November #07
In one of those damned-with-faint-praise sentiments, it’s often said that one of the best things about our city is our proximity to other places. Raglan, the Mount, the Central Plateau if you’re a skiier. I think one of the really overlooked parts of that equation are Hamilton’s smaller satellite towns. Cambridge, Te Aroha, and Te Awamutu - which houses the 92 year old Regent Theatre.
Up until recently, the same enigmatic owner had run the cinema for 51 years. There’s a new pair of hands at the projector now, and they have lots of plans - including fostering the local filmmaking scene - while also trying to be true to its history and loyal, discerning clientele. You can read about their plans with our profile of manager Paige Larianova this month.
Of course, we would also dispute that the “best” thing about Hamilton is that everything else is close by, in the same way that you can appreciate the sweet location of an inner city apartment, without mistaking it for character in and of itself.
When I first started telling people about this newsletter, someone at work said, unironically, why don’t you make it like Coffee News but for cocktails? I knew what she meant and I kinda liked it. We went to the pub last week while waiting for a take away meal, and honestly, 40% of the drinks being lifted off the bar were pretty little cocktails, in a joint where no one would have been caught dead drinking one 10 years ago. And no doubt, this is a world wide trend, and influenced by powerful marketing forces. But at the same time, the story of cocktails lounges in a previously tavern-soaked Hamilton (starting with Wonderhorse, to having 3 - 4 bars for really excellent cocktails venues) could also be argued to be a measure of the revitalisation of the CBD, and Kirikiriroa, itself.
So, we’re asking the serious cocktail-related questions. Will this summer be the death of the Aperol spritz? Sure, you’re drinking gin now, but are you ready for the tequila wave? Should you buy a luxury cocktail measure, or a thousand dollar swizzle stick? Do you really need a muddler, or is the end of a rolling pin okay? We answer your burning questions.
Otherwise, yes - we’re coming up to Christmas, but don’t forget Diwalli. We have some Drag, we have Adam’s gig guide, including a Palestine benefit concert, and theatre inspired by 1990s video game Oregon Trail.
For next month, we are bringing you what I believe the marketing kids call a “hyper local” gift guide. We will have cheap things, splurg-y things, eco things (if that’s not an oxymoron), crafty things, and the best gift certificates for services in town. If you want to let us know about your own locally made goods, or ones your swear by (if they’re a vendor on facebook, or own pop up at markets, even better) we’d love to hear from you at hello@thewaikatodraft.com
Scuttlebutt
Nothing like an election to simplify some pretty nuanced issues - eg, government debt is bad. Jonathan Milne at Newsroom takes a look at council debt, particularly in regards to water infrastructure in the wake of Three Waters, with a special mention to Hamilton.
There’s a new pedestrian and cycle bridge planned between Grantham Street and Parana Park. Long story short: it was meant to be fancy, but now it’ll be an austerity bridge. - fair enough, perhaps?, but Natasha Hansen of the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund (IAF) says that doesn’t mean it will be an eyesore. I think we’ll all be the judge of that.
How’s this for a charm offensive? Auckland mayor, media darling, and noted fuckwit Wayne Brown was hosting the Waikato Regional Council (WRC), regarding Te Huia, when he told the delegation: “Junk this and put on two free buses”. Then he got his facts wrong - patronage numbers and the extent to which the fares are subsidised. Todd Niall has done some excellent reporting (and debunking), here. Te Huia will be running a third service on Thursdays and Fridays from February next year.
This didn’t get reported enough: Te Huia regularly release patronage data, and during the week of free fares in August after being relegated to the naughty corner for running red lights, the service was taking 600-800 people a day on the Wednesday through Saturdays services.
From the archives, here’s an old profile from the Spinoff, from 2018, of our new Stark property overlords.
It was reported, back in April, that Fonterra was not planning to renew the lease on its it’s London Street HQ, in the WFH era. But earlier in October our dairy overlords confirmed they’ll be morning to the corner of Knox and Anglesea Street, keeping all that valuable foot traffic in the CBD.
The prodigal Hamilton night markets are returning back to Barton Street, after many years at The Base. Perhaps another indicator of the reviving health of our CBD, as many around the country.
Especially for all our readers who are displaced Aucklanders: the Spring Metro is epic and their best issue in years. They too have a cocktail spesh, and they have a date night spesh too (we did one a number of months ago, here). It’s decidedly po-Co, grappling with the search for late night shenanigans against a somewhat dystopian hospitality backdrop.
Lastly, we keep joking at our editorial meetings about starting a section called, Grumble, grumble… I don’t like change. The new ACC building on Collingwood Street has very few car parks by design, and instead of using other means staff are hogging car parks right up to and around the lake. We also had lols at someone on Reddit is complaining about roadworks on a roundabout, and the new in-lane bus stop on Pembroke Street - but both posts appear to have been deleted, and of course, a certain kind of unimaginative Hamiltonian is complaining about the car parking at Made.
Melville Skate Park gets a new toilet block and it looks fantastic.
Over on Reddit, user InterestingnessFlow talks about Victoria Street’s wiggly line of paving stones.
And lastly, demolition is starting at the Founders Theatre. There have been a few campaigns to save it - we wish they’re just keep the 1960s fountain outside as a hat tip.
Feature: Cocktail Spesh
There are early evening cocktails, and there are one more for the road cocktails and there are elegantly simple cocktails that flirt with being a single straight liquor (like the old joke about Winston Churchill whispering the word vermouth into his martini), and there are ridiculous cocktails with paper umbrellas in. We explore our favourite Kirikiriroa purveyors of cocktails so you can also cultivate an air of sophistication by at least pretending to think about it before your order you drink. Feature: Passing the Torch
If you’re spotted a difference in Te Awamutu’s iconic Regent Theatre recently (either because you’re a regular or you’ve noticed their Instagram), you’d be right. In 2022 its longtime owner-operator Allan Webb retired and ownership was passed to a charitable trust. We sat down with manager Paige Larianova to talk about the change in the air and what it takes to run a film festival.What’s on
Around town
We’ve had the magnolias, the cherry blossoms, and now the roses are out. There’s the Pacific Rose Bowl at the gardens, but our pick is for the Te Awamutu Rose Festival November 3rd, followed by a walk around the town’s gardens.
Gourmet at the Gardens is back from November 5th, on the Rhododendron Lawn at the Hamilton Gardens. Texas Petes will be there, Baltao Filipino food from Howick, Durban cuisine, good old Fritz’s Wieners bratwurst, Nepalese dumplings. You can also hire an e-bike for the ride in from either Cambridge or Ngaaruawahia, with a package from $85 which includes a shuttle back, from River Riders. Every Sunday, from 4pm. Get a group together and get your optimal queueing strategy sorted now.
Stolen Girlfriends Club are holding a pop up sale at Globox Arena on November 3rd to 5th.
Celebrate Diwali at Inness Common with the Waikato Indian Cultural Society- it’s the first time in their 33 years it will be held at the lake. November 11, from 4 to 8pm.
If you’re a bit sporty - the Waitomo trail run has a number of distances and difficulties for walkers are runners. Or if you’re a bit more of an inner city person, stick close to home with the Round the Bridges on November 12th - it starts and finishes in Garden Place - so plenty to chose for a pint afterwards as well.
Are you, like us, total philistines who only know orchestral music if it comes from a movie? Well we’ve got the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra event for you, with NZSO performing the work of John Williams at Globox Arena on November 12th.
Get to the chopper! The Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter Trust hosts an open day on November 19th.
Anita Wigl’it hosts a night of Drag Bingo at the Waikato Museum on November 24th.
Found and the Super Creative podcast invite you to take a long, three-course lunch with them at Mr Pickles, over an interview with award-winning interior architects Liv Patience and Toni Brandso of Material Creative. November 19 from 11.30am, $220 a head.
Music
By Adam Fulton
Greg Franco's Rough Church (US). Nivara Lounge. November 9.
Fuzzy psych pop from LA's Greg Franco, joined by the Fuzzies and the Changing Same.
Brandon De La Cruz, Nicholas Joseph. Fossick. November 10.
A joint release show of sorts between Portland/Kirikiriroa's Brandon De La Cruz and Te Pahu's Nicholas Joseph, joined by Halcyon Birds for an evening of jangly indie rock and dulcet folk
Happy Valley. Mesoverse. November 10.
Pōneke screamo revivalists Happy Valley, joined by Tāmaki Makaurau's Jiahu Symbols and locals Cease and Desist
Magic Factory. The Yard, Raglan. November 11.
Rock'n'roll party big-band Magic Factory from Tāmaki Makaurau, joined by surf rock group the Cthulus and Vincent HL.
Cosmic Psychos (AU). Yot Club, Raglan. November 18.
Australian stalwarts of punk rock, joined by Dick Move and Grown Downz from Tāmaki Makaurau.
Medical Aid for Palestine benefit show. Last Place. November 25.
Star studded lineup of Unsanitary Napkin (Whanganui), Easy Off, Attrition, Boilermaker and Nicholas Joseph, running through every subgenre from funeral-country to blackened crust.
Theatre
By Louise Drummond
The Trail to Oregon. Meteor Theatre. November 7-11, 7.30pm. Elder millennials will be having conniptions at the mere title of this show, because you know what’s coming. That’s right, snake bites and dysentery. Yes, it’s based on the classic video game, and yes, it’s hilarious. You even get to vote on who dies.
MA’ARA, IĒNA PASIFIKA. Meteor Theatre. November 13, 7pm. MA’ARA is a showcase of short pieces by new writers, brought to you by the IĒNA PASIFIKA, a new initiative for Māori and Pasifika youth to develop their own stories. It’s great that Kirikiriroa has opportunities like this for local young people, and the work that comes out of it is bound to be extraordinary.
Footloose. Riverlea Theatre. November 18 - December 9, 7.30pm (plus a 2pm matinee on the 19th). Time to cut loose. If you’ve seen the film you know the plot of this one, but there’s new songs as well. Bound to be a very energetic evening, and one of the last big local musicals for the year.
Royal Battlegrounds Grand Finale. Meteor Theatre. November 26, 7pm. The Tron has a vibrant drag scene, and this show is the cream of the crop. Competitors have been battling it out all year, and this is the final showdown to see the best of the best and crown the ultimate champion. Remember to dress up as glam as you can, it’s part of the fun.
Film
By Jason Marshall
As mentioned in the feature this month, the Misty Flicks Film Festival showcases a range of local shorts, features and documentaries as well as workshops and networking events for filmmakers. Tickets and full schedule here. Friday November 24 to Sunday November 26.
You may remember Cat Person, the 2017 New Yorker-published short story by Kristen Roupenian that went viral for its gritty, boots on the ground portrayal of the myriad horrors of elder Millennial dating. That’s now been adapted as a film starring the excellent Emilia Jones (of CODA fame) and Nicholas Braun (Succession’s Cousin Greg!). Trailer. Releases Thursday 2 November.
Get ready to dance in the aisles, the iconic 1984 Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense gets a re-release this month. It’s going to be a real treat to see this on the big screen. Trailer. Releases Thursday 2 November.
New Zealand’s foremost Paula Bennett impersonator, Tom Sainsbury, directs and stars in Loop Track, a psychological thriller about a man on the edge of a nervous breakdown who goes tramping. In the bush, things go from bad to worse. Trailer. Releases Thursday 2 November.
This year Tiktok taught us that men are constantly thinking about the Roman Empire. But what about the Napoleonic Wars? Ridley Scott’s historical epic Napoleon charts the rags to emperor rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte (Joaquin Phoenix) and his turbulent relationship with Joséphine Bonaparte (Vanessa Kirby). Trailer. Releases 23 November.
What we put in our mouths this month
If you’re able to catch them during their short opening hours and rugby match closures, Waikato Udon is absolute treat, serving noodles handmade on site daily. We sampled the Kama Butter Bacon Udon, a new addition to the menu that’s like carbonara but better.
With the weather warming up, we’re keen for light fresh flavours in the lengthening evenings and Panzanella, a Tuscan bread and tomato salad layered with basil and a shallot vinaigrette, hits in all the right ways and has fast become one of our summer favourites. This recipe by the always dependable Kenji Lopez-Alt incorporates a mad and inspired method of salting tomatoes and retaining the liquid for incorporation into the vinaigrette. What the recipe doesn’t call for, but we always insist on, is chucking in bag chunks of fresh mozzarella.
Tucked away as it is on Cameron Road, we had kind of forgotten about Royale Indian. On a recent visit we were reminded just how good they are, and blown away by the bang for your buck offered by their $14 lunch special.
We loved Grey Street Kitchen’s Chirashi bowl, combining kimchi fried rice with a bunch of other delicious stuff. No photos as we scoffed it all immediately.
The coffee at Grey Street Roasting Co. was so good it left us in stunned silence throughout what was supposed to be an editorial meeting. Honestly, we just sat there agape like the food critic at the end of Ratatouille. So, do check it out.
