THURSDAY
Trance group to play two Republik shows
Get a preview of English trance trio Above & Beyond, who stop in for two dates at The Republik next week.
The Grammy-nominated group, consisting of Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness and Paavo Siljamaki, will be playing the Waikiki Shell in May, but interest is running so high — Above & Beyond’s recording “We’re All We Need” is in the running for the Grammy for Best Dance Recording — that they’re coming to play some club shows here now.
The group has gained a loyal following over the past decade, culminating in sell-out crowds at Madison Square Garden in 2014, the Hollywood Palladium and Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre, and with an international audience estimated at 30 million for their weekly radio show “Group Therapy.” The trio have consistently ranked among DJ Magazine’s Top 100 DJs.
Grant and Siljamaki were college students interested in electronic music in the late 1990s when they met and began producing music. McGuinness joined them in producing a mix for the British trance duo Chakra, and soon they were producing remixes for the likes of Madonna, Dido and Britney Spears. They also formed their own recording label, Anjunabeats, which promotes many other experimental artists.
Though the trio is best known for its heavy bass, beat-driven electronic music, which is usually accompanied by a spectacular light show, it’s also demonstrated a quieter side, giving a concert in 2014 that featured strings, piano, guitar and percussion along with unaltered voices. Its performance in May will feature acoustic performances.
Where: The Republik, 1349 Kapiolani Blvd.
When: 9 p.m. Thursday and Jan. 8
Cost: $55-$65
Info: flavorus.com or 855-235-2867
Hawaii Foodbank Fundraiser featuring Smits, Pimpbot and many more, 8 p.m. Saturday, Hawaiian Brian’s; $5-$10, hawaiianbrians.com; or 946-1343.
FRIDAY, SATURDAY
Storied Blue Note swings Waikiki with ukulele act
Check out Honolulu’s newest music venue, Blue Note Hawaii, which presents its first local entertainer this weekend in none other than ukulele master Jake Shimabukuro.
Located in the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort showroom, in the space previously occupied by the Society of Seven, the site is the latest for Blue Note Entertainment Group, which began in 1981 as a jazz club in New York, attracting major jazz figures such as Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie, Stanley Turrentine, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown and Tito Puente. The company has since expanded to include clubs in Italy, China and Japan.
Blue Note has renovated the Outrigger showroom with new decor, a state-of-the-art sound and light system, seating for 300 people, gift shop and dedicated location for musicians to sign autographs. Chef Rodney Uyehara, formerly of the Bistro at Century Center, the Moana Surfrider and HASR Bistro, will run the full-service restaurant and bar.
If you can’t make it into Waikiki this weekend, Blue Note is also an option any other night of the week. The club expects to present two performances nightly, unless booked for private events.
After Shimabukuro, R&B singer-songwriter Maya Azucena, already featured in some soft openings, performs until Jan. 10.
The club’s official grand opening is from Jan. 14-17, featuring Kenny G.
Where: Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, 2335 Kalakaua Ave.
When: All shows 7 and 9:30 p.m.
Cost: Jake Shimabukuro, $35-$45; Maya Azucena, $15-$25
Info: bluenotehawaii.com or 777-4890
SATURDAY
Waikiki streetfest toasts to ‘another great year’
It’s Booyah for Bollywood, as the Bollywood Film Festival dances into the Doris Duke Theatre for a month of Indian cinema. The festival features 17 films — dramas and comedies as well as the famous musicals — over the next five weeks.
Saturday’s opening night reception offers entertainment by DJ Mr. Nick and dance troupe Aaja, henna tattoos and food by India Cafe, followed by “Bajrani Bhaijaan,” pictured, a spectacular, comical and ultimately heartwarming film about a devout Hindu man who defies the odds to get a lost, mute Pakistani girl back home. It screens at 7:30 p.m.
Other highlights:
“Margarita, with a Straw,” featuring cinematography by Anne Misawa of the local Academy for Creative Media, tells a coming-of-age tale about an aspiring writer with cerebral palsy who travels to New York to continue her studies. Screens at 4 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10, 1 p.m. Jan. 22 and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4.
“Court” is an award-winning film depicting the inequities and absurdities of India’s justice system, told through the story of an elderly singer who is arrested on trumped-up charges of inciting a sewage worker to commit suicide. The film is India’s selection for the Academy Awards. Screens at 1 p.m. Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14, 1 pm. Jan. 21 and Jan. 29, and 2 p.m. Feb. 4.
“Nachom-ia Kumpasar: Let’s Dance to the Rhythm” is a period piece that pays tribute to Goan jazz music of the 1960s, which became the basis for the Bollywood sound. Based on the lives of musicians Lorna Cordeiro and Chris Perry, the film features more than 20 standards. Screens at 7 p.m. Wednesday, 4 p.m. Jan. 16 and 7 p.m. Feb. 2.
“Dil Dhadakne Do,” starring Priyanka Chopra of the ABC show “Quantico,” tells the story of a family on a family cruise — seemingly successful, but actually falling apart. It’s a dramedy, narrated by the family’s pet dog. Screens at 7 p.m. Jan. 15.
Where: Doris Duke Theatre, Honolulu Museum of Art
When: Opening reception 6 p.m. Saturday
Cost: $30-$35 for Saturday’s opening-night reception, with a screening of “Bajrani Bhaijaan,” $12-$15 film only; $8-$10 for festival films
Info: honolulumuseum.org or 532-6097
Waikiki streetfest toasts to ‘another great year’
It’s never too early in the year to have a party in Waikiki, so if you’ve recovered from the revelry of New Year’s Eve and gotten your fill of college bowl games, check out this Saturday’s Waikiki block festival.
The Another Great Year in Hawaii Festival is one of 11 Waikiki events planned for 2016 by Millwood ‘Ohana Productions. It features food trucks, arts and crafts vendors, retail booths, hula lessons and rides and carnival games. Drawings will be held for entertaining excursions around the island, such as zip lining at Kualoa Ranch, dolphin tours and a luau.
DJs from iHeartRadio will provide island contemporary sounds to keep you in a festive state of mind.
If you don’t like driving into Waikiki, especially when some roads are closed, go to Uber.com and use the special code “Millwood” to get a ride free, up to $20.
A portion of this festival’s proceeds will benefit Pacific Gateway Center, a nonprofit that serves immigrants and refugees.
Where: Kalakaua Ave. between Lewers Street and Kaiulani Avenue
When: 4-10 p.m. Saturday
Cost: Free
Info: MillwoodOhanaProductions.com
