COURTESY AARON CARMACK
FRIDAY
Mr. Carmack brings his electronic beats to night at Republik
Music producer Mr. Carmack, a former Honolulu resident, headlines an evening of electronic music at the Republik today.
Aaron Carmack grew up in San Francisco and went to college in Long Beach before moving to Oahu. He managed to live here three years from income generated by his releases on the online music store Bandcamp, twice reaching No. 1 in sales with his "Bang Vol. 3" and the "Life/Death" EP. They came out within a few days of each other in January 2013, cementing his reputation as one of the more prolific producers in the business.
His success propelled Mr. Carmack to collaborations with notable artists like Pharrell, Diplo, Watsky and Denzel Curry and tours that have taken him to five continents, as well as an appearance at the South by Southwest music festival.
Now based in Los Angeles, Carmack is a member of Soulection, a record label, radio show and collective of music makers and producers. Soulection artists Esta and Lakim and DJ’s Joe Kay and The Whooligan will also perform.
Where: The Republik, 1349 Kapiolani Blvd.
When: 8 p.m. today
Cost: $30
Info: flavorus.com or 855-235-2867
COURTESY PABLO SAINZ VILLEGAS
SUNDAY
Guitar master will perform Spanish and classical program
Classical guitar virtuoso Pablo Sainz Villegas, considered the heir to the great Andres Segovia, comes to Honolulu this weekend in the Hawai ‘i Symphony Orchestra’s "Guitar Hero" program.
"I believe guitar is one of the most democratic instruments," said Villegas in a call from Taiwan, where he was on tour. "The versatility of the guitar allows it to be part of all different kinds of music, not only classical, but folk and pop, and rock and flamenco. And I want to take advantage of all the things the guitar has to offer."
The native of La Rioja, Spain, felt a connection with a guitar at a young age, starting lessons at age 6 and performing in a recital a year later. "That day really changed my life, because I loved the connection I had with the audience," said Villegas, who went on to win a slew of awards in guitar competitions.
His latest album, "Americano," explores music from the New World and features him playing banjo music on his guitar, which he tuned like a banjo. The album also includes music by film composer John Williams and Leonard Bernstein.
Villegas will perform Joaquin Rodrigo’s "Fantasia para un gentilhombre," a piece based on Renaissance dances that was composed for Segovia, and a solo work, Tarrega’s "Gran Jota de Concierto," which features the guitar being used as a percussive instrument as well as a strummed one.
"I grew up listening to jotas. That’s what the traditional music of La Rioja is," Villegas said. "It’s a very noble, truthful, basic sort of music — basic in the best sense of the word."
Also on the program is Shostakovich’s "Symphony No. 10 in E Minor," which was composed after Shostakovich had been denounced by Soviet authorities for a second time. It contains a moody first movement and an intense pulsating second movement that refers to the Stalin regime. Scott Yoo guest conducts.
Where: Blaisdell Concert Hall
When: 4 p.m. Sunday
Cost: $34-$92
Info: ticketmaster.com or 866-448-7849
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TUESDAY
Slipknot singer Corey Taylor combines acoustic set with reading from new book
Corey Taylor comes out from behind the mask for an appearance that might just be the most unusual book promotion appearance you’ll ever experience.
Taylor is the frontman for Grammy Award-winning hard rockers Slipknot, whose members usually don horror masks to perform. He has penned his third book, "You’re Making Me Hate You: A Cantankerous Look at the Common Misconception That Humans Have Any Common Sense Left," which he says in a release is "probably the one I’ll get in the most trouble for. I would find something that would make me blister with hate, and I’d try to rip it to shreds."
The book will be the basis of his appearance, combining a reading, an acoustic set, some extemporaneous speaking and a Q&A with the audience. If this book is anything like his others, he’ll have some provocative things to say. His earlier books, "Seven Deadly Sins: Settling the Argument Between Born Bad and Damaged Good" and "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven" were New York Times best-sellers.
Taylor isn’t letting his extracurricular activities — he also acted in the 2015 horror film "Fear Clinic" — keep him from making music. Slipknot’s 2014 album ".5: The Gray Chapter," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200. Taylor also fronts Stone Sour, which has two gold-selling albums and the platinum single "Through Glass."
Where: The Republik, 1349 Kapiolani Blvd.
When: 8 p.m. Tuesday
Cost: $30
Info: flavorus.com or 855-235-2867
COURTESY MICHAEL WEINTROB
THURSDAY-NOV. 21
Joe Louis Walker to headline at the Oahu Jazz & Blues Festival
Blues Hall of Famer Joe Louis Walker headlines the main event of the Oahu Jazz & Blues Festival on Nov. 21. The fest returns for a second year at Turtle Bay Resort, beginning Thursday.
Walker, a three-time Grammy winner, grew up playing with family members in clubs in San Francisco. He lived around the corner from the Grateful Dead and hung out with Sly Stone and other Bay Area music icons, fusing rock with the classic blues that his family brought with them from the Deep South.
"I feel extremely fortunate, because not only was there the music, but there was also a lot of tolerance in the Bay Area," he said. "When I started traveling, it was hard to wrap my mind around this, but when I went to Chicago, to Detroit, there were certain parts of town you couldn’t go in, certain things you couldn’t do. … Musically, that kind of puts you in a box too."
Walker has broken out of that box, performing with diverse artists like the Rolling Stones, U2, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Sting and B.B. King, among other greats, bringing a sound that is clearly bluesy yet upbeat and energetic. "I try to do songs that are inspirational," he said, referring to gospel-like tunes on his latest album, "Everybody Wants a Piece." "It’s been my experience that it’s extremely hard to put negativity in a song and have it be accepted as a song with positivity. If you can connect with people positively, you can have a much greater impact."
Other visiting guests include Grammy-winning trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis; from New Orleans, award-winning band The Iguanas and blues harmonica and accordion player Johnny Sansone; guitarist Bobby Broom, a favorite of Downbeat Magazine; and Kansas City jazz singer Pam Baskin Watson. Local talent includes Na Hoku Hanohano Award winners Kawika Kahiopo and Paula Fuga, guitarist Benny Uyetake and more.
The artists will play a song or two at pre-festival events on Thursday and Nov. 20 before the main event on Nov. 21.
Where: Turtle Bay Resort
When: 7 p.m. Thursday at Surfer the Bar; 6 p.m. Nov. 20, Kula Grille; 5 p.m. Nov. 21, Kuilima Point on the oceanfront
Cost: $20, Thursday concert; Nov. 20 show, free with cost of dinner; $50-$100, Nov. 21 concert
Info: oahujazzandbluesfestival.com
TICKER
Get into the swing of things with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. 6 p.m. Saturday, Blaisdell Concert Hall, $69-$99. ticketmaster.com or 866-448-7849
