Happy National Day, Belgium!

Seen at: rue du Musée, 1000 Brussels

Photography: "The Crooked Path" - Jeff Wall at Bozar

Jeff Wall @ Bozar

Looking for something to do during this rainy weather? Grab the opportunity and  discover Canadian contemporary photographer Jeff Wall. The Bozar Fine Arts Centre in Brussels shows an exceptional exhibition of the artist's work, who is especially known for his  large-format photographs displayed in light boxes. Doesn't ring a bell? Might be that you have seen some of Jeff Wall's pictures in your music collection - Sonic Youth as well as Iggy Pop used his photographs for album covers.

The show "The Crooked Path" displays 25 of Jeff Wall's works from the 1970s to today which the artist selected  himself. But it is not just an ordinary retrospective: some 130 works of Wall's favorite artists are integrated in the exhibition. The goal: to focus on Wall's rich creative process and make visible the relationships with and influences by other pieces of art - be it literature, cinema, paintings or photography, from Rainer Werner Fassbinder to Marcel Duchamps. And this is exactly what makes the exhibition so fascinating.  It  vividly reveals one of the most striking aspects of Wall's work: his references to the history of art and more particularly to classical painting.

So stop whining about the weather, grab an umbrella and prepare to be captivated by the haunting work of one of the great photographers of our time!

The Thinker by Jeff Wall (1986)

Bozar Centre for Fine Arts

Entrance rue Ravenstein 23, 1000 Brussels

27.5.2011-11.9. 2011

Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm

Thursday, 10 am to 9 pm

Tickets: 8 Euros

For the child inside you!

Probably every single one of us played with Lego pieces in their childhood. Nostalgic? Revive your inner child and play Lego at lunch with this original set!

Drinking bottle 8.99 Euro

Lunch box 14.99 Euro

Seen at: Bozar Shop

Address: rue Ravenstein 15, 1000 Brussels 

Open Monday to Sunday from 10:00 until 19:00

Waiting for the Summer

"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."
Author unknown, commonly misattributed to Mark Twain

This year you can easily replace San Francisco with Brussels. Seems like the Belgian capital has a lot in common with the city on the US west coast.

The sky is grey and so is the weather forecast for the rest of the week. Not exactly what one wishes for in the middle of July.  

While summer still keeps us waiting and we dream of pool parties, barbecues, sunny days in the parc and those magical long summer nights, these summery tunes will hopefully colour up your days until it's sunscreen time again:   

Metronomy: The Bay. Indisputable the song of summer 2011. No party that can do without the dancy sounds of the English hipster band. Also one of the best music videos in recent history - and more summer you can hardly fit into a clip.

 The Kinks: Sunny Afternoon (1966)

Help me, help me, help me sail away,
Well give me two good reasons why I oughta stay.
'Cause I love to live so pleasantly,
Live this life of luxury,
Lazing on a sunny afternoon.
In the summertime

Weezer: Island in the Sun. The summer anthem from 2001 just never gets old. Admittedly not only selected for the summer but also for the cuteness factor.

If you still don't get the summer feeling: Stop complaining and take these rainy days as an excuse to buy those cool wellies you've always wanted. And it could be worse: The Norwegian city Bergen is blessed with around 265 days of rain a year.

One last thing to think about before you let the grey weather spoil your mood: 

"People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy." Anton Chekhov

Happy Easter, Brussels!

Did you know there are four little falcons growing up in a Brussels church tower? Since 2004 the St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral is home to peregrine falcons. They are not exactly Easter biddies, but just as cute!

You can follow the development of those adorable little creatures yourself - the city has installed a live camera. Check out what the birds are up to here.

For more information visit the website of the Falcon Observation Post: Falcons for everyone.

Breaking News: Urban Outfitters finally coming to Brussels!

Store in Antwerp

Good news for all fashion lovers! On Urban Outfitter's Facebook fan page it now has been officially confirmed and on their website you can already find job postings for the new Brussels branch: The hip British brand is finally opening a store in the Belgian capital! Doors will open in August. Stay tuned for updates.

Campaign 2011

  

  










Urban Outfitters

Location: Place Stephanie 19, Brussels

Without Words

Seen at: Rue Joseph Stevens, Brussels

A Sip of Summer

Can't wait for summer? This delicious fruity composition will already let you taste it. I  discovered it during a weekend at the Belgian seaside and just can't get enough! 

River Woods Beach Club

The bartender revealed me his magical mixture:

-Pimm's (unfortunately not that easy to find, try Delhaize or a liquor store)

-Canada Dry

-Pieces of cucumber, apples, oranges and strawberries

Enjoy it at home on your balcony or try it at the Riverwoods in Knokke - I must admit, it tastes even better with the wind in you hair and a view on the sea!

Address:

RIVER WOODS BEACH CLUB
Zeedijk 832b
8300 Knokke-Heist

Welcoming Spring

Forêt de Soignes

You are tired of the city smog and want to enjoy the first signs of spring in greener surroundings? Forêt de Soignes, the green lung of Brussels, is the perfect place for that. Which other city has a forest so close to the city center?  So hop on your bike, take Tram 44 in the direction of Tervuren or the metro to Hermann-Debroux station. The beautiful woodlands and lakes are definitely worth it.

Have your say: Which bands do you want to see at Pukkelpop 2011?

Spring is in the air and the festival season is coming closer. And no, you don't have to leave Belgium to see your favorite bands - the country has more than its fair share of music festivals to offer. One of them is Pukkelpop, an institution in the Belgian festival scene. Since 1985 it takes place on the outskirts of the Flemish town Hasselt, this year from 18 until 20 August. Each year about 200 acts on 8 stages attract up to 180.000 festival lovers.

You can now participate in choosing this year's acts: Click here to suggest five bands you want to see on stage this summer!  

Pukkelpop 2009

The final line-up will be announced on April 26th.

And one last tip: Don't forget to be quick with buying tickets as the festival's popularity is growing: Last year's edition was sold out already five weeks in advance - for the first time in history.

Click here to order tickets.

Sigur Ros live @ Pukkelpop 2008, picture by Organix

Interview: Midnight Juggernauts

Midnight Juggernauts @ Witloof Bar

With the release of their debut album "Dystopia" in 2008 the three Australians from Melbourne established themselves in the Indie-Dance scene and beyond. Their spacy sound is as original as hard to describe: a mixture of Indie-Pop, Dance, Electro and Psychedelia. The band toured with Justice and played at renowned festivals as Glastonbury or Coachella. In 2010 Midnight Juggernauts released their second album "The Crystal Axis" which gives up the catchy dancefloor anthems for a more complex, adventurous sound. It failed to repeat the commercial success of "Dystopia" and is definitely one of the most underrated albums of 2010. Before their gig in Brussels I had the chance to speak to them.

Midnight Juggernauts on...

... their way to success:

"We owe everything to the internet. We had no money and so the internet was the only way, especially when it comes to getting known in Europe or the States: Australia is so far away from everything. Actually we all are big internet nerds and constantly twitter."  

...the making of "The Crystal Axis":

"We didn't want a second Dystopia. We wanted to do something new. For several weeks we isolated ourselves in a beach house on the Australian coast, trying a new way of writing in a different environment. We filled the living room with loads of instruments and pedals and gadgets and just jammed and experimented. We had a hammock and saw dolphins swim by, it was great!"

...having their own record label (Siberia Records):

"From the beginning we put out our records on our own label. All of a sudden we were CEOs! We just felt comfortable with it and continued that way. We did have offers by major labels but didn't like the conditions. You lose a lot of independence."

...Belgium:

"We've played with Goose and Das Pop and we like Soulwax or The Subs. And of course we love Tintin and Belgian beers!"

...playing in the Witloof Bar:

"We were a bit surprised that there was no support act and that we weren't scheduled for the Orangerie. It's nice to play in small venues though, we feel like the Beatles in Liverpool! We are just scared of being punched in the face or someone unplugging our instruments."

...the pants of drummer Daniel Stricker:

"What do you think of those pants? They were 400 Euros and look like pyjama pants. He is wearing pyjama pants for 400 Euros!"

...advice for upcoming bands:

"Smile on stage! Invest everything you have in your band. Reinvest everything you earn with the band. Don't expect to make much money with it and don't concentrate on that. We actually financed our first tour ourselves."

...playing gigs: 

"We like to add little covers for fun. Sometimes it’s a disaster, like with Blur’s „Girls and Boys“ which we hadn’t practised at all. Or we played a Michael Jackson cover when he died. Tonight our manager is going to chip in with his saxophone." (And he did: With Gerry Rafferty's old classic 'Baker Street').

...being interviewed:

"Are you really writing all this down?! 

Into the Galaxy, Dystopia (2008)

Laura vs The Savage Pack, The Crystal Axis (2010)