FRIDAY
K. Flay slays ’em with sharp lines
If hip-hop is considered edgy, then K. Flay is off the edge with her sharp, often dark blend of traditional and modern hip-hop and alternative rock.
The singer-songwriter, born Kristine Flaherty, got started in music as a Stanford University student after a friend, tired of her complaints about the blandness of mainstream hip-hop, challenged her to write some herself. Her song parodied the genre, but she discovered that she enjoyed its clever wordplay so much that she continued rapping after graduation, getting inspiration and opportunities to produce and perform in the San Francisco Bay Area’s eclectic music scene.
Her talent got her attention from major producers like Pharrell Williams and record labels like RCA, but it was her independent, crowd-sourced album “Life as a Dog” that proved to be her breakout. The 2014 release reached the Billboard Top 200 charts and sent her out on tour, opening for groups like AWOLNATION and Third Eye Blind and performing at SXSW and other major venues.
Earlier this month she released her second album, “Every Where Is Somewhere,” which features a tune, “Black Wave,” that seems made for stormy Hawaii day. Written after the presidential election, it’s got a threatening vibe that seems to conjure up a mean North Shore break, with lines like “Black Wave, coming will it drop, I can see the fear, yeah, it’s written on the wall.” Another tune with a political spin is “The President’s Got a Sex Tape,” while “High Enough,” which might seem to apply to some of you inhalers out there, in fact is about the narcotic effect of being in love.
Where: The Republik, 1349 Kapiolani Blvd.
When: 8 p.m. today
Cost: $20
Info: jointherepublik.com or 941-7469
SATURDAY
Violinist and dancer Lindsey Stirling is heading to The Republik
Lindsey Stirling brings a diverse slate of artistry to the table. She’s a classically trained violinist who tweaks her instrument’s sound electronically and blends modern pop genres like hip-hop and dubstep into her music.
Plenty of violinists dip and sway when they play, but Stirling’s high kicks and spins go to a different level. She’s a self-trained dancer who integrates dance into her performances, although it wasn’t appreciated in her quarterfinal appearance on “America’s Got Talent” in 2010. The judges criticized her for it, but Stirling kept at it and now it’s one of the things that’s made her famous, with videos that are more dance movie than musical performance.
Musically, the Arizona native is producing plenty of people-pleasing tunes with her soaring, melodic songs that highlight the violin’s singing qualities. Her eponymous 2012 debut CD hit the top of three Billboard charts: No. 1 in Dance/Electronic Albums; No. 1 in Classical Albums, where it stayed for 21 weeks; and No. 2 on the Billboard Top 20. The album was a hit in Europe, earning platinum, gold or silver certification in six countries. She followed that up with 2015’s “Shatter Me,” which reached No. 2 in Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Album and No. 1 in Classical Albums.
The 30-year-old is also one of the top earners on YouTube, with more than 8 million followers, and an author. Her memoir, “The Only Pirate at the Party,” written with her sister Brook Passey and released in January 2016, made it onto the New York Times’ best-seller list.
Where: The Republik, 1349 Kapiolani Blvd.
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Cost: $37.50-$42.50
Info: jointherepublik.com or 941-7469
Annual festival celebrates Leeward musicians, dancers
Oahu’s Leeward community celebrates its musicians young and old Saturday with the seventh annual Leeward Music Festival.
Many of the performers have won recognition at the state and national level and have performed in local theater or school groups. One of the performing groups, the Waianae Intermediate School Choir, recently got attention for performing at Carnegie Hall in New York, especially after a late-spring snowstorm delayed the choir’s return.
Other groups have had a far reach as well, such as Halau Kiawekupono o ka Ua, from Honokai Hale, which recently performed in Norway and will head to Asia for future performances, and 4U, an ukulele quartet that performed on the NPR radio broadcast “From the Top.” The play popular and classical tunes on ukulele.
You also won’t want to miss Peggy Harris, pictured, the 85-year-old “concert whistler” from Kapolei. She possesses the rare ability to whistle while inhaling as well as exhaling, with a lovely vibrato either way. Her breathing technique might get a run for its money from bagpiper Dan Quinn.
Several area church and school music groups will perform, as well as individual performers like Aaron Ostroff Magee, the talented young dancer who played the lead in Diamond Head Theatre’s “Billy Elliott” and has danced with Ballet Hawaii. And for something completely different, Samantha Won, a staff member at the University of Hawaii at West Oahu, will belly-dance.
Where: Kroc Center Hawaii, 91-3257 Kualakai Parkway
When: 6:45 p.m. Saturday
Cost: $7-$10
Info: 672-8888
SUNDAY
Polo gallops into season at Mokuleia
Saddle up Sunday for the opening of the 2017 polo season.
The Hawai‘i Polo Club, playing on the beautiful beachside grounds in Mokuleia, will host matches every Sunday through Sept. 4. On Sunday a team from England visits — no, Prince Charles isn’t going to make it, though he played here before — but there should be plenty of pomp and circumstance during the opening festivities, which will feature a parade of pa‘u riders and horses bedecked with team flags.
This year’s season has an international flavor. England plays again April 30, New Zealand plays May 21, Malaysia on June 11, and India comes for two weekends at the end of August. Other events of note include a women’s exhibition on July 2, and cup matches on July 16, 23 and 30 and Aug. 27.
Headlining the entertainment portion of Sunday’s festivities will be singer/songwriter John Cruz, whose “Acoustic Soul” has made him a Hawaii favorite for more than 20 years. He kicks off a slate of performances that includes Makana on May 7, Liko Martin on May 21, Taimane on May 28, Tavana on July 2 and Jeff Peterson on July 16.
Come early and have a picnic on the beach. Play begins at 2 p.m.
Where: Hawaii Polo Club, 68-411 Farrington Highway
When: Gates open at 11 a.m., match at 2 p.m.
Cost: $10-$25
Info: hawaiipolo.org or 220- 5153
