Just Say No To Crack

Talk about a distraction on the road... mucho mahalos to the person who e-mailed me this picture.

Looks like it's on the H-1 out towards Mililani. You know this girl is aware that her ass is hanging out. I wonder if anyone else said anything as they drove by...

Just say no to crack! Ahahahaha...

Local Vocal @ Pipeline Cafe

Pipeline Cafe's monthly showcase of local bands, "Local Vocal," returns tonight with a CD release party for The Girlas, along with performances by All Natro and One Drop.

The Girlas are a hui of female musicians who decided it would be better to release an album together instead of doing battle against each other as solo artists. Learn more about these talented ladies by reading this story that appeared in yesterday's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

Tantriq @ Ciao Mein

"Tantriq," the poolside party at Ciao Mein in the Hyatt Regency Waikiki," returns for a second month to the hotel restaurant.

Last month's debut party had to deal with the epic rains that hit the state. Hopefully the weather will cooperate enough tonight to allow folks to enjoy the hotel's outdoor lanai that overlooks Kalakaua Avenue.

Doors open at 9:30 p.m. tonight at Ciao Mein, and there will be complimentary pupus and drink specials all night long. The theme is "Think Pink," so be sure to wear something with the color.

Call 230-7369 for VIP table reservations.

Ooklah The Moc CD Release Party @ Hawaiian Hut

The new album's been out for a while, but Ooklah the Moc will celebrate the release of "Struggling Soldier" at the Hawaiian Hut tonight starting at 9 p.m.

Koko will join Ooklah on stage during one of the band's two sets. The show will also serve as a canned food drive for the Hawaii Food Bank. Bring a can of food and you'll save a couple of bucks off the $12 and $15 cover charges.

Echoplex @ Indigo

Indigo's weekly "Electrolyfe" party takes on a breakbeat bent tonight, thanks to a bunch of guest DJs.

Resident DJs Monkey and Toki will be joined by the Subphonix crew (DJs Saya, Empyr, Antikkz), KTUH's DJ MetaLX and DJs Konception and Thread.

Doors open at 10 p.m. tonight, with cover just $5 before 11 p.m.

Chemistry @ Longhi's

Matty Liu and Artist Groove Network team up once again to bring the party to Longhi's on Saturday nights.

"Chemistry" got started last weekend, and is the latest effort to keep the restaurant banging late into the night. A number of promoters have gone in there lately, but nothing really stuck.

Maybe it's the fact that you can't see much in the dark – the great view of Ala Moana Beach Park that Longhi's provides disappears once the sun goes down.

Or... maybe it's the fact that bar service isn't the best at Longhi's. That's been a complaint of mine (and a lot of other people) for a while. The staff just isn't used to dealing with a heavy volume of clubbing types.

Let's hope they get their act together during "Chemistry" tonight...

When Ghostriding The Whip Goes Wrong: Part 2

When Ghostriding The Whip Goes Wrong: Part 1

Strippers Aren't The Only Ones Making Bank

Good story in the L.A. Times today on the Atlanta strip club scene and how up-and-coming hip-hop artists use it as a venue to get their music heard.

Too bad the owners at Femme Nu and Rock-Za aren't savvy enough to realize they could be doing the same thing out here. You'd be surprised who you run into at those spots...

U2's Honolulu Concert Rescheduled?

So it looks like the U2 concert has been rescheduled, but don't get too excited just yet.

According to the story, the show "tentatively has been rescheduled for Dec. 9," according to Aloha Stadium officials.

Keep in mind that the announcement was not made by the band or the show promoter. It was made by the venue.

From what I understand, there's a window in December between the UH football season and the Hawaii Bowl. Dec. 9 appears to be the date that works the best, but until there's an official announcement made... you never know.

Spring Jam Concert Series @ Don Ho's

"Don Ho's Island Grill continues it's Spring Jam Concert Series tonight with B.E.T. and Pride Rhythm. Tickets are $10 in advance and available at Don Ho's, Local Motion Waikiki, and UH Campus Center.

Concert goers can enter to win a VIP Concert Package for them and 10 friends, plus the first 25 people to arrive will get a Local Motion gift certificate. Visit Don Ho's new website for more info."

Be Social Fridays @ The O Lounge

Hey, if you haven't been to The O Lounge lately... tonight's a good reason to stop by.

My buddy (and O Lounge manager) Hanson is celebrating his birthday with a few friends. Go buy him a drink and tell him I sent you...

Aloha Bash @ Andrews Amphitheatre

I guess it's because they left publicity up to a bunch of college kids, but very few people outside of UH-Manoa know about this show.

Which is too bad, since it features some pretty big names: Everclear and Ryan Cabrera. Local bands Pa'akani and Upstanding Youth will open.

Tickets are kinda pricey... $25 at the door if you're not a UH-Manoa student.

The Crypto Zoo @ Ong King

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about a Sister's in Sound party at a new spot called Ong King.

When I went to Soulshine, I figured out it wasn't exaaaaactly the same place as the old Hesham's Studio or the OG TreeHaus. Soullenz Art Gallery is still there, and Ong King occupies the Diamond Head end of the building where those extra rooms used to be. For some reason, I don't remember it always being open back on that side.

Anyway... that's not to say I don't like Ong King. I do. It's got two nice rooms, one chill and the other a bit bigger and more of a focal point for the party. Oh... and it's BYOB baby! Gotta love that.

So if you're looking for something a little more underground and/or easy on the wallet, check out The Crypto Zoo. Hey, it says on the flyer that this party marks the return of Space Catalog, too...

Slightly Stoopid @ Pipeline Cafe

Pau Hana Productions brings back Orange County's Slightly Stoopid for another show at Pipeline Cafe.

From the band's website:

"Slightly Stoopid, who are already into their second decade of rock n' roll, released their fifth album, Closer to the Sun, in 2005. Fusing acoustic rock and blues with reggae, hip-hop, and punk, they've cemented a signature sound and created a legion of die-hard fans in the process.

The band, whose D.I.Y. nature has seen them thumb their nose at more than a few major label record deals over the course of their career, released Closer to the Sun on their own imprint, Stoopid Records/Caliplates Recordings in conjunction with Reincarnate Records.

'It's all about the grass roots style,' explained Miles Doughty, one of the band's two front men. 'You've got to tough it out, got to get your hands dirty touring and making music. We have 100% creative control of what we do, and we've worked way too hard to have other people telling us how to do it. It's working, so we don't feel we need to change.'

Recorded in Redondo Beach, CA, Closer to the Sun is loaded with 20 tracks that both refine and cement the group's trademark sound. The album, which flows through a seamless mix of dubbed out funky blues, rock, and reggae, and a few clashes with old school punk, re-enlists production alumni and soundboard manipulators Miguel (Sublime, Long Beach Dub, Unwritten Law, Skunk Records), Philadelphonic/G-love & Special Sauce resident producer Chris D, and Dub Reggae legend (and King Tubby protégé) Scientist for the follow up to 2003's Everything You Need.'

Also on the bill is opening act Neken. Pretty talented group of guys... check out this Star-Bulletin story on the band from 2005.

Doors open at 6 p.m. tonight at Pipeline, with the show starting at 7 p.m. Remember, there's a 10 p.m. curfew for the concert, in order for Rick Rock's Foreplay Fridaze party to get started on time...

Love You Like A Fat Kid Loves... Vitamin Water?

50 Cent is giving back to the kids... by sponsoring a cooking competition.

According to the Associated Press, he'll serve as a spokesman and judge for a nationwide cooking contest that will award a $100,000 college scholarship to the winner.

The contest is sponsored by Glaceau, which makes vitamin water. 50 Cent has a grape-flavored (!!!) vitamin water on the market called Formula 50.

"Student chefs in cities including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle will compete to create the most nutrient-rich cafeteria lunch recipe.

In an interview earlier this week, 50 said he thinks 'it's a lot more difficult for kids' to stick to a healthy diet.

50, who has bared his washboard abs on album covers, said he wasn't always so physically fit.

'I had all of the unhealthy habits,' the 29-year-old rapper said. 'Soda ... a lot of fast food, all those things.'

Today, he exercises regularly and — thanks to a personal chef — eats nutritious meals."

Wonder what he would be eating if he didn't have a personal chef...

Rock Out With Your C@ck Out... And Analog, Too

If you haven't had a chance yet, get out and see local rockers Analog at one of their live gigs.

I caught these guys at the Diamond Head Crater Festival, where they held it down on the second stage for most of the afternoon.

You can see them perform tonight at Dixie Grill on Ward Avenue, Friday at Sand Island R&B and Saturday at Tsunami's in Waikiki.

Get a taste of these guys by visiting their MySpace page... check out their cover of the Seasame Street theme song. Good stuff.

Go Jimmy Go @ NextDoor

Fresh off their latest tour of Japan, local ska band Go Jimmy Go makes (I think) their NextDoor debut tonight at "The HNL."

Doors open at 9 p.m. for this 21-and-over party... and you get in free before 10 p.m.

Check out Go Jimmy Go's website for more information about the band.

"Redda Fire" @ The Living Room

"The Redda Fire Reggae Weekly features the latest and greatest dancehall music, opened with classic and current conscious tunes and lovers rock. Early in the evening, the mood is romantic and building. Later, the vibe gets louder and more intense. Get there before 1 a.m. to avoid lines and a more expensive cover charge.

Seasoned reggae selectors spinning 45s and LPs on turntables, a full bar, and the view of the ocean and city make this night a tradition for the hardcore or casual reggae fan.

REDDA FIRE Ignites every Thursday, needles drop at 10 p.m. and the vibes continue to the early morning."

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

What a week for baseball fans here in Hawaii... first off, the Honolulu Advertiser reports that an Indiana-based promoter wants to bring Major League Baseball to Honolulu in 2007.

According to the story, we could get to see Ichiro Suzuki and the rest of the Seattle Mariners taking on the Cleveland Indians in March.

In other news, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reports that the Hawaii Winter Baseball League is coming back this fall.

And it's the last regular season homestand for the UH-Manoa baseball team... and all three games are important. They play at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday, then at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Snoop Dogg Arrested

The Associated Press is reporting that Snoop Dogg was arrested in London while awaiting a flight to South Africa.

"Rapper Snoop Dogg and five associates were arrested after a fracas at Heathrow Airport that injured seven police officers, British media reported Thursday.

The Press Association news agency said members of the star's entourage had hurled bottles of whisky and argued with staff at a duty free shop after being refused entry to a first-class lounge.

London's Metropolitan Police said officers were called to reports of a disturbance involving 30 people in a business lounge at Terminal 1 of the busy airport on Wednesday. When police told the group that they would not be allowed to board their flight, a number of the group became abusive and pushed officers.

Six men were arrested on charges of violent disorder and affray and spent the night at London police stations.

Snoop had been due to perform in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Thursday."

I wonder if the Duty Free employees freaked when they saw a bunch of big black men walk into the store...

More Than Meets The Eye

Man... I used to watch the Transformers a lot when I was a kid.

What wasn't cool about them? They were cars that changed into robots! I had a grip of the toys... my favorite was the one that transformed from a radio, and had even MORE Transformers inside that were the "tapes" in the cassette player.

Anyway. Looks like there's work being done on a Transformers movie. Here's one link to the movie. Here's another.

Jason "Mayhem" Miller Un-Suspended

One of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S. these days is mixed martial arts, or MMA for short.

I've been a fan for the last few years, after going to a couple of Superbrawls (now known as ICON Sport) at the Blaisdell Arena. Since then, Rumble on the Rock and the X-1 Fighting Championship have also emerged as local MMA promotion companies, along with a couple of smaller groups.

All that said... Jason "Mayhem" Miller is one of the best things to happen out here in recent years. He's not local, but this haole boy has proven himself to local fans and built quite a following.

Unfortunately, he was "suspended" from ICON a couple of months back after getting arrested.

The good news? He's back!

Thanks to Vince from RAZE, we now know who Miller will fight on May 26. See that picture at the top of this post? Stephan Gamlin is 6'7" and 370 lbs.

Daaaaaamn. Can't wait for this fight.

It's Official: Wave Waikiki Will Close In June

From today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin:

"The Wave Waikiki, an entertainment landmark on Kalakaua Avenue for more than 25 years, will close by the end of June -- possibly earlier -- Jack Law, the nightclub's owner and founder, said yesterday.

Law said the new owners of the property want the space vacated by June 7, but he's asked for an extension of a couple of weeks. The club has been operating month to month since the final months of 2003. The property was sold last July to Paul Thoryk, a San Diego architect who plans a condominium complex for the site.

The Wave is Honolulu's oldest free-standing nightclub operating under original ownership at its original location.

Law hopes to move some of the Wave staff to Hula's, but says at least 20 of the current roster of around 30 will be left without jobs."

You could see the writing on the wall for a while. There have been rumors about the Wave closing before, but this time there was a noticeable shift when Flash Hansen resigned his promotions director position. A pervading "lame duck" attitude, I guess you could call it.

When I heard the GM was leaving to join HPD, I knew that was about it. Now the announcement comes.

It's a sad day in Clubland here in Honolulu.

Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200

From the Honolulu Star-Bulletin:

"Michelle Rodriguez pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of an intoxicant during what was supposed to be the start of her trial at Kaneohe District Court this morning.

Deputy Prosecutor Sean Sanada urged District Judge James Dannenberg to sentence her to the maximum fine of $1,500 and 14 days in jail because she was already on probation for a DUI conviction in Los Angeles.

Rodriquez’ attorney Steven Barta said in her defense that she has been on steroid treatment ever since she got to Hawaii.

Rodriquez said she suffers from allergies to dust and cockroach feces. She said the steroid treatment made her manic.

Dannenberg gave her the choice of 240 hours of community service or five days in jail. Rodriguez chose jail and was to report back to the Kaneohe courthouse this afternoon to be taken into custody. She is set to serve her time at Oahu Community Correctional Center."

Daaaaaamn... she's going to OCCC? Talk about keeping it real. At least she got one day's credit for the night she was arrested.

But We Got A Sneak Peek At The Waikiki Shell

MTV News reports that 311 will headline the Unity Tour '06, kicking off July 20 in Santa Cruz, California and wrapping up Sept. 9 in Santa Barbara, California.

Just as they did at the Shell, Big Island rockers Pepper will open things up, with reggae legends The Wailers also on the bill.

Tickets go on sale at the end of this month... check out 311.com for more details.

Oh, and here's a link to the Star-Bulletin stories about 311 and Pepper.

Buzz Over "Big Bang" Getting Louder... Thanks To Dr. Dre

That's right... if people weren't talking about Busta Rhymes' new album, "The Big Bang," his recent announcement on a New York radio station has got to get folks interested.

Busta sat in on Angie Martinez's show on Hot 97, and told fans that not only is Dr. Dre producing the tracks... he also drops a verse on the track "Imagine."

“He (Dr. Dre) sounds incredibly crazy,” Busta told Martinez. “The dope thing about it is the concept … what would we be doing if hip hop didn’t exist? Would Russell (Simmons) be a hustler selling nickel and dimes? Would Lyor (Cohen) be selling newspapers?”

"The Big Bang" drops June 6.

I still get a kick out of watching Busta's in-depth reporting outside Scott Storch's mansion... classic.

North Shore Buzz

Got a tip this afternoon that a "big name" recording artist is filming a music video out on the North Shore.

After a few phone calls, I know something is going on... but I can't find out who exactly is in town.

Still working on this one. More details if/when I get them.

Now If They'd Just Come To Hawaii

Korn is reviving the Family Values Tour and some of the tickets are just $9.99.

Can you imagine if they played the Waikiki Shell? Add a second stage out back, and feature nothing but local acts... plus lawn seats for $10?

Can you say SELL OUT???

Yukmouth Coming To Honolulu

Planet H Productions, Sky High Promotions and Forefather Entertainment presents Yukmouth of the Luniz and Opio of the Hieroglyphics, Thursday May 18th, 2006 at the O Lounge.

Doors open at 8PM with the show starting at 9:30 p.m. The after party featuring Yukmouth and Opio begins after the concert which will also feature DJ Doggfather.

Also scheduled to perform on the card are local artists the VDO Click and T-Qron of Southside Productions. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door, $50 for VIP. Valet parking available.

Call 944-THEO for more information.

Done Dirty

It doesn't matter if you're a short order cook at the neighborhood plate lunch joint, or a B-list star like Nick Lachey.

When your woman starts acting scandalous, you're going to suffer. In Lachey's case, it was the public humiliation of Jessica Simpson dumping him... to go get drunk and have her picture taken while sitting on the laps of strange men.

Rolling Stone has an interview up online that gives a good perspective of what Lachey is going through these days. Reading it confirms my suspicions: Lachey really is a down-to-earth, "good guy" who would probably be pretty cool to sit down and have a beer with... and Jessica looks like she's starting to whore herself out a bit, as many 20-somethings do as they're growing up and learning about themselves.

Best line: "It is another balmy spring night and Lachey is in another New York bar. This time he is drinking beer. This time he is not crying."

THIS TIME, he's not crying. HA!