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Monday, November 07, 2011

This week on the Adventures of the Coffee Bar Kid

This week we check out new music from LA Mitchell, Sharon Jones, Amira Grenell (feat. at WOMAD next year), and interview

Mike McRoberts (TV3's Foreign Correspondent) about his biography 'Beyond the Front Line' and Sports Writer Bob Howitt, who's just released 'Black where it belongs' a retrospective play-by-play celebration of the All Blacks most awesome World Cup Campaign.

Plus we GIVE AWAY two passes to Fly My Pretties IV - St.James Theatre 19 November.

All the goss on the Pretties:

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Stayed tuned to Groove for all the upcoming festivals ...

We're all very excited at Groove. Next Wednesday 26 October is the launch of this year's line up for WOMAD 2012 in Taranaki and Groove's very own CoffeeBar Kid will be there to bring you the news on his show: The Adventures of the CoffeeBar Kid on 27 October from 7.30!


Also coming up is the Big Day Out! We have interviews and other goodies in the pipeline for this one too.... more to come on that soon!

Friday, October 14, 2011

BREAKING NEWS! Finally - GROOVE STREAMING LIVE ONLINE & ON YOUR I-PHONE! - Updated 18/10/11

You've asked for it many times and after sooo long, we're finally streaming online. Just click the button on the wee player above to enjoy Groove 107.7FM live in all it's Glorious Stereo Retro Digital High Fidelity.

You can also 'tune in' on your I-Phone, I-Pad, Blackberry or Android phone via the Tunein radio app available for free download!
Make sure you tell anyone you know who's moved out of town or doesn't quite have Groove reception and would love to listen "They can now listen to New Zealand's only Cafe Style Radio station on this very page (http://grooveradio.blogspot.com/)"

I'm pleased to say that within 12 hours of our stream going live, Dan from IT Services and learning was on the phone offering to sponsor the stream, enabling us to keep running it at great audio quality and 24 hours a day! Make sure you call them to fix any IT issues you have on 021-026 028 23 or go to http://www.itrepair.co.nz/.

Use the buttons below to tell your networks about the stream or with the 'Share on Facebook' button on the bottom right of this post.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

This week on the Adventures of the Coffee Bar Kid: Mel Parsons & Carolina Moon

This wek we have two fantastic interviews. One with West Coast singer Songwriter Mel Parsons and the other with Carolina Moon, Auckland based jazz singer and virtuoso.

Also, arather saucy review of Nicholson Barker's 'House of Holes'.

For details from theshow click the link: http://adventuresofthecoffeebarkid.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

This week on the Adventures of the Coffee Bar Kid - We go 'Man Caving'

That's right in honour of the new book "The Kiwi Man Cave" by Steve Hale, the Kid looks at all the options for a small slice of Male Heaven amoungst the rabble of suburbian hell. We have website links, a book review and of course 'Cave Music" all for your Man Caving Pleasure. Frrom 7.30 only on Groove 107.7 FM

Head to the Kid's pages to learn more ... http://adventuresofthecoffeebarkid.blogspot.com

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Flavours World Food Fair


Jarek and I are spent Saturday afternoon on the 24th of Sept broadcasting from the Flavours World Food Fair at the Wellington Town Hall. Fine food from countries such as Malaysia, France, Thailand, Mexico, India, US, Indonesia, NZ, Philippines, Italy, Africa...

We played World music all afternoon at the venue, and on-air on Groove 107.7FM

We've had some fantastic dance performances and which built up to the start of the England vs Romania Rugby World Cup match shown live on the big screen at 6pm followed by the big one (for us Kiwi's), NZ vs France live at 8.30.

Dean - The Groovemiester.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

This Week on the Adventures of the Coffee Bar Kid - Other People's Wars



That's right we have Nicky Hager on the show, Author of OtherPeoples wars - a comprehensive look at the New Zealand Defence Force's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nicky takes us through the salent points and demysities some of the military jargon. Far from being the major conspiracy the mainstream medi have hinted at, this is a great red for anyone who wants an independent view on what's hapenin over there.

You can read a comprehensive review for yourself at: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1109/S00109/book-review-nicky-hagers-other-peoples-wars.htm



Thursday, September 01, 2011

Streaming live online

You've asked for it many times and...

Groove 107.7FM is finally streaming online in glorious retro digital hi-fidelity stereo. Just click play on the transistor radio on the right, above.

Make sure you tell anyone you know that has moved out of town or doesn't quite have Groove reception and would love to listen: "they can now listen to New Zealands only Cafe style radio station live online by going to www.groovefm.co.nz and clicking the news link (or if they're in a real hurry, go straight to www.grooveradio.blogspot.co.nz)

You can also listen on your I-Phone, I-Pad, Android phone or Blackberry via the free 'Tune in radio' App.

Please email (or post on Facebook) anyone you think might want to tune in.

Fighting the good fight for lovers of Wellington cafe style radio and local music for over 10 years.

Tonite on the Adventures of the Coffeebar Kid








Tonite we feature new music from Caro Emerald and a Detective Novel.

Deleted Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor : Caro Emerald (Grandmono / Dramatico Records)
Dutch Pop Jazz Chantuese Caro Emerald features on tonite's show. This is her debut album. It set an all time chart record on 20 August 2010 by spending its 30th week at number one on the Dutch album chart, beating the previous record set by Michael Jackson's Thriller by one week. The album has become the biggest selling album of 2010 in the Netherlands, selling over 270,000 copies so far. On 3 October 2010, Van der Leeuw was awarded the Dutch Music Prize "Edison" for Best Female Artist.
For more infor go here ....http://adventuresofthecoffeebarkid.blogspot.com/2011/09/and-now-back-to-music-1-september-on.html






We also have a new The Groove Book Report: By Any Means by Ben Sanders - Harper Collins $24.95. A hardedged, clean cut, to the point detective mystery set in Auckland and the North Shore. Check out the transcript at http://adventuresofthecoffeebarkid.blogspot.com/2011/08/for-some-inexplicable-yet-compelling.htmlicable-yet-compelling.html




Tune in to the ADVENTURES OF THE COFFEEBAR KIND 7.30 PM TONITE!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Featuring on The Adventures of the Coffeebar Kid Tonite!






Music from the album 'Group Hug' - Wellington's Damien Wilkins & some kind souls have put together an eccletic mix of tunes, a little Neil TYoung, a dose of McGlashan and plenty of Graeme Downes intelliagenca! This is music to treasure. My favourite for the year, next to my treasured Avalache City.




Also, tonite a bunch of ol' has beens from the Deep South the Chaps, lead by John Dodd. They're new album "Don't Worry Bout Your Age" is a real doozy! They specialise in a lighter touch of blues, jazz and honkytonk with an album of all new and originals.




Listen tonite from the Special Winter Time of 7.30PM only on Groove 107.7FM.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The Groove petrol price Guru predicts petrol about to go down!

Hold off filling the car up with petrol...
As the output of our exclusive Groovamatic petrol price forecaster shows, at 22/6/11 (today) our Guru predicted that the price is about to go down to approximately NZ$1.99!
In reality, as of today it should be at $1.95 but we can't quite see them going that far.



How does the Groove petrol Guru know?

Using a secret formula based on wholesale barrel price, US$ exchange rate and 'normal' petrol company margin. The pink line is the actual price at the pump in Wellington over the last few months. The purple line is what you could expect the price to be on the day based on the factors mentioned above.


Another friendly community service from Groove 107.7FM.

Thursday, June 09, 2011

It was a Big Night on the Adventures of the CoffeeBar Kid - on Thursday.

Oh, yeah. It's a big night we have interviews from Bob Cranshaw, Bassist with Sonny Rollins (who plays the Michael Fowler Centre this Saturday nite!).

Sonny Rollins is the original saxophone colossus, a name he earned playing alongside jazz greats Charlie Parker, Thelonius Monk and Miles Davis. Now 80, he is one of the great bebop saxophonists, and still has incredible form playing with the energy of a man half his age.

His only New Zealand concert, this is a rare treat for jazz devotees to see one of the world’s finest musicians on stage.

“By the finale, everyone knew what a jazz giant sounded like. Long live Sonny Rollins" - LONDON EVENING STANDARD

Make sure you click below to...

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Eli "Paperboy" Reid brings Soul to the Capital!!!!

























Man, this guy has energy. Like a tightly sprung bundle of hot soul energy he screeched, yowed and hotdiggity-danged his way through a two hour set of white boy and memphis R&B. Polyester, sansa-belts and lounge shirts never sounded so good. Backed by a four piece - drums, bass, rhythm and keys (Korgs and Rhodes), Reid brought the ghosts of James Brown, Isaac Hayes and Screamin' Jay Hawkins to the Bodega on a frosty autumn night. Despite the slightly undernourished crowd there was a lot of love in the room. Warmed up by our own blues legend Darren Watson, ever the professional, Reid burst on to the stage with sharpened quiff and voice fully loaded, despite this being the last of a multi-month tour. You wouldn't know it. Reid seemed like a man posesssed. His delivery was sharp and professional, reading the audience and winding them up with southern style show banter - the very same that failed for BB King last week as it happens. Reid zipped through all the hits and misses from both albums before drawing out three encores, completing with his memorable screamer "Boom Boom". Reid's music was not familiar to most of the audience and that was clear. Yet, by the end of the night there were many looking longingly for cds to purchase. If you ask me, it was $50 well spent.


- The Coffeebar Kid.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

THE COUNTDOWN IS ON TO NEW ZEALAND'S LARGEST WORLD PARTY

Gather your friends and family together and head to one of the world's most stunning venues for a three-day celebration of global culture.

... And Groove will be there - DJ's P-Huny, Dean and Jarek will be on the ground reporting with Live Crosses to the Studio, and featuring tunes and interviews all WOMAD Weekend!

What's happening on Saturday?
SATURDAY LINE-UP INCLUDES
Oooh check this : Tiki Taane, Lawrence Arabia, Paddy Free, Trinity Roots, Rhombus with Michael Tuffery, Carolina Moon, Maisey Rika, The Cat Empire, Don Letts, Sidesteppper, The Barons of Tang, 17 Hippies +++ lots more!!!!

And more : the newly announced artists: 17 Hippies (Germany), Sidestepper (Colombia), Mana Maoli(Hawaii, United States), Tray So (Cambodia), Tiki Taane and the Dub Soldiers with Te Pou o Mangataawhiri (NZ), Lawrence Arabia (NZ), Will Crummer and The Rarotongans(Cook Islands/NZ), the Patea Maori Club (NZ) and Whitireia Performing Arts Group (NZ) will perform at WOMAD New Zealand 2011 at New Plymouth’s Brooklands Park and TSB Bowl from 18-20 March. These artists join an outstanding line-up of performers from every corner of the globe delivering musical styles from calypso to afro-celtic, Inuit throat-singing to Mongolian rock, ska-fused rockabilly to electronica and everything in between.

And a little history ....

WOMAD was founded in 1980 by Peter Gabriel, Thomas Brooman, Bob Hooton, Stephen Pritchard, Martin Elbourne and Jonathan Arthur.

The first WOMAD festival was in Shepton Mallet, UK in 1982. The audience saw Peter Gabriel, Don Cherry, The Beat, Drummers of Burundi, Echo & The Bunnymen, Imrat Khan, Prince Nico M' barga, Simple Minds, Suns of Arqa and Ekome amongst others performing. Since 1982 WOMAD Festivals has travelled all over the world, bringing artists to numerous locations and entertaining over one million people.
Ethos

From the outset, the WOMAD name has reflected the festival’s idea; to be embracing but non-definitive, inspiring and outward looking; and more than anything, enthusiastic about a world that has no boundaries in its ability to communicate through music and movement.

WOMAD has always presented music that they felt to be of excellence, passion and individuality, regardless of musical genre or geographical origin. WOMAD encourages collaboration amongst the artists they invite to perform.

Adult workshops are taken by the musicians and will involve dance, musical instruments and discussions. Children's workshops involve painting, circus skills, graffiti, modelling, story telling and more.

Taste The World. Musicians cook a choice of dish from their home country in front of an audience. Global Market. The Global Market sells international food and wares.

WOMAD in the UK takes place in the grounds of Charlton Park, a stately home in Wiltshire. The arena holds at least 8 stages with a further one in the Arboretum. An old fashioned steam fair, global market, children's area, wellbeing section is also found on the WOMAD UK festival site.

WOMAD Charlton Park falls on the last complete weekend in July.
WOMADelaide, Adelaide, South Australia. WOMAD New Zealand, Taranaki, New Zealand. WOMAD Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi. UAE WOMAD Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. WOMAD Sicily, Sicily, Italy. WOMAD Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.

For more information go to http://www.womad.co.nz/

Thursday, March 10, 2011


We're back at the biggest party in New Zealand. WOMAD is back at the Bowl of Brooklands. Gather up all your friends and head to New Plymouth for a three day weekend of partying, Music anddance fromall over the world. This week we're giving away a three day ticket with camping. Listen out to win!
Groove is going to be their with interviews, blogs, and photos so stay tuned to this blog for moredetails.
The line up is huge go to www.womad.co.nz for more info ...

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Join us for the 350 Birdman competition tomorrow.


P-Huny and I will be down at the main stage for the competition, tomorrow Sunday 23, 10am – 5pm at Taranaki St Wharf, Frank Kitts park and the waterfront (Monday 24 Jan if wet).

You can enter online or on the day. See http://www.birdman.org/ for details on 3 stages of bands, Crafts market, information stalls, Kids rides and activities, Food court, Kids talent quest and Birdkidz as well as the Main Birdman competition (from 12).
If the weather looks dodgy tomorrow, listen to Groove 107.7FM to find out if it's been postponed till Monday (or phone 384 1998 from 8am).
Groovemeister

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

The CoffeeBar Kid is back

oo
Back and refreshed the CoffeeBar Kid is back and raring to go. This week we have blues/alt country artists Mercury Crow in the studio and with guitars in hand. Check out their new single "Kiss Me or Kill Me" sounding like early Stones or Black Crowes they are all swamp rock and down home blues.

See their website: http://www.mercurycrowe.com/

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

A tremendous loss - No more Barry


It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of Barry Lakeman, host of 'Blues with Barry' and other shows on Groove for around 8 years. Barry died of Cancer on the afternoon of Sunday the 9th of January.

As well as a broadcaster on Groove and other stations previously, Barry was an R & B and Blues musician, Blues enthusiast, quiz writer, IT Project Manager, playwright, actor, friend, car rally organiser and navigator, train enthusiast, magazine maker, father, brother, husband, uncle, lover of life and questions and theatre, and much more.
Thank you Barry so much for all you've given to Groove over the years; the talent, wit, musical knowledge, professionalism, humour, enthusiasm and dedication to the station. The longest standing member of the team apart from the Coffebar kid and myself. I always appreciated you manning the fort on-air when others of us were broadcasting down at the beach or at the Organic river festival etc. You are already sorely missed from Groove and will be dearly missed by me personally.

Dean Conland - Groovemiester.

A public memorial service was held at Downstage Theatre. In great Barry style it featured excerpts from his plays including the premiere of a short play he wrote in the last few months.