Queenstown’s Four Square supermarket’s getting its groove on this weekend to mark a visit to the resort by one of New Zealand’s best-loved bands.
Six60’s playing to a sold-out crowd at the Queenstown Events Centre this Sunday as part of their Grassroots Tour, but for those who missed out, there’s still a chance to soak up the Six60 vibe thanks to Four Square, on the corner of Shotover and Stanley streets.
Travelling with the band around the country is a replica of the flat at 660 Castle St, in Dunedin, where they used to live.
Queenstowners will have a chance to check it out tomorrow and Sunday, take photos inside and grab some exclusive merch while it’s parked up — Four Square’s also offering some special $6.60 deals over the weekend.
The replica mini flat’s still big enough to stand inside — in Queenstown, it’ll be placed in the carpark out the front of the superette.
Queenstown Four Square manager Paddy Breen says the whole store’s really excited to do something unique and special for the
local community, noting the store will also be blasting out some of the band’s biggest hits over the weekend.
‘‘It’s a rare privilege to be at the heart of an event like this.
‘‘Big ups to the boys for doing a tour like this — they meant it when they said, ‘don’t forget your roots’.’’
Foodstuffs South Island Four Square group manager Eugene Duane says the collaboration with the band’s representative of Four Square’s commitment towards ‘‘community-focused Kiwi living, the cosy places we call home and, of course, not forgetting your roots” .
‘‘The chain turns 100 this year, so it’s great to start the party early with a unique experience at so many of our stores.’’
Duane adds with The Grassroots Tour, they’re helping ‘‘put the spotlight back on the heart of NZ and celebrating the warmth and character of small-town Aotearoa”.
This tour’s a pared-back acoustic show — each one’s being recorded for a ‘best of’ album, 18 years after they formed.
In 2006, three members of the group were flatting together at Otago Uni — their pad, at 660 Castle St, soon became their studio.
In 2019, they became the first Kiwi band to play to a sold-out crowd of 50,000 at Auckland’s Western Springs; three years later, they played the first concert at Auckland’s Eden Park, again to 50,000 punters.
This time around, though, it’s all about small venues in small towns.
‘‘For years on social media fans have been asking us to record acoustic versions of our songs, for weddings, funerals and everything in between,’’ the band says.
‘‘We felt that if we were ever going to do it, we wanted to do it with our fans, that’s what excites us, bringing the people that made us the band we are, made the songs into the hits they are, along for the ride.
‘‘We can’t wait to visit these special pockets of Aotearoa and bring these songs to life in a way that we have never done before.’’
Six60’s pop-up tiny house, Four Square, corner Stanley & Shotover streets, 7am till 10pm, Saturday and Sunday
