Inside HILife: In the Mix
April 30, 2010 by Star-Advertiser Staff
Filed under Featured, In the Mix
Mars on star trajectory
Jason Genegabus / jason@starbulletin.com
By Jason Genegabus
jason@starbulletin.com
THE SCENE before Bruno Mars’ all-ages concert last Friday provided the context necessary to understand where the former Honolulu resident is right now with his career.
Just after 7 p.m. that night, the singer formerly known as Bruno Hernandez stood on stage at LEVEL4 Nightclub. Although press materials for the performance said doors would be opened to the general public by then, Mars and his band were still working out issues with LEVEL4’s sound.
Without warning, the doors on one end of the room opened, and dozens of people began to stream inside. Mars looked dumbfounded, then realized those being let in were actually members of his extended ohana.
“Family, this is sound check,” he explained, stepping away from his microphone to engage in what appeared to be a somewhat strained conversation with LEVEL4 security staff. But instead of pulling a “rockstar” move and kicking everyone out until he was done, Mars shook it off and resumed prepping for the first of two performances that night.
Some two hours later, Mars returned to what had become a pretty packed room and launched into a 60-minute set that illustrated who he was as a recording artist, in addition to showcasing some of the influences that got him to where he is today.
Those who remember Mars as Waikiki’s “Little Elvis” from the 1990s wouldn’t have been surprised to hear some of the stuff he played that night, while the all-ages crowd in attendance screamed and cheered as he introduced some of the material produced while living and working in Los Angeles the last few years. Mars mentioned working with the likes of Sean Kingston and Matisyahu before sharing a remixed version of B.o.B.’s “Nothin’ on You,” which was the No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 last week.
“Hawaii, this is for us, y’all … this is for us!” Mars said at the end of his set, before returning a few minutes later with a rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana.”
After going into the show with relatively low expectations, I was simply blown away by Mars’ vocal ability and musical talent. He might not be receiving the star treatment he deserves just yet, but give him time.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see him show up on a track with part-time Hawaii resident Kanye West — or someone else with that kind of superstar status — sooner, rather than later …
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Inside HILife: In the Mix
April 23, 2010 by Star-Advertiser Staff
Filed under Featured, In the Mix
Beamer-Helm CD inspires
Dennis Oda / doda@starbulletin.com
Mountain Apple Company CEO Jon de Mello, left, captures the scene on video during a photo shoot with Keola Beamer and Raiatea Helm earlier this week.
By Jason Genegabus
jason@starbulletin.com
THE ATMOSPHERE was light and jovial when I entered the Mountain Apple Co.’s Kakaako offices on Monday. After a short walk through the company’s warehouse space, an open door led to a studio where Keola Beamer and Raiatea Helm had just finished up a photo and video shoot in support of their new collaboration, “Keola Beamer and Raiatea.”
The album, set for release May 4 in stores and online, was the result of 14 months of work in Honolulu, San Francisco and Beamer’s home island of Maui. The project was incredibly personal for both artists, albeit for different reasons.
“I lost my mom about two years ago, and she was also an artistic collaborator, so I was dealing with this huge loss and how to go forward,” said Beamer.
“This is a new Raiatea,” said Helm. “It’s a new journey for me … (and) I took a risk to get out of the box and try something new.”
Beamer and Helm first met in 2008 when one of the coordinators for the annual Lantern Floating Festival asked them to share a stage. The two “clicked,” according to Helm, and they decided to start working together. Eventually, months of touring in Japan, China and the continental U.S. led to them deciding to record a full-length album.
“For me, she has a voice I can journey with,” said Beamer of Helm’s vocal ability. “Words fall short, but there’s a quality of light in her voice that I see. … I sort of thought maybe we could work together and I could paint with that light.”
The results of Beamer’s “painting” are impressive. “Keola Beamer and Raiatea” spotlights the strengths of both artists – Beamer’s slack key talents are impossible to ignore, his playing blending seamlessly with Helm’s silky smooth voice.
Tracks like “Hilo Hanakahi” and “I Kilohi Aku Au” allow both artists to showcase their singing voices in Hawaiian, while “Ina (Imagine)” is a beautiful remake of the John Lennon classic, using both Hawaiian and English lyrics. “You Somebody” and “Days of My Youth,” which showcase each artist individually, are other songs worth putting on repeat in your iTunes.
After years of scratching my head at some of the nominees and winners of the Best Hawaiian Music Album category at the Grammy Awards, it seems like a no-brainer to consider this release as a front-runner to win in 2011. Just don’t expect Beamer and Helm to jump on that bandwagon anytime soon.
“I’m a Buddhist, so I’m not attached to any of that stuff,” said Beamer. “The music is good and we want to get it out there. Whether it has anything to do with the Grammys or not, we don’t know.”
“We make music to make people happy,” added Helm. “Everyone can relate to it.”
According to the folks at Mountain Apple, “Keola Beamer and Raiatea” will be available at all Oahu Longs Drugs, Wal-Mart and Borders locations. Beamer and Helm expect to tour extensively on the mainland and in Hawaii this fall in support of the new album; Maui fans will be able to celebrate its release on May 22 at the Maui Theatre.
Visit www.hsblinks.com/2bc to listen to streaming audio from the album and purchase online …
Click here to read the rest of this week’s column.
Inside HILife: In the Mix
April 9, 2010 by Star-Advertiser Staff
Filed under Featured, In the Mix
Hype 5-0 does Hawaii proud
Courtesy Warner Bros.
By Jason Genegabus
jason@starbulletin.com
AFTER FAILING to make the nationally televised finals the last two years, Hawaii hip-hop dance team Hype 5-0 represented the Aloha State well in recent months during the fifth season of MTV’s “Randy Jackson Presents: America’s Best Dance Crew.” Despite tough competition and a slight disadvantage due to the time difference between the mainland and Hawaii, the seven-member crew comprising former Hypersquad dancers finished in third place last week.
“It’s been amazing since the first day we got to the stage,” Hype 5-0 member Josh Ulep said by phone from Los Angeles on Monday. “Even though we’ve been here a long time, we still wake up in the morning … and can’t believe we’re on ‘ABDC.’ It’s a dream come true.”
While the crew came off a bit corny during their first performance in the finals on Feb. 18 — rocking aloha shirts and grass skirts was not the best look — they showed a great deal of maturity during the ensuing weeks. This columnist was particularly impressed by their performances during the “Usher Challenge” and “Illusion Challenge” episodes; their “Last Chance Challenge” performance, which didn’t matter because they had already been eliminated, was another favorite. It’s definitely a good thing whenever hula is incorporated into mainstream dance and shared on national television.
“We just wanted to bring back the Hype 5-0 that everyone saw in the regionals,” Ulep said. “Basically, in regionals we started off with Hawaiian dance, but it was more fun, not serious. But with this one we wanted to do the same thing but take things a little more seriously.
“We’re all so proud to be from Hawaii, so we kind of wanted to give back. … We wanted to show we haven’t forgotten where we came from.”
Hype 5-0 also had to deal with two big hurdles on the show: Hawaii fans, who were forced to watch each episode on a three-hour delay, had only two hours each week to call in or text their votes in support of the crew (once daylight saving time ended, that voting window shrank to just 60 minutes), and this season was the first to feature a crew that wasn’t actually from the U.S.
“I won’t say that they’re not good, just because they’re not from America,” Ulep said of Canada’s Blueprint Cru, who faced off against California’s Poreotix yesterday in the finals. “But I have no idea how they got on the show. … I’m guessing ‘ABDC’ wants to go international (with the show), so they’re trying to test the waters by allowing a foreign crew to come on the show.”
Having been on the mainland since January, Ulep said that all the members of Hype 5-0 were anxious to reconnect with family and friends, but that they would be staying a bit longer because they’ve “been getting a lot of calls and stuff.” Following an encore performance with the other West Coast crews on “ABDC” last night, they plan to stay in California for a few days; Ulep also mentioned there is interest from fans in Florida and the Philippines, as well.
Congrats to Ulep and fellow Hype 5-0 members Brittnie Aguilar, Marc Duey, KC-Kay Kalahiki, Allen-Charles Pascual, Jonathan Ramones and William Soares III on a job well done …
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Inside HILife: In the Mix
March 26, 2010 by Star-Advertiser Staff
Filed under Featured, In the Mix
Aloha, DJ Loriel
George F. Lee / 2002
Loriel “DJ Loriel” Macalma, far right, co-hosted “Rub-a-Dub” atop the Waikiki Hobron Ohana Hotel in 2002. The popular KTUH host moves to Thailand next week.
By Jason Genegabus
jason@starbulletin.com
ONE OF Hawaii’s biggest supporters of reggae music is saying goodbye to our islands after more than a decade on the air at college radio station KTUH-FM.
Loriel “DJ Loriel” Macalma graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa back in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in geography, but dreams of becoming a lawyer (and later a teacher) kept him enrolled in school — and thus eligible to continue his gig at KTUH. He credits former station general manager Cedric Duarte with pushing him to switch his show, “The Friday Afternoon Bashment,” from Thursday afternoons to Fridays in 1999.
That all changes next week, however, when Macalma boards a flight to Thailand with his wife, Sawang. Ever since the two were married in 2004, the idea of relocating to Asia has always been in the back of his mind.
“I’ve actually planned this out from a while back,” he said. “I knew I was going to do this eventually, but I just didn’t know when.”
Macalma said that after the final installment of “Bashment” from 3 to 6 p.m. today, he’ll pack up his music and possibly take his talents online. While he plans to apply for a job teaching English in Thailand, he also hopes to step up his involvement with the reggae Web site English Pound Radio (englishpoundradio.com). His mentor, Brixton Hitman, is one of the site’s founders.
“They’ve been wanting me to join up since they started … seven years ago,” Macalma said. “We’ll see how club DJing goes, since there’s actually a growing reggae — or more specifically ska — scene in Thailand.”
Looking back on the local scene, Macalma recalls with pride the parties he threw at now-defunct venues like Auntie Pasto’s in Kapahulu, Nick’s Fishmarket in Waikiki and Grumpy’s in Kakaako. But even with the growing popularity of roots reggae in place of stereotypical Jawaiian music, he said the emphasis must always be on the quality of the tunes being played.
“My thing is that I’m all about the music,” he said. “I try to give everything a fair share as long as it’s quality.”
Say aloha to Macalma this weekend at two different parties — he’ll be a featured guest DJ at Tropics Cafe Bar & Lounge tonight between live sets by Ionz and Rootikal Riddim, then head to the Royal Hawaiian Center tomorrow for a final sendoff at Doraku Waikiki with DJs MetaLX, Sifu Jive Walker and Trav15. Local reggae artists Lion Fiyah and Ryan Mystik will also perform.
Cover is free for both events; add Macalma as a friend on Facebook.com (hsblinks.com/26t) to keep in touch. He’ll definitely be missed here in Honolulu …
Click here to read the rest of this week’s column.
Inside HILife: In the Mix
March 19, 2010 by Star-Advertiser Staff
Filed under Featured, In the Mix
Trike warriors race for a cause
 Jamm Aquino /jaquino@starbulletin.com |
By Jason Genegabus
jason@starbulletin.com
WHO NEEDS NASCAR when you’ve got food service and liquor industry employees on tricycles?
That’s what Irish Rose Saloon general manager Patrick McGrail thought in 2008 when he got into a friendly discussion with some customers over the relevance of car racing to local sports fans. Two years later, the third annual “Irish Rose .500” had 21 different teams register to take part in the races, which kicked off Feb. 21 and ended Sunday.
According to Irish Rose promotions assistant William Comerford, the bar established a half-mile course inside its second floor space on Ena Road, with teams of grown adults completing the five-lap sprint on incredibly tiny tricycles. After four weeks of competition, a team comprised of employees from Yardhouse Waikiki walked away with the 2010 championship.
In addition to promoting drunken shenanigans on race days, the “Irish Rose .500” also helped raise money for a worthy cause this year. Comerford said earlier this week that more than $2,600 will be donated to the Wounded Warriors Project, a nonprofit organization that supports injured soldiers throughout their recovery process …
GOOD NEWS this week for fans of Anna Bannana’s, the historic performance venue and college dive bar on South Beretania Street in McCully. For nearly a year now, rumors have circulated in local band circles regarding a lease “dispute” between the bar and its landlord, with some believing that Anna’s is heading toward extinction.
To put it bluntly — that ain’t gonna happen anytime soon. As was the case when the rumors first started to spread last June, yours truly was the only journalist to get in touch with Anna’s owner Jim Nielsen at home in Washington state. He was optimistic about his bar’s chances when interviewed last year and remains confident some sort of deal will be worked out in the coming months.
“Anna’s is not going away,” he said Tuesday. “Bands have been booked at the bar through April and beyond, and we’re honoring our bookings.”
Nielsen didn’t go into specifics regarding the current relationship he has — if any — with landlord Bishop Estate. He said last year that he wouldn’t be able to open negotiations with the estate until his sub-lease with the Tina DeBoer Long Trust expires April 30, but added this week that there will be a “surprise on the horizon.”
So don’t believe the hype — hopefully, Anna’s will be able to celebrate its 41st anniversary this July …
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Inside HILife: In the Mix
February 18, 2010 by Star-Advertiser Staff
Filed under Featured, In the Mix
Ozomatli and Johnson team up
Courtesy Downtown Music
By Jason Genegabus
jason@starbulletin.com
THEY MAY not be best friends, but the members of Ozomatli have known Jack Johnson for quite a while.
“We’ve known Jack for many, many years — way before he’s had the kind of success he has now,” Ozomatli lead singer Raul Pacheco said by phone last week. “Me and his drummer, Adam Topol … I’ve known him since high school. We see each other at festivals all over the world.”
 Jack Johnson |
So when Ozomatli spent some time last year at Johnson’s Brushfire Rec ords studio in Los Angeles, it wasn’t out of the ordinary for Johnson himself to stop by. What was surprising, however, was his willingness to step in and get involved with the creative proc ess.
“Jack just happened to be there,” Pacheco explained. “He came in and heard some music, he had an idea, put some lyrics down … and from there we kinda just built a song around that.”
The resulting track, “It’s Only Paper,” will serve as the lead single for Ozo matli’s new album, “Fire Away,” set for release on April 20 by Mercer Street Rec ords.
“It’s always good for us as a band to be put in that kind of situation,” Pacheco said. “It’s the type of song that we probably would have never played. It’s an interesting mix for fans of both acts, and more importantly, it’s a good song.”
Ozomatli performs tonight at Pipeline Cafe; doors open at 9 p.m. They’ll fly to Maui tomorrow for a 7 p.m. show at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s Castle Theater. Tickets for both concerts are still available at www.ticketmaster.com …
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Inside HILife: In the Mix
February 11, 2010 by Star-Advertiser Staff
Filed under Featured, In the Mix
Get your Mardi Gras kicks
By Jason Genegabus
jason@starbulletin.com
TIME TO get out the masks and beads — Mardi Gras is back!
Once again, the best parties will take place around downtown Honolulu, with block parties planned in Chinatown and at Aloha Tower Marketplace. In addition, families will be able to celebrate as well at the Children’s Discovery Center.
This year’s “Mardi Gras Carnaval” will encompass five different street corners downtown, with full stage setups and live entertainment from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Tuesday. Among the scheduled performers are Delta Skeltah, Quadrophonix, Cherry Blossom Cabaret, Family Dinner, Espi ritu Libre and a variety of local DJs. After the block party wraps up, nightclubs NextDoor, Manifest and SoHo Mixed Media Bar will co-host an official after-party, with one $10 cover charge allowing access to all three venues; call 521-9699.
At Aloha Tower Marketplace, the Fat Tuesday celebration gets under way at 5 p.m. with Mardi Gras musicians and Brazilian dancers at the Center Atrium, followed by performances by the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet Band and Dancers Unlimited. Gordon Biersch will participate as well, with a special menu and live entertainment by Cerro Negro, Capo eira Hawaii, Samba Axe and Sunway until 1 a.m.
Across Ala Moana Boulevard at Restaurant Row, Oceans 808 pre sents “Mardi Gras Mania” on Tuesday, with the nightclub “transformed into a Bourbon Street carnival, complete with Mardi Gras-themed green, gold and purple decorations, go-go dancers and face-painting.” The University of Hawaii’s Rainbow Warrior Dancers will also be on hand; cover is $10 at the door.
And from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Children’s Discovery Center pre sents what they’re calling “the only Mardi Gras celebration in town created just for children.” Keiki will be able to decorate their own masks, create festive noisemakers and ride a vintage carousel. Admission is $10, with $2 discounts for Hawaii residents and free entry for those under 1 year old. Call 524-5437 or visit www.hsb links.com/1v4 …
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Inside HILife: In the Mix
February 4, 2010 by Star-Advertiser Staff
Filed under Featured, Food and Drink, In the Mix
Apartment3’s new food and drink menus elevate its style
George F. Lee / glee@starbulletin.com
By Jason Genegabus
jason@starbulletin.com
ONE OF my favorite places in Hono lulu to grab a drink has gotten even better.
Apartment3 now has a new way of spelling its name, along with a new executive chef and a new lineup of premium cocktails. According to business partners Flash Hansen and Matty Hazelgrove (Charles “Chip” Jew itt also holds an ownership interest), the third-floor lounge at the Century Center is ready to elevate its food and drink offerings to the next level.
“We know we can get people here to have a cocktail and create a cool ambience that people might enjoy,” Hazelgrove said last week during a private tasting. “We’re not changing our focus as a business, but we are trying to expand it.”
Hansen added that improving the menu was something they wanted to do since opening Apartment3.
“We just weren’t in a position to do it,” he said. “Everybody would prefer to eat locally and support local agriculture, especially with all these great sources for local produce.
“If you can do it, why not? There’s no reason not to.”
With the addition of executive chef Robert “Bob” McGee, items that used to be pretty good are now pretty darn fantastic. You can’t go wrong with his take on Pork ‘n Beans ($18) or Shrimp and Grits ($19), and the Ultimate Mac and Cheese ($15) took a recipe that was already one of my favorites and made it even better, with huge chunks of Dungeness crab and house-made cho rizo.
Also worth visiting for are the “Ultimate Libations,” a variety of drinks created by mixologist Chan dra Lam. Priced at $12 each, they’re not the most affordable in town, but the quality of ingredients used makes them worth the extra bucks. My favorites are the Studio 301, made with Maui Gold pineapple and 10 Cane Rum, and the Absinthe-Minded, which pairs a “trace” of Pernod with muddled Asian pears and pear-flavored Absolut vodka.
Also new for Apartment3 in 2010 are the operating hours — they are now open from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturdays — and the featured entertainment. Tahiti Rey will play in the lounge on Wednesdays in February, followed by YOZA on Thursdays.
Call 955-9300 for reservations …
Pick up a copy of HILife in Friday’s Honolulu Star-Bulletin to read the rest of this week’s column.
Inside HILife: In the Mix
January 21, 2010 by Star-Advertiser Staff
Filed under In the Mix
Clubs join up to help Haiti
By Jason Genegabus
jason@starbulletin.com
HONOLULU’S club kids will deal with the recent catastrophic earthquake in Haiti the only way they know how — with a benefit party in Chinatown tonight.
“Rage for Haiti” is a collaborative effort by venues NextDoor, Manifest and SoHo Mixed Media Bar that will feature live music and drink specials, with all proceeds from the night’s cover charge going to relief efforts in Haiti. In addition, once you pay cover at one nightclub, you’ll receive a wristband allowing access to the other two as well.
According to a new Twitter account set up for the party (@rage for haiti), entertainment will be provided by 82Fifty, Anu hea Jenkins, the Deadbeats, O‘oe Carr, the Jumpoffs’ Oliver Boe and Kimie Miner.
Carr, Boe and 82Fifty will be at SoHo, while Miner and Jenkins will be at Manifest and the Deadbeats headline NextDoor. Doors open at 7 p.m. at SoHo; the other venues open at 9 p.m.
If you can’t make it to Chinatown tonight, the ladies of Cherry Blossom Cabaret will host “Aloha for Haiti” next Friday at the Mercury Bar. They’ll be joined by Willow Chang, Samba Axe, Bridget Gray, the Dakini Dance Company, Jason Tom, Laughtrack Theater and DJs Jetboy and Rolando de la Vega.
Donations for Haiti earthquake victims will be accepted at the door; call 253-1971 for more details …
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Inside HILife: In the Mix
January 14, 2010 by Jason Genegabus
Filed under Featured, In the Mix
Zhang new Narcissus Queen
 Courtesy photo |
CONGRATS TO KGMB account executive Angie Zhang (pictured), who was named 2010 Narcissus Queen last weekend. The 25-year-old was crowned Saturday at the Hawaii Theatre.
Zhang, who was born in China, is the daughter of Jianguo Zhang and Zhangwen Yan and a graduate of Kaimuki High School. Along with her court — princesses Selena Qiu, Megan Chun, Karen Chang and Bonnie Von — she will be officially crowned by Gov. Linda Lingle on Jan. 30 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
In addition to winning the top prize, Zhang was also named Miss Talent. Von was voted Miss Congeniality; contestant Erica Kao was named Miss Popularity …
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