Hey, What’s ON This Weekend?

Photo by Daniel Cheung on Unsplash

We’ve had a scare this week. A person now known to have Covid-19 virus came in contact with roughly 900 people before testing positive. While there’s no need to panic, and you’re likely to still be able to enjoy all of the fun things going on, we’d like to remind you to be safe and take precautions – wear a mask, wash your hands often and avoid breathing on top of each other (literally and metaphorically). Okay, PSA done. Have fun!

Friday

Film

Motown comes to Meta House. In the 2019 documentary Hitsville: The Making of Motown, viewers watch legends such as Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight and Lionel Richie getting their start in budding soul acts coming out of late 1950s Detroit. They and Motown ruled the airwaves for the next decade, uniting listeners in America of every race. (Then the 70s happened, and it got all messed up with disco and stadium rock, etc.) 

7pm, Meta House, St. 178

Music

The Blue Souls play the blues – the peppy kind. The trio is playing its version of “funky, uptempo” blues and soul at Alchemy’s outdoor stage.

7:30pm, Alchemy GastroPub, St. 123

Jazz and the City has already reached its 20th edition. On this auspicious occasion, they’ve decided to play tribute to two jazz greats – Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong. Bringing to life these two legends are Intan Andriana on vocals, James Atkinson on piano and Ross Clarke on trumpet.

7:30pm, Green Pepper, St. 370

The Sock Essentials are here to, by their own account, “delight, inspire, horrify and amuse you”. You can give them the chance by going to see them perform live at Oscar’s tonight.

9pm, Oscar’s on the Corner, St. 13

Theatre

The Phnom Penh Players, the theatre group that consists of charitable thespians performing for your entertainment and to raise funds for local causes, is back! Premiering tonight and running this weekend and next is The Nether, a virtual world where anyone can choose his or her identity. “But when a young detective uncovers a disturbing brand of entertainment, she triggers an interrogation into the darkest corners of the imagination”. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door. Proceeds will support local NGO Children in Families, dedicated to providing high-quality family-based care for orphans and vulnerable children.

7:30pm, Friday and Saturday, The Box Office, St. 244

Art

Unveiling a new show by pop artist Runikov Denis, Good Times Rooftop has turned the opening party into a dance party, complete with fire performance by Sparkle Art. LRX, a live electronic music band, will perform, followed by a lineup of three DJs. 

5pm–2am, Good Times, St. 172 

Sra’Art pairs its latest exhibition, “내면의 La Stanza“, pronounced [Nea-Myun-Ea la-stanza] and translated as “the Inner Room”, with accompanying wines and tapas at its Art & Wine Pairing. The exhibition’s unusual name comes from its international pairing of artists – Korean artist Inzi Youn and Italian photographer Gian Claudio Di Cecco.

6:30–8:30pm, Sra’Art, Sothearos Blvd.

What Else?

This weekend is the National Career and Productivity Fair, an annual event sponsored by the National Employment Agency to introduce young Cambodians ready to embark on their careers to various companies and opportunities within Phnom Penh and around the nation. Due to the pandemic, this year’s event will be hosted online, but it still is all day Friday through Sunday. 

8am–5pm, www.careerfair.nea.gov.kh

Saturday

Film

The Japanese Film Festival had to postpone until further notice due to the latest Covid-19 restrictions placed by the Ministry of Health on November 8th. All movie theatres have been closed while the country, essentially, quarantines after the recent visit of an infected Hungarian diplomat.

Music

Heartwarming singer-songwriter (and guitarist!) Lisa Concepcion will shine on stage in Botanico’s lush outdoor garden restaurant.

7pm, Botanico Wine and Beer Garden, St. 29

If you’re feeling fun pop music covers to make you feel good, check out a “young, dynamic duo” playing at Alchemy tonight, Carmela and G-Bert.

7:30pm, Alchemy GastroPub, St. 123

It’s an epic send-off tonight for vocalist Tin (known for his bands Sliten6ix, Phnom Skor, Reign in Slumber, Blood Bricks and others) as he’s about to move to the States with his fiance. Tonight’s show with Blood Bricks will be his (and their last). Joining in on the festivities are two other Phnom Penh bands The Goldilocks Zone and Little Thieves. As for genre, all of this is rock. It was meant to take place at Boran House, but given the Covid sitch, it’s being moved to a more “subtle” location. Check their page (linked) and see if you can find it!

9pm, ???

Los Primos, “the only Argentinian music duo in town”, plays tango and blues as well as classic Latin and folk tunes. And the duo is actually Argentinian so you know it’s authentic.

10:30pm, Sharky’s Bar, St. 130

Art

Sa Sa Art Projects is holding a silent auction and exhibition at the gallery space in The Factory to raise funds for its many exhibitions and artist residency programs throughout the year. The exhibition features more than 40 pieces by Cambodian and Southeast Asian artists, all of which are up for auction. (The auction is online, so you can still purchase even if you can’t make it to the opening today.) There will also be dozens of pieces by Cambodian artists available for direct sale on the day. 

2–7pm, The Factory, National Road 2

Dance

DJs Pitch, Chocolita and Tech Support turn Sundown Social Club into a slick hotspot à la Miami Vice with their “hyper smooth” set of hip-hop, soul, funk, French touch and disco.

6pm, Sundown Social Club, St. 440

What Else?

Boutique card and gift shop (and sometimes pop-up of cupcakes or calligraphy lessons) Ginger & Grace is celebrating its second anniversary today with free bubbly from 2–4pm and chances for special giveaways with purchases.

10am–6pm, Ginger & Grace, St. 470

Vibe is holding a local and organic farmer’s market. This is a chance to meet the farmers who supply the cafe and to purchase your produce directly from them.

9am–1pm, Vibe, St. 446

This might be the most welcoming invitation that exists: “Come learn brush calligraphy skills while sipping hot chocolate and snacking on Christmas treats!” The $45 fee for the 2.5 hour course includes (besides instruction) a brush pen, notebook, practice sheets and small gift to take home.

10am–12:30pm, Make It, St. 470

Sunday

Dai Khmer is hosting a pop-up featuring local brands that have “done an amazing job for Cambodian women. #womenempowerment”. The four guest brands are Tonlé (ethical fashion), Sâmata (spa and wellness products), Senteurs d’Angkor (fragrances of/made in Cambodia) and Khmer Creations (handcrafted jewelry). And, not to forgot, Dai Khmer itself, which sells handmade natural beauty products.

10am–6pm, Dai Khmer, St. 464

The second meeting of the Phnom Penh Urban Farming Meetup will cover growing veggies and herbs on balconies – an easy way to get your nutrients and to green Phnom Penh. The session is geared towards novices and pros alike and will go over how to start your own balcony garden. Bring empty buckets or rice bags and some bottles as they’ll be giving out free soil and seeds. The group is led by Leo Aurousseau, manager of the Permaculture Department at Happy Chandara School and a co-founder of Baitong Project.

11am, Bong Bonlai, St. 830