KTUH airs Passion Pit concert announcement

Courtesy photo

Star-Advertiser Staff
tgif@staradvertiser.com

College radio station KTUH-FM announced today that Massachusetts-based synthpop quintet Passion Pit will perform at Pipeline Cafe in December.

The nightclub confirmed the Dec. 11 concert this afternoon, but referred questions about ticket prices and an onsale date to the show’s promoter, BAMP Project, who did not immediately respond to a request for more information.

A representative for Pipeline said tickets may be available for sale on Oct. 1, but added that any official announcement would come from BAMP.

Passion Pit’s first full-length album, “Manners,” was released in 2009. The band is currently touring the U.S. mainland with Muse.

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PICS: Meiso’s homecoming at ‘Hip-Hop at the Trops’

Photos by Malia Leinau / HNLNow.com

Star-Advertiser Staff
tgif@staradvertiser.com

Honolulu hip-hop heads came together at Tropics Cafe last Saturday to celebrate the homecoming of one of their own, MC Meiso, who is back in town after touring in Asia.

Hosted by KTUH’s DJ Bone, “Hip-Hop at the Trops” is a regular showcase of local rap acts and home to some of the fiercest freestyle battles in town. His “Got Rice? Show” on the University of Hawaii student-run radio station is another bastion for Hawaii hip-hop in a sea of mainland sameness heard on the majority of mainstream commercial radio. Read more

Former KTUH host now serves tacos by ‘Fistful’

Jason Genegabus / jason@staradvertiser.com

Paul Zarate, fomerly known as DJ Mano Lopez when he hosted “Fistful of Ganas” on KTUH, holds a finished plate of tacos from his new taco truck, Zaratez Mexicatessen.

By Jason Genegabus
jason@staradvertiser.com

If you want to start a passionate conversation amongst true foodies in Honolulu, ask them — and the results are always more spectacular if you ask a group in real life, instead of online — where to go for the best Mexican food on Oahu.

Some may opine that there is no truly good Mexican cuisine available here. Others, including myself, would make the case for some establishments already open. Either way, you’re sure to get an earful.

Last weekend, local residents gained one more option for tacos and burritos with a distinct edge over their competition — mobility. Former KTUH DJ Paul “Mano Lopez” Zarate enlisted the help of two cousins to launch Zaratez Mexicatessen out of a converted tour bus.

“I’ve been working about a year to hustle this,” said Zarate on Saturday as he stood outside his taco truck, which was parked in a paid lot behind NextDoor in Chinatown. “I had no job, so I was like … I gotta survive, you know?”

After making burritos to order for friends and saving up a bit of cash, Zarate took the plunge and bought the tour bus off Craig’s List. He’s worked to acquire the necessary permits and convinced two cousins, Alex Nunez and Chris Cherry, to move to Honolulu.

“It took about a day” to decide whether or not coming to Hawaii was a good idea, said Nunez. Cherry expressed similar excitement about getting an opportunity to share his family’s recipes in a taco truck setting.

Chris Cherry prepares tortillas for use in burritos while inside the tour bus his cousin converted for use as a taco truck.

ZARATEZ STARTED off on Friday near Washington Intermediate School in McCully before making the jump to Chinatown on Saturday.

During the week, the taco truck will service the lunch crowd downtown; according to Zaratez’s Twitter account, the cousins have set up shop this week near the intersection of Halekauwila and Punchbowl Streets.

“We’re going to float around a little bit,” said Zarate. “We’d like to (go after the late night crowd), but we’ll go where the demand is.

“I love Chinatown, so if we can get down here regularly, we’ll come.”

For the first weekend of business, a variety of fillings (beef, chicken, pork) were offered in taco or burrito form. Onions and cilantro were available by request; only one choice of beans (refried) and salsa (homemade) are served with all menu items.

If the first night of business was any indication, Honolulu residents are itching to take part in the mobile food culture that has taken Southern California by storm in recent years.

“We got slammed,” said Zarate. “The first two hours was pretty nuts … (and) we didn’t really prepare correctly, but we got through the night.”

The different fillings available include, clockwise from top right, chorizo, pollo, al pastor and carnitas.

Future locations of the taco truck will be announced only via social media networks on Twitter and Facebook; follow them online at www.twitter.com/zaratez or www.facebook.com/zaratez. Contact Zarate directly at 227-1422 or e-mail zaratezmexicatessen@gmail.com.

Inside HILife: 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: ‘Hip-Hop at the Trops’ 2-year anniversary

George F. Lee / glee@starbulletin.com

ON STAGE Hip-Hop at the Trops Two-Year Anniversary Where: Tropics Cafe, 1020 Auahi St. When: 10 p.m. Friday Cost: Free

By Jason Genegabus / jason@starbulletin.com

In hip-hop, just as in real life, the easiest way to get someone’s attention is via their stomach.

That’s how Justin “DJ Bone” Kaneshiro ended up partnering with Tropics Cafe on “Hip-Hop at the Trops,” a regularly scheduled local hip-hop showcase at the Ward Farmer’s Market.

“About two or three years ago, I started coming to Tropics and met Pat (Kashani) and the crew,” said Kaneshiro. “They had the best food I’ve had in a long time.”

Tropics already featured live entertainment in the evenings, hosting a variety of reggae and rock bands in addition to regular open mic sessions. Once he tried the food and got to know the owner, Kaneshiro knew he wanted to promote his own party there.

“I just wanted to get the word out about this cool little spot,” he said. “There wasn’t much going on at the time, so I figured why not start something (myself).”

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