Hugh Jackman: Broadway to Oz

One afternoon in August I checked my email inbox and couldn't quite believe what I was reading – that Hugh Jackman, arguably Australia's favourite actor, musical theatre performer and awards show host¹, would be coming to Adelaide to do a live show. And, unlike most big-name gigs that get announced months (or more²) in advance, it was going to be in December – only a few months away, and tickets were on sale in a few days.

You'd better believe that as soon as I'd checked I didn't already have plans that night (Thursday December 10) and confirmed that the GF wanted to come (she did), I bought two tickets as soon as they went on sale.

We ended up with really good seats – not always a given with the ticketing system at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. It took me a bit of looking at the venue map to establish just how good they were – if I had it right, we'd be within a few metres of the thrust stage, which he (showman that is he) would almost certainly use.

Postmodern Jukebox

A few weeks back – hilariously, I started writing this only a few days after the gig itself, but (as usual) I got distracted and didn't finish it – the phenomenon known as Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox came to town. What is Postmodern Jukebox? Well, it's a musical ensemble, led by Bradlee, who do interesting covers of both classic and recent pop/rock songs.

Crows vs Eagles

Two Sundays ago I, for the first time in (I think) 17 years, I went to a game of AFL – and, as the title would suggest, it was the Adelaide Crows versus the West Coast Eagles. I went with Rochelle, my girlfriend (who's somewhat of a Crows fan), and two of her friends who are Eagles fans.

I'm mostly uninterested in football¹. There was a time when I paid attention to it, but that was a while ago and now I'm barely aware of who's playing well and who's not, other than what I might hear mentioned as I wander the corridors of the office. And, given that few of my co-workers (that I've noticed at least) are super-keen, that's not very much.

Why, then, did I go? Well, I like doing something different, and I knew that Rochelle wanted to go, both to see a game and spend some time with her friends. I also hadn't been to the Adelaide Oval since it'd been redeveloped², so there was that as well.

Death Cab for Cutie Live

A few weeks back I got to see one of my favourite bands, Death Cab for Cutie, play live.

This was the second time I'd seen them play – actually, technically it was the third; I'd seen them as the second support act for Something For Kate maybe twelve years ago – and both times it was at the same venue, HQ. It's an interesting spot for bands to play 'cause it's mostly known as a mainstream nightclub. But it's actually a great place for gigs because of the layout – a few different levels – and the sound's always been great as well. Over the years I've seen bands like The Dandy Warhols, You Am I, the aforementioned Something for Kate, George and (one of my all-time favourite gigs) They Might Be Giants there.

Adelaide Fringe 2015 Preview

Over the past few years I've put together a list of shows on in the Adelaide Fringe I consider to be worth seeing; I see no reason why I shouldn't do the same this year. So, without any further ado, here's the list - in no particular order. Blurbs - where I've included them - come from the Fringe website.

As usual, my recommendations are based on my experience with the performers, either as audience or on stage; it's not always a guarantee. Feel free to ask questions in the comments.