FRIDAY
Listen to tales of Hawaii from top storytellers
Experience Hawaii’s great oral tradition at today’s Mo‘olelo Storytelling Festival, featuring some of Hawaii’s top storytellers.
Tales dating back to pre-contact Hawaii will be told through oli (chant), hula (dance), mele (song) and moolelo (storytelling). Others will be related to Queen Liliuokalani, in preparation for next year’s centennial recognition of her death, said kumu hula Vicky Holt Takamine, pictured, who is organizing the production.
Takamine’s halau Pua Ali‘i ‘Ilima will perform three mele dedicated to Liliuokalani. Students of kumu hula Kalani Akana will also perform several oli, including one written for the dedication of the queen’s statue and another about her kahili, the feather standard.
Theater students at the University of Hawaii at Manoa will perform original works, including one based on the story of Hi‘iaka, sister of the goddess Pele, under the direction of professor Haili‘opuaBaker.
The lineup also includes actor Moses Goods, kumu hula Robert Cazimero and Halau Na Kamalei, Hawaiian musician Jon Osorio and Maui poet Mahealani Wendt. “Every year, she writes a poem forLiliuokalani,” Takamine said.
Much of the performance will be in Hawaiian, but some explanation will be provided. “Our audience will need to know that some of this will be entirely in Hawaiian, but we hope they get the gist of things,” Takamine said. “They certainly will thoroughly enjoy the hula. … The theater pieces are little dramas, so you will certainly get that.”
Where: Honolulu Museum of Art
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Cost: $12-$15
Info: honolulumuseum.org or 532-6097
TUESDAY
Pop-punk bank Wonder Years coming to isles
Philadelphia-based band the Wonder Years hits Hawaiian Brian’s with its powerful but uplifting message.
The pop-punk band boasts heavy-metal instrumentals and easy-on-the-ears vocals. The group — consisting of lead vocalist Dan “Soupy” Campbell, guitarists/vocalists Matt Brasch and Casey Cavaliere, drummer Mike Kennedy, guitarist/keyboard player Nick Steinborn and bassist Josh Martin — has released five albums in 11 years, hitting the charts with their last three. Their most recent release, 2015’s “No Closer to Heaven,” reached No. 1 on the U.S. Alternative charts.
“We want to walk a line where every record we’re doing we’re taking one nice step forward, but we’re not taking a giant leap,” Campbell told fusetv. “We’re not leaving everyone in the dust.”
One shouldn’t be surprised by the reference to Neil Armstrong’s famous quote. The band’s first song was titled “Buzz Aldrin: The Poster Boy for Second Place.”
Where: Hawaiian Brian’s, 1680 Kapiolani Blvd.
When: 6 p.m. Tuesday
Cost: $25
Info: underworldevents.com
THURSDAY
Grammy-nominated musicians are bringing their funk to the isles
The blues veterans of Sugar Ray and the Bluetones bring their chops and classic tunes to Hawaii Theatre this week.
Frontman “Sugar” Ray Norcia is a celebrated singer, songwriter and harmonica player who’s been nominated for three Grammys. His harmonica playing was featured on the album “Super Harp,” acollaborative effort by harmonica virtuosos that was nominated for Best Traditional Blues. Just be careful if you meet him, otherwise you might wind up in a tune. “Norcia is the kind of personpeople go to with their personal problems, and some of this (as well as his own life experience) provides fodder for his songs,” Allmusic.com said.
Norcia, pianist Anthony Geraci, bassist Michael Ward and drummer Neil Gouvin are original members of the band, which formed in Rhode Island in 1979. They will be joined by guitarist Ronnie Earl.All of them have collaborated with a long list of top blues artists: Geraci played with B.B. King, Otis Rush and Big Mama Thorton; Ward’s accomplishments include playing for the “Fried GreenTomatoes” soundtrack; and Gouvin has performed with Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters.
Since 2001 the band has featured guitarist Mike Welch, who began playing blues at age 11 and made his bones in Boston clubs. Welch played with the Blues Brothers Band of “Saturday Night Live”fame, receiving the nickname “Monster Mike” from Dan Aykroyd.
The band released its seventh album, “Living Tear to Tear,” in 2014, which debuted as No. 1 on the Living Blues Radio Charts and received seven Blues Music Award nominations.
Where: Hawaii Theatre
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday
Cost: $32-$37
Info: hawaiitheatre.com or 528-0506
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
Competitors vie to win fireknife competition
Think the basketball playoffs are tough? Take in the most heated competition in the world at the World Fireknife Championships this weekend at the Polynesian Cultural Center.
Competitors from around the world, ranging from 6 years old to adults, will compete in the traditional Samoan event, which has its roots in a traditional battle dance with a war club, later replaced by the serrated “nifo’oti” (rough translation: “tooth of death”).
Among the adults, competitors come from as far away as Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Orlando, Fla. Finals for the junior and intermediate divisions are tonight, as are the semifinals for the senior division. The senior finals are Saturday evening, during the intermission of the show “Ha: Breath of Life.”
For a full dose of Samoan culture, head up to the center early on Saturday for its Samoan Cultural Arts Festival. High school students of Samoan ancestry compete in cultural activities such as rhetoric, dance, fire making, costuming, coconut husking and basket weaving. The festival takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Polynesian Cultural Center
When: Junior/intermediate finals, senior semifinals, 7:45 p.m. today; senior finals, 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Cost: $6-$10 Friday; Saturday competition included in “Ha: Breath of Life,” $19.95-$49.95
Info: polynesia.com or 293-3333
TICKER:
Psychosexual thriller “Equus” comes to Manoa Valley Theatre, Thursdays-Sundays, through June 5; $20-$39, manoavalleytheatre.com or 988-6131.
