This weekend we want to go to . . .
Auckland Town Hall
A fringe arts festival is nothing if not varied — and now that the Auckland Fringe is underway again there’s the chance to see everything from plays which pay homage to Scottish ancestors (Run Rabbit) to spoken word poetry that waxes lyrical about bollards (Bollards and the Comedy of Hyper industrialisation—and, no, we’re not sure what it means, either). Auckland Town Hall becomes Fringe Town for the next four days with an extraordinary line-up of edgy performances and art, probably none bigger than Russian provocateurs Pussy Riot who perform tomorrow night. There’s also dance courtesy of Movement of the Human, an all-ages K-Pop dance party, Ma¯ ori movement classes and Pacific dance/theatre. Auckland Fringe Arts Festival, Fringe Town, Auckland Town Hall, until Sunday. Festival itself runs until Sunday, March 3
Auckland Art Gallery
In the 1990s, Auckland was yet to wake up and realise it was the biggest Pacific city in the world but a collective of mostly female Pacific and Ma¯ ori fashion designers, artists and performers was about to change the way we looked at our place in the world. Through pioneering shows — fashion and art — the Pacific Sisters started doin’ it for themselves and making art that would challenge and ultimately change the mainstream for good. Now a major retrospective of their work comes to Auckland, showcasing the collective’s groundbreaking costumes and performances.
Pacific Sisters: He Toa Ta¯ era/ Fashion, Auckland Art Gallery, Saturday — Sunday, July 14
PumpHouse
One-time Devonport music teacher Dominic Blaazer has taught entire families of children, played alongside the likes of Don McGlashan, SJD, the Chills and the Topp Twins, had his songwriting compared to Bacharach and Lennon and, last year, recorded a widely-praised album, The Lights of Te Atatu. This weekend, he leads his 10-piece orchestra to perform his songs once more. The orchestra includes members of the Auckland Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and From Scratch as well as some of his best music students. Dominic Blaazer and the Maximum Philharmonic Orchestra, PumpHouse, Saturday
Western Springs
On Saturday night, Six60 will break records for the biggest show by an NZ band. Up to 50,000 people are expected at Western Springs Stadium to see the Dunedin chart-toppers with an all-Kiwi line-up including Drax Project, SWIDT and Sons of Zion. Fans are in for a special night. Few international acts can sell out the Springs, so to see Six60 do it makes you feel proud to see a Kiwi act making history. Tickets are sold out, but you might be able to pick up some last-minute no-shows on Trade Me. And keep an eye on the weather.
Ellerslie Racecourse
If you’re wondering who Ski Mask the Slump God and Lil Yachty are, Hidden Festival might not be the event for you. But rap fans couldn’t be happier about the new outdoor music festival at Ellerslie Racecourse this Friday. As well as a bunch of hip-hop taste makers — Atlanta rapper JID seems to be the one everyone is talking about right now — the show also has a couple of big-name electronic acts, including local heroes Shapeshifter and American DJ Kayzo. The event is R18 and performances kick off at 2.40pm, so you might need an early pass from work to get there in time.