Week of the concerts

Good times were had this past weekend. Veronica and I went to see Jack Johnson this past Saturday out at Centennial Park. Before making it to the concert we went into town to have lunch at the Sydney Fish market. While at the market we enjoyed some tasty prawns (shrimp). I can say with confidence that those delicious crustaceans provided the necessary nutritional quota to carry both Veronica and myself through a long concert with nary a snack or even beverage. Well, that was mostly due to the fact that we had scored an epic patch of grass to watch the concert and we did not want to lose it, or get lost. Seriously, 30,000 people sprawled around made getting your bearings a little tricky.

The concert ended up being quite a fun time. Jack redeemed himself after his lackluster Live Earth performance of last year. Perhaps the coolest thing was G. Love and Special Sauce making a surprise performance. They played a sweet 30-minute set, which turned out to be a delicious slice of musical enjoyment.

This past week was all about music. Before Jack Johnson, Veronica, Jamie and myself went and saw Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings at the Enmore Theatre. Now everyone knows that I love two things, Veronica and surfing, but if that list were to include two other loves it might very well include the Enmore Theatre and SJ & The Dap-Kings. Firstly, the Enmore is the coolest place in Sydney to see a concert. Not only is it a great spot and the perfect size, but they also consistently have the best bands coming to play in their hallowed venue. And Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, well, if you don’t know them then I pity you. Or as Mr. T would say, ‘I pity the fool!’ These cats are responsible for bringing back the greatest music ever heard on our planet, the old school Motown sound of the 60’s. Their sound is like cotton candy; it is so sweet and addictive it very well could be considered a drug. The show was a good time, hot and humid, but a nonetheless a special time getting to hear their incredibly soulful licks live. Unfortunately, that concert as well as Jack’s has taught me something incredibly valuable. I am now approaching the age where I can’t handle the crowds at shows any longer. It breaks my spirit to admit it, but I am close to NEEDING venues like Nokia Theater. Yeah, I need a place where I can watch a show in a comfortable chair and AC.

I will hold out for as long as I can, but I have to admit it is not looking good. That or I really need to find out whose derriere I need to smooch so I can become a journalist for Rolling Stone. J

Whale Beach

I would like to extend my deepest apologies for being such a slack communicator these past couple of weeks. No doubt you would think not much has happened during this time, however, it is rather the reverse. Veronica started a new job, and in fact I started a new job as well at Video Australasia. Additionally, it seems we have been out to eat with the majority of our friends since being back. So then why no recent postings? Quite simply we have forgotten our camera practically every time we go out nowadays. Pathetic behavior indeed.

Perhaps you will be inclined to forgive us since we have been suffering through an unusual rainy and cold summer. Most weekends seem to be very saturated lately, and being forced to trudge around with the camera seems a bit pointless. Luckily this Sunday the weather finally turned around and we awoke to a gloriously sunny day. After enjoying a nice flat white at our long lost Coffee amigo Carlos, Veronica and I drove North up the Peninsula to spend a divine day at Whale Beach.

Situated between Avalon and Palm Beach, Whale Beach is the closest Hawaiian beach experience to be found on the Northern Beaches. The sand, water, lush vegetation and ambience is just tranquil. And the houses, excuse me, mansions that dot the hills surrounding the beach are the stuff dreams are made of. Trust me, if you spend a day at that beach and don’t covet at least 5 of those houses, well, then it is obvious that you are truly an enlightened being.

We ended up hanging out on the beach most of the day. Between surfing, swimming and sun baking, Veronica and I were reminded of the great beach days we used to spend out at Makapuu. Our friends Jamie and Morgan made the trek up as well. Stoked to finally get some good weather on the weekend!

Small World

It has been a rather uneventful week with Veronica being away in Canberra. However, the week became slightly more interesting yesterday afternoon when I went to pick up some camera gear from a shoot at Clovelly Beach. As I am walking around gathering gear I see a guy who looks really familiar surrounded by six women. I realize quickly that the guy is in fact Jensen Ackles. Being a tad dumbfounded, I walk up to the group, tell the girls excuse me, and say, "Hi Jensen. Matt Luttrell" and shake his hand. A look of recognition comes over his face, and Jensen says, "Dude, we need to catch up" as I continue on gathering gear.

I head outside and then when I get back in the Surf Club Jensen comes up to me and we start chatting. We mostly talk about how I live in Sydney, what he is doing out in Sydney, his show, the writer's strike, Hawaii, Vancouver (where his show is shot), and of course Dallas. It was completely bizarre seeing someone else from Richardson, Texas here in Sydney. But I guess it makes quasi sense when you factor in that I was picking up a camera from a shoot. Still, it seems proof positive that the World is in fact a rather small place at times.

Powerhouse Museum and Heath Ledger's first film

This weekend the weather forecasts warned us that it would be rainy and overcast, so as such Veronica and I made plans to enlighten ourselves by planning a trip to the Powerhouse Museum. The Powerhouse showcases design and technology, and incidentally it is one of the only museums that charge an entry fee. I will admit that I am prone to dogging out a lot of what Sydney has to offer, but I was genuinely impressed with this museum. From getting to see Angus Young’s guitar to checking out Australia’s earliest locomotives, Veronica and I had a very enjoyable time sampling ‘culture’.

That night we went and rented 5 movies from the video store. Topping the list was 2 Hands, which was Heath Ledger’s first starring role in a film. What can I say, I caved in and caught Heath fever like the rest of the world. Released in 1999, this film is set in Sydney, primarily Kings Cross (the seedy red light district) with some scenes shot at Bondi Beach. There were some cool things about the film, however that does not include the clothes. If ever there was a film that sums up the shite fashion sense that radiates through Sydney, this is the film. Per good buddy Jaime, this fashion (track suit pants and singlets – Australian for life beaters) is called bogan. Apparently bogan refers to the backwards people of Australia. Our equivalent would be white trash. Anywho, the film was directed by the same guy who did Buffalo Soldiers, a far superior film, but nonetheless, it was interesting to see late Heath’s first starring turn in Oz film.

Sunday the weather was horrible. The rain continued unabated for the entire day, so we spent it indoors. Not exactly ideal, but lucky for us we had quite a few movies to watch.

Veronica gave her notice to Coffey on Monday, so she will be starting her new job with PB at the beginning of March, pretty exciting stuff. Today is the first day it is not raining, however it is just a momentary respite as the rains will continue this afternoon and then for the next 5 days. Yeah, the thought of another rainy weekend is a bit of a bummer, but things could be worse as we could be suffering through winter right now.

Big Day Out and Australia Day

It is now Tuesday evening, and I feel like I am just beginning to recover from the long weekend that was afforded by it being Australia Day on Saturday. Friday Veronica and I attended Big Day Out, an all day music festival out at Sydney Olympic Park. There were at least 50,000 people there, not exactly my cup of mass humanity flavored tea, but it was the only way I was getting to see one of the greatest bands ever, reformed Rage Against the Machine. Plus Spoon, a great band from Austin, Texas, was also playing the festival. Despite the insane number of people swarming around the hot grounds the day was glorious. Spoon played an incredible set, and seeing RATM was something of a religious experience. Even 4 days after the concert I get chicken skinned just thinking about the encore the band played. The crowd went absolutely mental when they started playing ‘Killing in the Name’ with 30,000 plus bobbing up and down like a living sea. Tom Morello is an absolute guitar god, and the sounds that emanated from his axe was the heaviest, funk induced, reverb heavy rock-hop. I can safely say that if I never went to another concert I could die a happy man, because Rage’s set was the end all be all.

Saturday morning saw Veronica and I waking up late at noon, because we were fried after the long day before. We headed down to Barefoot for a flat white and waffle and then ran some errands. After a light lunch we headed to Manly Beach for an afternoon of sun. The day was perfect with not a cloud in the sky and a subtle breeze cooling things down. Of course, the beach was packed since it was Australia Day, however, we found a nice little place in the sand and vegged out from 3 to 5. That night we ambled over the hill to Freshwater to enjoy a Barbie with our friends Jase and Brenda. Delicious sausage sandwiches were a tasty Aussie treat, and later that night we watched ‘No Country for Old Men’ which was a tour de force. See it, study it, and worship at the altar of the Coen Brother’s cinematic splendor.

Sunday I woke early to go for a surf with Smitty. We hit Narrabeen, where 3-foot closeouts were detonating on the sand bar. I had a pathetic surf, which bummed me out considerably. I pushed it from my mind though and Veronica and I went and enjoyed our favorite meal at the Bavarian Café, the Roast Mediterranean vegetable linguine. The dish is so good I could almost consider becoming a vegetarian. Afterwards we headed to the mall to go see ‘Juno’, another great film, although much cheerier and light in nature than the Coen Brother’s film. Adding to the great film experience was our partaking in popcorn and pickles. After going a year with no pickles, we were finally clued in that they do indeed carry pickles that aren’t sweet here in Australia. The rub, they are called Dill Cucumbers. Don’t I feel like a jackass! Later that afternoon I went for another surf with my buddy Morgan at a place called Little Narrabeen. It is a pretty little place and we had a great session practically alone. My faith in surfing was restored. After some pizza Veronica and I watched the final of the Australian Open, which was an outstanding display of tennis by an unseeded Frenchman and a #3 seeded Serbian. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been so captivated watching a tennis match, but these dudes were truly gladiators.

Monday we slept in late again. On our way down to a few loads of laundry we picked up a coffee to help ease the boredom. For lunch we went to try a new burger joint that had recently opened in Manly. It was good, but probably a tad overpriced like everything else here in Doucheville. You would think that after having such an exciting weekend we would have a ton of photos to choose from, however, we took practically no photos the entire time. Veronica and I finally took a photo of us eating one of our favorite treats in Oz, the Cyclone Popsicle. Made with all natural fruit this delicious treat should be exported to the rest of the World as it is an absolute triumph. We hit the beach again after having a massive cleaning spree at our casa. The thorough cleaning was long overdue, but now it is done and we feel much better with ourselves. For dinner we cooked a stir-fry for our first home cooked meal in over 4 days.

No doubt this was one of the most memorable weekends that we have spent here in Sydney. Good times.

2 Year Anniversary

This past Tuesday Veronica and I celebrated our 2nd Wedding Anniversary. Since our first anniversary was spent in a hostel where we slept in bunk beds, I figured I had better step it up this year and do something nice. I booked a room at the Kirketon Hotel in Darlinghurst, which is described as the SoHo of Sydney. Seeing as I have never been in SoHo in NYC, I cannot confirm or deny whether the description is apt, however I digress. Our digs were delightful and we enjoyed sleeping on the king sized bed, but the best part of the stay was our dinner at the hotel restaurant. Both Veronica and I enjoyed an Angus steak, which turned out to be a deliciously tender steak that renewed our faith in Australian cuisine. We decided to get a little crazy and proceeded to each order a $15 Mojito. What does a $15 Mojito taste like you might wonder? Well, it tastes like a Mojito with an expensive price tag. In no way does it taste like the $10 milkshake in Pulp Fiction. Moral of the story, be wary when you decide to order such an expensive cocktail. Regardless of the drink, we had a majestic evening. Going back to our double bed in Manly last night was a tough endeavor.

Tomorrow we are going to a huge concert festival, the Big Day Out. Should be a good time.

Back Down Under

Veronica and I are back in the Southern Hemisphere after a glorious Xmas break in Dallas and Hawaii. The good news is we ate some of the most delicious food for a full month. The bad news is we put on a few pounds. Hopefully we lose our holidays pounds pronto so we can fit into the smaller clothes we bought in Dallas.

Highlights of our trip include:
Eye surgery - Yep, we have robot vision now, it rules.
Old 97's concert - New Year's Eve we saw the boys perform an epic show. The only thing not so epic were the drunken HP kids and the drunk hillbilly who informed me that Karma 'is an Eastern, kung fu'ey load of sh**'. Truly, I love meeting intellectuals across the globe.
Schlotzky's - The Original is the best sandwich on Earth, bar none!
Our condo in Hawaii smelling like an ashtray - Turns out our tenants smoked inside the unit for a full year. What's better, the morons smoked in bed, as evidenced by the burn in the comforter as well as the two empty packs of Menthol 100's and cigarette butts found underneath the bed. (On a side note I have prayed that I never run into either of those filthy bastages for as long as I live, because otherwise I am gonna go mid evil on them.)
Surfing in Aina Haina - I had a glorious surf on our second to last day on the island. The waves and water were perfect. The reef shimmered underneath me as I had several glorious rides that left me grinning from ear to ear. However, watching the sun rise over the cliffs of Portlock made the session absolutely magical.
Family and Friends - Of course the most important facet of the entire trip was getting to spend time with the great people in our lives.

We miss you guys already, but we really hope some of you decide to go into debt and come visit us!