale Hotel in Sydney on 23/8/08 here.

Anika Moa

Tash and I headed to The Toff in Town this evening to see New Zealand singer/songwriter Anika Moa. This was the last night of her Wednesday residency and there was a good sized crowd in the room (including many Kiwis). She started the show with lots of disclaimers about what we were about to witness and hear, which was very funny. There were many amusing stories throughout the evening about the origins of the songs. Anika is a very entertaining performer! My favorite songs in the hour-long set were an emotional version of "My Old Man" and the fantastic "Dreams in My Head." Her latest album is coming out in Australia in November, so I'm looking forward to finally getting a copy (complete with some bonus tracks).

Art Deco 1910–1939

Mel and I headed down to the National Gallery of Victoria after work to see the Art Deco 1910-1939 exhibition. It comprised over 300 works and covered all artistic media from painting to photography, fashion to film and architecture to jewelery. The historic and global influences on Art Deco were displayed, as well as how the style differed in various countries and throughout the time period. My favorite pieces were the gorgeous gowns and the crockery. It's a fantastic exhibition and if you are in Melbourne and into Art Deco, you should definitely check it out before it closes in a month.

Blueprint for Education and Early Childhood Development

This week the Victorian government launched the new Blueprint for Education and Early Childhood Development. This document sets the agenda for education and early childhood services for the next five years. Yesterday both Ministers gave a briefing on the Blueprint to Department staff, which was one of the better presentations I've seen them both do. My work at the moment falls under the workforce reform strategies.

Here's an article from The Age about some of the actions in the Blueprint: School shake-up, with fries.