Movies:
- “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” at Hoyts in Melbourne Central. Hoyts has large theatres in the Melbourne Central mall/station, perfect for catching the big-ticket flix. I found the movie to be very similar to the Lord of The Rings trilogy – a bit boring. Lydia loved it.
- “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” at Kino cinema in the city. Kino has a number of smaller theatres and is closer to our apartment (15 minute walk across the park into the city). Wine is available for purchase for a more intimate atmosphere – it’s Lydia’s favourite cinema. I enjoyed the movie (even though it is a “coming of age” story), and Lydia gave it a favourable review, although I don’t think she enjoyed it as much as me.
- "This is 40” and “Django Unchained” at Moonlight Cinema. Nearly every night in the summer, Moonlight Cinema is held in the Royal Botanical gardens where they show a mix of new and old releases at sunset. It’s a really cool venue, although we’ve found that we have to arrive quite early for the new releases, or risk having to sit behind a tree or way in the back. You’re allowed to bring in your own food and beverages, which helps pass the time waiting for the sun to set. It’s a surreal experience to watch the sun set behind the Melbourne skyline and the giant grey-headed Flying Foxes fly overhead. Lydia loved “This is 40,” whereas I found it entertaining, but not as compelling as some other Apatow films. “Djang Unchained” was awesome (classic Tarantino), although we both agreed it was a bit long.
Moonlight Cinema |
Concerts:
Flying =w= on the Sidney Myer Stage |
Me rocking next to the Ghost of Weezer present |
- Weezer (indisputably one of the best bands of all time) at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in the Royal Botanical Gardens. It was our first show at Sidney Myer, my 8th time seeing Weezer perform and Lydia’s 3rd. It was actually the same “Memories” tour we had seen two years ago in Chicago, as they took a break touring before coming to Australia. The same as all of those before it, the show was incredible, and we had a blast. The premise of the show is the band plays one to two songs from each album, starting with their most recent and working backwards to their second album. The band then takes a break, returns to the stage, and plays their first (and debatably best) album from start to finish.
- Sleigh Bells at Billboard The Venue in the city. This was the first time either Lydia or I have seen them live, as well as the first time either of us had been to The Billboard. The venue is a non-descript doorway off of Russell Street in the city. Upon entry, you head down to the basement where you’re met with a small, creatively-lit bar, with a small stage up front. The venue is standing-only (perfect for a band like Sleigh Bells), with the stage at one end, roughly the same width of the building. Lydia and I managed to be in the third row from the stage, which was awesome. The show was (appropriately) loud and they band played pretty much every song off their two albums. We really enjoyed ourselves and wished that the show could’ve been longer.
Sleigh Bells at The Billboard |
We still have a few concerts and movies queued up in the upcoming weeks:
Movies:
- Lincoln (still awaiting release in Australia)
- Zero Dark Thirty
- Flight
- Blink-182 Feb 27th at Sidney Myer
- Wilco March 27th at Hammer Hall