What's On

Rock 'N' Roll

Confused by rock these days? Emo, hardcore, indie, nu-metal ... maybe it's time to go back to when rock'n'roll was simple.

Best of the Best, a show touring the country, features some icons of New Zealand music including Johnny Devlin and Ray Columbus.

These two legends are joined on this historic tour by 80s chart-topper Sharon O'Neill and veteran rockers Tom Sharplin and Larry Morris.

* Best of the Best: The Icons of New Zealand Rock and Roll - Aotea Centre, Friday; TSB Stadium, New Plymouth, Saturday; tickets from Ticketek

Festival

Whether you're a snow bunny from way back or new to the alpine scene, the Fallout Festival is a great reason to get to the Ruapehu area.

Wellington-based DJ/producer Recloose plays in both Taupo and Ohakune on the weekend of August 26 and 27, and the Sore Cocks and the Fanatics are at Hot Lava this Saturday.

The musical list goes on: DJ Bevan Keys, State of Mind, Cornerstone Roots and hip-hop act 4 Corners. There are also classic comedy evenings and short-film screenings.

* Fallout Festival - Ohakune, National Park, Whakapapa, Taupo; Aug 19-Sep 9.

DJ

The annual Winter Warm Up party is at the St James this Saturday. The event features DJs from radio stations George and Base FM performing across several rooms at the St James, and Brooklyn Bar up the road.

Different rooms mean different musical styles, with funk, house, drum'n'bass, breaks, afrobeat, hip-hop, dancehall and more on offer.

A special feature this year is the dumping of around 40 tonnes of fake snow in the closed off Lorne St out the back of the St James. And, if you feel confident enough at that time of night, have a go on the mechanical snowboard.

* The Winter Warm Up - St James and Brooklyn Bar, Saturday, from 9pm

Dance

K Rd's Descarga Cubana hosts what it claims is Auckland's first burlesque night this weekend. Burlesque dancing is a mixture of cabaret, humour, and sometimes striptease.

Descarga Cubana draws on its obvious Cuban influences, hoping to resurrect the glamour days of burlesque in 1950s Havana.

The Hootchy Kootchy Girls are the headline act with support from host Toni Bambini. After the show strut your stuff with mamba, cha cha and salsa music into the night. Dress is formal, and patrons can enjoy Cuban cigars throughout the evening.

* Tropicana Burlesque Night - Descarga Cubana, 280 K Rd, Fri & Sat, 9.30pm, ph 021 074 3322

NZ Music

Wellington eight-piece dub/reggae band the Black Seeds are riding high. Their third album Into The Dojo is at the top of the New Zealand album charts, and they are touring the country with a range of special guests.

The band is full of talent, with almost all members involved in other successful projects. This Friday will be a big one, with the band supported by Opensouls and DJ Dylan C at Auckland's St James. So if you like a bit of soul, funk or reggae on your dancefloor, this is a bit of you.

* The Black Seeds with Opensouls and Dylan C - St James, Auckland, Friday, tickets from Ticketdirect, doors 7pm

Opera

An impressive international production of Porgy and Bess arrives in Auckland next week. Written in 1934 by brothers Ira and George Gershwin, the show is set in a poor black community in South Carolina.

A cast of African-American opera singers performs the opera, with support from a 14-piece orchestra. The opera itself is broadly described as an American folk opera, and since premiering on Broadway in 1935 it has been performed countless times around the world.

* Porgy and Bess - Wednesday, 7.30pm; next Thursday, 1.30 and 7.30pm; ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre, Auckland, book at Ticketek

Classical

The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra goes Russian tonight with their show Russian Riches. They will cover the music of one of Russia's most well known composers, Shostakovich, who is regarded as the finest Soviet composer of his generation.

Conductor Arvo Volmer, pictured, will bring Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony to life for its first Auckland performance. Look out for the return of pianist Robert Thies alongside principal trumpet, Victor Silverstone.

* Russian Riches - Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra APN News & Media Premier Series, Thursday, Auckland Town Hall, 8pm, book at Ticketek

Tribute

Strummer day returns to the Kings Arms this Saturday for the third year running. Several local artists and bands take to the stage to pay tribute to the late Clash guitarist Joe Strummer.

Arrive early in the evening for a screening of Westway to the World, said to be a film that provides a "piercing glimpse into what made The Clash brilliant". This is followed by performances from Graham Brazier, Fats White, Roof Dog with Jordan Luck, the Rabble, and the City Newton Bombers, while MC duties are handled by poet/wordsmith Murray Haddow.

* Strummer Day - Kings Arms, Newton, Saturday, 7pm-1am, $15 on the door

Show

Debbie Reynolds does her thing at the Aotea Centre on Tuesday. The star of more than 50 films, two Broadway shows and countless television shows, Reynolds is billed on this tour as the "First Lady Of Hollywood".

She has been nominated for numerous awards including Oscars, Golden Globes and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1997 Reynolds was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in Comedy from the American Comedy Awards.

This show promises to combine laughter, song and dance and has received rave reviews.

* Debbie Reynolds Live - ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre, Tuesday, 7.30pm, tickets from Ticketek