We’re delighted to have three of our friends back at Webstock this year. Peoples Coffee, Wooden Spoon and Garage Project will all be delivering their wonderful and tasteful delights. Here’s the low-down…
Coffee
Peoples Coffee are a socially conscious business roasting 100% fair trade and organic coffee out of Newtown, Wellington. Heading into our 10th year we’ve been pioneers in the NZ coffee industry, striving for justice and quality of life for the farmers and the best damn cup of coffee around for you.
Peoples are delighted to make a return to Webstock again this year. Fitting in with the amazing surroundings, we thought we’d put on a bit of a show. Webstock is a meeting of great minds and so we wanted to pay tribute to the iconic coffeehouses of Paris 1920’s. When Picasso would rub shoulders with Hemingway and Fitzgerald, sharing ideas, musings and gossip. A bit like the Twitter of the time – #IRL.
If you want a fast fix we’ll have two espresso coffee stations cranking out your favourite coffee order, but if you’re after something to sit and ruminate on then visit us upstairs in our Parisian coffee house for some coffee geekery – pour over, siphons, cold brew and maybe something a little stronger, to get those creative ideas flowing.
Wooden Spoon
There’ll be four choices of ice cream available.
Salted Caramel with Pretzel Crunch
An uber caramel-y ice cream with a dash of sea salt and an irresistible buttery pretzel crunch. Salty and sweet as!
Bubble Gum
A classic from your childhood days, this flavour sneaks colourful gum balls into a creamy bubble gum flavoured ice cream. Two treats in one!
Root Beer Float
A blend of vanilla ice cream and cold American-style root beer. Guaranteed to satisfy any carnival kid!
Vanilla. Straight vanilla
Perfect for the afternoon affogato and the evening liqueur affogato. Oh yes. That will be a thing.
Garage Project
The Webstock API is back and upgraded to version 2.0
Last year’s custom Webstock brew proved so popular, it was inevitable to see it return in 2014. Building on the foam-base from last year, API 2.0 is a ‘Reverse IPA’ where the high alpha acid hops that are traditionally used at the start of the boil, have been pushed right to the end. The result is a unique IPA that is deceptively drinkable yet bursting with hop flavour.
API 2.0 will be available for enjoyment at Webstock events and the numerous quality beer bars around Wellington.
The brief: Tell us about 5 songs *and/or* films. It could be the ones you think are the greatest. Or that move you most. Or that are under-appreciated. Something along those lines.
The people: Webstock speakers and assorted Webstock people.
Today with Aarron Walter, who writes, “These are five of my favorite albums in my collection. I chose them because they’ve taught me something about creative thinking, collaboration, and taking chances.”
Son House: Father of Folk Blues
Contrary to legend, Satan didn’t give Robert Johnson private guitar lessons; Son House did. House’s influence has been felt by everyone from Muddy Waters to The White Stripes and so many in between. Despite his influence, there are precious few recordings of his work. In 1965 he laid down some killer tracks for Columbia.
I love the storytelling on Death Letter Blues, and the depth of the sound Son House extracts from his dobro.
His acapella track, Grinnin’ in Your Face, reminds us not to listen to our critics, but to just do your thing. Sage advice packaged in masterful music.
James Brown: Grits and Soul
I love James Brown for his hustle and unending, funky passion. But when you think of the Godfather of Soul, images of sweat and capes come to mind, not swingin’ organs (not that kind of organ). But that’s what you’ll find on Soul and Grits. These instrumentals shake rumps with an early ’60s swing ala Austin Powers. I didn’t see that comin’.
Charles Mingus: Ah Um
This record is church. It’s moved by the spirit, and explodes with joy before becoming reflective and somber. “Better Git It In Your Soul” is inspired by gospel singing and preaching of the sort that Mingus would have heard as a kid growing up in Watts, Los Angeles, California.
While “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” is a reference (by way of his favored headgear) to saxophonist Lester Young (who had died shortly before the album was recorded).
It’s clear that Mingus put his heart and soul into this record, and for that I love it.
Milt Jackson and Ray Charles: Soul Brothers
This record is full of surprises. Vibraphone virtuoso Milt Jackson, best known for his work in the Modern Jazz Quartet, absolutely shreds on guitar (who knew?!) and even plays piano on this record. Considering he’s collaborating with Ray Charles here, that’s kind of amazing. Did you know Ray Charles played alto saxophone? Yeah, me neither, but he does here while Milt backs on piano. No vocals here. No Ray Charles hits. This record will show you what real creative collaboration is all about. These guys give and take, experiment, and venture out of their comfort zones to create a brilliant piece of wax.
The Quintet: Jazz at Massy Hall
Jazz at Massey Hall captures a historic live performance by “the Quintet” given on 15 May 1953 at Massey Hall in Toronto. The quintet was composed of five pioneers of bop: Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach. It was the only time that the five men recorded together as a unit, and it was the last recorded meeting of Parker and Gillespie. Due to contractual agreements with other record labels, Charlie Parker is listed as “Charlie Chan” on the record.
This is quite possibly the most amazing recorded jazz performance ever.
The brief: Tell us about 5 songs *and/or* films. It could be the ones you think are the greatest. Or that move you most. Or that are under-appreciated. Something along those lines.
The people: Webstock speakers and assorted Webstock people.
A song about vampires that is really about acceptance and vulnerability.
I Let It Go – The Thermals
There was a dark period in my life where I listened to this song on repeat, yelling its lyrics until my voice was hoarse. It helped pull me through. Sometimes you do have to let it go, and what that it is is your sense of self, of who you should be.
All You Need is Love – The Beatles
I have often considered getting a tattoo of the lyric “No where you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be.” Profound wisdom from a trifle of a song.
Devil Town – Bright Eyes
A cover of the Blues great Daniel Johnson. “Turns out I was a vampire myself.” (I really didn’t mean for there to be a vampire theme to these songs.)
You Got Yr Cherry Bomb – Spoon
The song that according to a decade of data from Last.fm is the song I actually listen to the most.
