Story of the Year / As I Lay Dying @ Pipeline

Did you know that Story of the Year used to be known as BIG BLUE MONKEY?

Yup. For reals.

I'm glad they changed their name.

If you didn't know, these guys got started in St. Louis before moving to Southern California about four years ago. Once they got there, the band recorded "Page Avenue" and began touring almost immediately, dropping a heavier sound for one that was more emo.

Before SOTY takes the stage, however, island fans will get to see As I Lay Dying for the second time in as many years. Want to know more about the band, which includes someone born in Hawaii? Check out this story from last Friday's Star-Bulletin.

Tonight's concert is being promoted by Pau Hana Productions... doors open at 6 p.m. All ages welcome.

New Creed Chameleon Music Video

Found out about another local blog with connections to the Honolulu nightlife scene... if you have a chance, go check out Tackle Box Hawaii and tell 'em the Partyrazzi sent ya.

Which brings us to the subject at hand, local hip-hop artist Creed Chameleon, who also happens to be part of the group The Usual.

I interviewed Creed back in Sept. 2005, and was impressed by his dedication to the game and quality of his rhymes. Good to see him staying on the grind, making things happen. You'll be able to catch him in action next month as the opening act for Talib Kweli at Pipeline Cafe.

All that said, here's a link to his new music video, entitled "Flesh and Blood."

Pearl Ultra Lounge To Open This Summer

KHNL's Cindy Paliracio did an interesting piece last week about the as-yet-unopened Pearl Ultra Lounge, located on the top floor of Ala Moana Center.

Beau Mohr (the guy on the right) is the brains behind this project, and has spent the last six months working on it while also serving as general manager at the Ocean Club.

From Cindy's story online:

"The lounge isn't expected to open until early summer. And the builders are sparing no expense. This space looks nothing like a contemporary and upscale lounge. But once the framing, plumbing, and electrical work is done, crews can begin the final phase. This construction zone will come to life once everything's installed: the furniture, carpets, bar tops, fixtures.

'I'm not sparing any expense,' says Mohr.

There will be an open lanai, three rooms with dozens of fabric styles including ten wall finishes and four different floor finishes.

Mohr travelled to some of the hottest clubs on the mainland to get ideas.

'I want to deliver a great product, because my name is on this product.'

At least she was able to get an interview. Dude won't call me back...

$5 Dolla Pitchas and Rubba Slippas @ Lulu's

Sorry... haven't been able to locate a flyer for this summer's edition of "$5 Pitchas and Rubba Slippas," so you're looking at last year's.

Funny how just a few days ago, I posted about not seeing Alika out and about this summer.

Well, Soljah's back... at Lulu's in Waikiki. Should get nuts, with cheap beer and no dress code just steps from the beach. And no air conditioning.

But hey, it's an 18-and-over night, so you know where the kiddies are going to be.

In case you were wondering, VJ Entertainment and the Stone Groove Family aren't affiliated with Soljah this summer. They're over at Brew Moon tonight for "Rockstar Fridays," and just launched "Summer Camp" a couple of Wednesdays ago at O Lounge.

Israel Vibration @ Pipeline

Another show taking place tonight... Israel Vibration at Pipeline Cafe.

From the band's bio:

"Mention the name Israel Vibration in reggae music circles and watch the warmth of recognition and appreciation of anyone who has seen or heard this very special group of singers. The positive vibrations emanating from the music of Israel Vibration have been spellbinding audiences, critics and DJs for over two decades.

Israel Vibration members Cecil Spence (Skelly) and Lascelle Bulgin (Wiss) were born in Jamaica, West Indies. Each is a victim of Poliomyelitis (Polio). They met as children in the Mona Rehabilitation Center, into which they were placed because of their families’ limited resources and their needs for specialized medical care. They found strength in the faith of Rastafari through the guidance of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, and began composing and singing songs which expressed their spiritual beliefs.

They began recording in 1976, enjoying a hit with the poignant Same Song, which was licensed to EMI and brought the group international attention. Their musical careers seemed to be taking off, but, like many Jamaican artists, Israel Vibration’s recording career was set back by a local industry plagued at that time by questionable accounting practices, musical piracy, and a lack of tour support. In 1983, the group broke up and its members moved to the States both for superior medical care and to pursue solo projects.

In 1988, each of the members approached Doctor Dread, president and founder of RAS Records, about solo recordings. Dr. Dread, who had greatly admired Israel Vibration’s unique, resonating sound, took heed from the words of Marcus Garvey, and, telling them that "unity is strength," recommended that the members unite. They accepted, and the rest of the story is one of a beautiful relationship that began with Strength of My Life, and continued with Praises, Forever, Vibes Alive, IV, On The Rock, Free to Move, and several dub albums.

Their album Jericho, released May 16, 2000, is undeniably their strongest work in years and features the best musicians and harmonizers Jamaica has to offer. Skelly and Wiss fully commit to each honest lyric and sing from the heart with the true spirit of universality."

The Alkaholiks @ O Lounge

They've been party professionals for more than a decade, laying it down on wax as The Alkaholiks. Now that J-Rock, Tash and E-Swift have begun to branch out with solo efforts, the time has come for them to call it quits as a group.

Despite label issues the past few years, the trio came together one last time to release "Firewater" for their fans. You can read more about that album in this interview I did with J-Ro.

ICON Sport: Jason "Mayhem" Miller vs. Stefan "Giant" Gamlin

I'm really looking forward to this fight on Friday at the Blaisdell... Miller vs. Gamlin.

The traditional face-off pose makes for an interesting picture this time around. Miller wasn't as talkative as he's been at previous press conferences. Call it a quiet confidence... you knew he had stuff he wanted to say, but was holding it in.

"I don't like to run," he said. "I got my hands up and my chin down, and I'm ready to win this fight."

Gamlin seemed respectful, yet doubtful Miller could be effective while defending unrelenting strikes to the face.

"It's gonna be a challenge," he said. "But I'm up to it."

The full lineup of Friday's ICON Sport fights:

Tristan Kamaka vs. Nainoa Wahiawa
Stephen Palling Jr vs. Devon Damu
John Honda vs. Isaiah Adams
Jason Miller vs. Stefan Gamlin
Kimo Woelfel vs. Mike Taniguchi
Ben Shrader vs. Tyson Nam
Ray Seraille vs. Gary Myers
Lawrence Shorter vs. Sydney Silva
Kaleo Kwon vs. Marshall Harvest
Wayne Perrin vs. Anthony Ornellas
Pat Collins vs. Jarret Lindsey
Kimo Lee vs. Derek Stadler
Ron Verdadero vs. Kevnneth Gusman
Jared Santos vs. Ikaika Silva

Howie Mandel In Hawaii: NO DEAL

First it was Jay Mohr, now Howie Mandel.

After postponing his performance at the Blaisdell Concert Hall to stay in Los Angeles and continue taping "Deal or No Deal," word came yesterday that he needs to tape EVEN MORE EPISODES of the show.

So, no Howie for Hawaii.

Oh well.

Great Jazz and Wines @ Jazz Minds Art and Cafe

Party with the philanthropic tonight at Jazz Minds Art and Cafe, as the Hawaii Community Services Council and the Hawaii Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations host a fundraiser from 6 to 8 p.m.

Tickets to "Great Jazz and Wines" are $100, but presumably include wine and... jazz music.

Don't know about the grape juice, but I do know that DeShannon Higa (above) will be the featured jazz artist.

I also know that Rocky Brown (left) is DeShannon's wife. They play together every once in a while, and Rocky has her own gigs up at the Hanohano Room in Waikiki.

Lucky bastard. Ahahaha...

Call 543-0339 or 753-0901 for more info about tonight's benefit. Then stick around for Groovology, which gets started at Jazz Minds around 9 p.m. or so.

Supremacy @ Pipeline Cafe

Double D Productions and Hot 93.9 team up to present a new weekly MC battle.

"Supremacy" kicks off at 9 p.m. tonight, with two rooms of music and The Hot Girls on the go-go stages. In the main room, it'll be DJ Jimmy Taco and the Don K-Won, while DJs Mindgame and Revise represent the Beatdown crew in the Klymaxxx Lounge.

But the highlight is the weekly battle, which will award the winner 20 spins on Hot 93.9 and free studio time.

18-and-over welcome, and a $5 cover charge is in effect.

Hope this one lasts longer than just summertime... would be nice to see a weekly venue for local heads to go and spit.

R.I.P. Wave Waikiki...

It's the end of an era... after more than 25 years, the legendary Wave Waikiki closed its doors last weekend.

Along with that story, the Star-Bulletin has a great set of pictures that were taken throughout the evening. Good stuff.

That person in the picture above is Tess, by the way... one of the best cocktail servers in Honolulu. She's gonna move over to Hula's, which means I won't see much of her anymore. Boo.

Summer Camp @ The O Lounge

The O Lounge follows through with its new, one-two punch of midweek parties tonight, as the Stone Groove Family and Vertical Junkies present the 2006 edition of "Summer Camp."

This is basically the same party as last year at the Hard Rock Cafe, but now it's at a venue that's actually designed to hold crowds of thirsty club kids. Dress code is the same - casual - and you're encouraged to wear rubber slippers if you like.

Another nice touch this year: $3 drinks, ALL NIGHT LONG.

I also heard something about Boy Scout/Girl Scout uniforms, and a certain DJ showing up to work in a Bigfoot costume...

Sounds like fun!

Bombasstic Tuesdays @ The O Lounge

Now there's a blast from the past... Dano, Alika and Gretchen, reppin' 102.7 Da Bomb, Soljah and Pipeline Cafe, respectively.

These days, Dano is long gone (back to the mainland), Alika doesn't do his Soljah parties very often (he's also a firefighter), and Gretchen now works at Bikini Cantina at Aloha Tower Marketplace (I think).

When Da Bomb went on the air six years ago, the first weekly event it hosted was "Bombasstic Tuesdays" at Pipeline. Serving dollar drinks, the night was a college sleeper... used to go there early, and finish the night with all the Femme Nu/Rock-Za girls at the Wave during "Pussycat Lounge."

But that was before P-Cat went mainstream, and Pipeline got rid of Da Bomb on Tuesdays. You can still get dollar drinks that night, but now it's the beautiful (and very talented) Pomai on the mic with Hot 93.9 co-worker Mixmaster B on the decks.

Which brings us to this evening... after a short hiatus, "Bombasstic Tuesdays" is back, this time at the O Lounge. $2 drinks and $2 pupus until two in the morning, and it's 18-and-over.

Can you say summer banger?

Local Hip-Hop Honeys on MTV

From go-go dancer Nina Roxanne's MySpace:

"T.I.'s sexy new video 'Why You Wanna' debuts this Mon. 5/15 all over MTV! First, tune in to TRL at 3:30pm EST to catch the WORLD PREMIERE! Then check out MTV's 'Making The Video' for 'Why You Wanna' shot on location in Hawaii at 6:30pm! Repeats follow on 5/17 @2:30a, 5/18 @10a & 3:30a, 5/19 @ 7:30p."

In case you don't know... the two girls with their backs towards the camera are Nina Roxanne and Jenn R. Both of them participated in the video shoot, along with Cheryl Ocampo. The other two in the picture are Lyz Cruz (one of the sweetest girls around, if you ask me) and Kayko.

Funny story about Nina and Kayko... I was at Cirque Hawaii on Friday, and those two were go-go dancing with another couple of girls. Guess they had another gig, because at one point the two of them just stopped dancing and jumped off their stages. The other two girls didn't know what hit 'em.

I know there's know "I" in "Team," but it also looks like there's no "teamwork" in "go-go dancing."

Can't wait to see this video for myself...

Tempo Valley @ NextDoor

Another option for tonight is Tempo Valley, an up-and-coming local hip-hop group.

Here's a little more on the group, courtesy of their Soundclick.com page.

Tempo Valley is a blend organic sounds and live instruments playing accoustic blues over some smooth mellowed out urban beats, with ethereal female vocals and poetry. Come and feel the TEMPO...

Why this name?
Born and raised on Oahu, there's a valley on the Windward side of the island called Temple Valley. You can feel so much mana (power) there. That place inspired the album. Therefore, TEMPO VALLEY presents "Valley of the Tempo" and "Memoirs of the TEMPO."

Do you play live?
For this crew right here we've been doing it kanikapila style.

How, do you think, does the internet (or mp3) change the music industry?
Now people all over the world can feel the TEMPO.

Would you sign a record contract with a major label?
Nope, but we need a major distribution deal. You know anybody?

Influences?
V-luv(soulbrothers)(L.O.S) Ali Shaheed (tribe called quest)Eric Sermon (def squad)the Roots' ?uestlove, HI-Tech, , Ruckus (Wild Kingdom)Dr.Dre, Tori Amos, Esthero, Lisa Ekdahl, Sade, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy holliday, Massive Attack, Portis Head, India Eire, Eryka Badu, Billy MILES to name a few... the list goes on & on & on!

Slum Village and Souls of Mischief @ Pipeline Cafe

Sorry about the lack of updates this week... the real job is kicking my okole these days.

If you haven't heard yet, Slum Village and Souls of Mischief play tonight at Pipeline Cafe. Here's an interview with Tajai from SoM that ran in the Star-Bulletin yesterday.

Doors open at 10 p.m. tonight at Pipeline, and keep an eye out for the limited edition Stone Groove Radio mixtape CDs...

Soldiers Of Jah Army @ Pipeline

East Coast reggae band Soldiers of Jah Army headlines "Straight Roots" tonight at Pipeline Cafe, with local acts Ooklah the Moc, Humble Soul and T.H.C. scheduled to open.

According to SOJA's website, the band will kick off their 2006 "Get Wiser Tour" with shows on Oahu and Maui before moving on to the mainland.

"Their pure roots reggae will pulse all over for the next few months, spreading 'equal parts (of) blazing fire and healing water, full of locked in riddims and quietly powerful vocals' (The Beat, Feb 05).

Not only will you find them in your favorite local club – SOJA’s playing the big summer festivals as well – check them out at Reggae on the River & the All Good Festival!"

Can't make it to Pipeline tonight? SOJA will be at Bliss tomorrow for a "secret show" that isn't so secret anymore.

Last In Line @ Pink Cadillac

Courtesy of Jason Miller at 808 Shows:

"Last In Line is a three-piece punk rock band from Orange County, CA. Their music style is similar to that of bands like Face To Face, The Bouncing Souls, Screeching Weasel, NOFX, MxPx, and The Decendents.

Guitarist/Vocalist, Thomas Hennessy, is a former member of the Hollywood based band SideKick. Hawaii punk rockers may remember SideKick from their 2003 tour.

Tickets for this show are only $5 and it's a real deal, as there are going to be 4 killer local bands on the bill as well.

Hope to see everyone there."

Forget The Glasses, Just Rock Some Visine

When Nicole Richie went to the Coachella Music Festival last weekend, most of the hoopla was about the stupid-looking glasses she wore all day.

Those things remind me of those fake glasses you'd get at the carnival... that were waaaaaaay oversized.

Now it's fashion.

Anyway, the whole point of this post wasn't to share that first picture... it was to share this one. I wonder what that could be in her friend's hand...

Actually, I Think of Honey And Lyz..

Just had to comment on something I saw in the Weekly when I picked up a copy yesterday.

Check out the first line:

"When Hawai‘i thinks import models, one name comes to mind: Christine Mendoza."

Really? According to this link, Christine is a native of the Philippines. While she lived here for a little while, she now resides in California.

So why would someone from Hawaii think of her when it comes to import models? There are tons of LOCAL hotties that get up on stage and shake it every weekend. There's Lyz Cruz, Nina Roxanne, Honey and many others.

"Jonah a.k.a Mox will be on mic controls with DJ Flip on the 1s and 2s."

Man that's kind of cheesy... on the 1's and 2's? And it's MIC CONTROL. There's only one switch on a microphone. And you don't "controls" a mic...

K. Fed Gets A Sitter

Okay, so you know that Britney Spears is hapai again, right?

She was scheduled to hold a press conference today to announce the news, but that didn't happen. I don't know why she's waiting so long... it's not like you can't tell her belly is getting bigger.

But wait, there's more! It's also come out that Britney has hired a sitter for her husband! She doesn't want to tag along while he goes clubbing every night, and he pissed off another long-time bodyguard so bad that Britney had to make this compromise.

Talk about embarrassing...

Don't Be A Fool: Watch Mr. T's New TV Show

Oh, man... this show sounds like it's going to be good. Mr. T has gotten the green light for his new series, "I Pity The Fool."

"TV Land has picked up six episodes of this Dr. Phil-meets-Tony-Robbins reality show in which Mr. T stars in the unlikely
role of social scientist traveling across the country to dispense his ownclassic Mr. T style advice.

Whether it's viewers struggling with problemsat home or fans seeking tips on gaining professional success, Mr. T becomesimmersed in the situation at-hand and becomes a catalyst for change.

'I Pity The Fool' is slated to premiere in October."

Hatebreed @ Pipeline Cafe

While Jawaiian and mainstream Hip-Hop continue to dominate the busiest nights at Pipeline Cafe, it's nice to see the club sticking with it's plan to feature other types of music as well.

You might think Honolulu doesn't have much of a rock scene, but that couldn't be farther from the truth.

Don't believe me? Check out Dagra and Crucible tonight when they open for Hatebreed.

In my opinion, the Wave Waikiki, Anna's, Pink Cadillac and other venues do their part to support local rock, but it takes a heavyweight venue like Pipeline to really show that this town supports all different genres of music.

Here's a look at Hatebreed when they last played Pipes in 2002. And here's a column I wrote back then that mentions their visit.

Doors open at 7:30 p.m. tonight, with the show starting at 8:30 p.m. Expect Hatebreed to close things out around midnight. Tickets are $25 at the door, and it's an all-ages concert.

Hometown Heroes and SSM @ Detox

I don't know if they can draw all the regulars from Waikiki, but Detox could be the next hot spot for local bands once the Wave shuts down.

Check out Indie Honolulu for another look at the local scene... just be sure to tell them Partyrazzi.com sent you!

Groovology @ Jazz Minds

This one's been going for a few weeks now, and Jazz Minds is a pretty cool place to go and grab a drink.

You might recognize the Positive Regime crew from gigs at Indigo and other Chinatown venues. I remember checking them out at the Treehaus waaaay back in the day.

Here's what I had to say about Jazz Minds after a visit back in January.

If You Make It, They Will Buy

Just when you thought hip-hop fashion couldn't get any stranger... I present to you the $400 hoodie.

I can hear my friend Urusai now: "Ho, brah... that sh#t is HOT!"

Ahahaha...

iTunes Prices To Remain Unchanged... For Now

The big dog in the digital music revolution has announced that it's reached distribution agreements with record labels that will retain current song pricing.

"The recording industry and Apple had been at odds over Apple's insistence to keep its flat rate with some labels wanting variable pricing, including higher prices for new releases.

The distribution contracts were up for renewal for the first time since iTunes launched in April 2003. Apple said Tuesday it would continue to offer the 99-cent pricing from a library of over 3 million songs, but declined further comment.

ITunes helped propel the legitimate music download business, and Apple claims it has about an 80 percent share of the market, which last year climbed to 353 million song downloads in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Analysts say recording labels make about 70 cents per download but could pocket significantly more if the prices were raised by a few cents.

None of the negotiating parties would say how long the new deals will last, but Schadler suspected the record labels insisted on shorter-term contracts."

Black Monday @ The Wave Waikiki

Since it's officially been announced that the Wave will close later this month, get down there tonight for one of the last installments of Black Monday, a weekly that started in March.

Hosted by the Stone Groove Family's DJ Jrama, this one is a throwback to the post-2 a.m. era at the Wave during the Pussycat Lounge (before it went mainstream at Fashion 45) days and on Fridays when he would just kill it upstairs on a regular basis.

Catching Up With Jake Shimabukuro

Here's the latest on Jake, courtesy of the folks at Hitchhike Records:

"Aloha!

Jake will go straight from Japan to the BIG EASY for the New Orleans JazzFest then bounce back between coasts before returning to Hawaii for a performance with Noel Okimoto @ St. Louis Mamiya Theatre.

Jake's newly redesigned website is up and running! We're very happy with the changes and invite you to stop by and check out all the new contents!!!

Don't forget to stop by Borders and vote for Jake FAVORITE ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR for the Hokus!"

05/05 Tipitinas.New Orleans, LA
05/06 JazzFest w/ Jimmy Buffett.New Orleans, LA
05/06 House of Blues w/ Keller Williams.New Orleans, LA
05/10 SOhO Music Club.Santa Barbara, CA
05/13 El Camino College Center for the Arts .Torrance, CA
05/14 The Coach House w/ California Guitar Trio.San Juan Capistrano, CA
05/17 Birchmere.Alexandria, VA
05/19 Rio Theatre.Santa Cruz, CA
05/21 Mamiya Theatre w/ Noel Okimoto.Honolulu, HI

Check out Jake's website or his MySpace profile for more.

Honolulu Nightlife Scene In The News

I always get a kick out of mainland news reports about Honolulu nightlife.

Typically, the stories consist of a couple of hotel bars the reporter visited while in Waikiki, along with a stop at either the Wave, the W Honolulu or Duke's at the Outrigger Waikiki.

The Wave and the W did make it into this particular piece, but what I liked is that the reporter also took the time to speak with the Oahu Visitors Bureau and local promoter Flash Hansen.

I don't know why this quote made it into the story, however.

"It's like an urban L.A. or San Francisco," said Maggie Beach, 22, a Chinatown regular who has lived in Hawaii for 2 ½ years. "Normally, if you live here, you'd stay away from these places. But this is a different vibe. I think that's why tourists like it, because it's underground."

This girl has lived here for not even three years. How would she know where to stay away from?

And Chinatown is "underground" according to this girl. In the words of Dr. Dre... B#TCH PLEASE.

Anyway. Not a bad story. If you're looking for some other stuff to read, check out this report on a few of the newest nightspots in New York, and this story about one high-profile doorman in Los Angeles.

Tom Cruise Blamed For L.A. Bomb Scare

The Associated Press reports that a newspaper rack was blown up by a police bomb squad after someone mistook a device rigged to promote Tom Cruise's new "Mission Impossible" movie for an actual bomb.

"A newspaper promotion for 'Mission: Impossible III' got off to an explosive start when a county arson squad blew up a news rack, thinking it contained a bomb.

The confusion: the Los Angeles Times rack was fitted with a digital musical device designed to play the 'Mission: Impossible' theme song when the door was opened. But in some cases, the red plastic boxes with protruding wires were jarred loose and dropped onto the stack of newspapers inside, alarming customers.

Times officials said the devices were placed in 4,500 randomly selected news boxes in Los Angeles and Ventura counties in a venture with Paramount Pictures designed to turn the everyday news rack experience into an extraordinary mission.

The devices are to remain in the boxes until May 7, two days after the film is scheduled to open."

In other Cruise news... Katie Holmes' husband has decided that his wife shall go by 'Kate' instead, because Katie sounds too young for him.

What a tool.

Keith Richards Sitting In A Tree... F-A-L-L-I-N-G

So if you haven't heard by now, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards fell out of a palm tree over the weekend.

That's right. He fell. OUT OF A PALM TREE.

WTF?

Some reports say he was also involved in a jet ski accident later that day, although Richards' reps wouldn't confirm that.

And while the U.S. press remained pretty serious about the situation, you've gotta love how some tried to describe "coconut-plucking" as a popular activity for guests at the posh resort Richards was staying at. Here's a few more stories about the incident.