FRIDAY
Art museum event celebrates Hokule‘a
Celebrate the worldwide voyage of the Hokule‘a at the Honolulu Museum of Art.
The monthly Art After Dark event will feature new video of the Polynesian sailing craft’s journey as well as the opportunity to send a personal message of support to the crew, courtesy of the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s Aloha ‘Aina Peace Flag project. The project allows visitors to draw or write messages on blank flags, which will be sewn onto a large quilt and presented to the crew during their journey.
The Hokule‘a’s international travels will be reflected in the evening’s entertainment, with the 2014 trip to Tahiti represented by dance troupe Tahiti Mana and this year’s visit to the Caribbean represented by the Linda Melodia Dance Company and Greg & Junko Steel Drum Music Hawaii.
Sponsor Waikiki Parc hotel will offer two ways to win a two-night stay at the hotel: a navigation exercise in which guests find three locations in the museum, take a selfie at each location and upload them to Instagram; or by renewing their $100 museum membership or upgrading to that level.
And if you want to hear more about the Hokule‘a, head back to the museum at 7:30 p.m. Saturday for the screening of “Hokule‘a: The Future” and a panel discussion with Polynesian Voyaging Society members. $8-$10.
Where: Honolulu Museum of Art
When: 6-9 p.m. Friday
Cost: $25, free for museum members
Info: artafterdark.org or 532-8700
FRIDAY-JUNE 26
50th State Fair brings rides, food and circus
The 50th State Fair is back, bringing thrills, chills and plenty of family fun.
Highlighting this year’s fair is the return of the Amazing Anastasini Circus, a family-run circus that brings back the tradition of the big tent. The circus will be setting up a 40-foot-high tent with seating for 900 to showcase international acts such as trapeze artists, clowns, magicians and its award-winning Icarian duo in a routine in which one person lies on his back and “juggles” the other with his feet. And for those strolling around outside the tent, there will be occasional wire-walking between the two 45-foot-high tent towers. Admission to the circus is free with entry to the fairground.
For those with strong stomachs, fair organizer E.K. Fernandez is bringing in a new ride called the Equinox. The ride has three mechanical arms that lift passengers 75 feet up in the air while spinning around on three rotating axes. Just be sure not to eat too much of that greasy but good fair food before trying that oneout.
There will also be a petting zoo featuring goats, sheep, cows, ponies, a pot-bellied pig, llamas and more; a full midway of carnival games; and a full slate of musical entertainment.
Where: Aloha Stadium parking lot
When: 6 p.m.-midnight Fridays, 4 p.m.-midnight Saturdays, noon-midnight Sundays, though June 26. Also noon-midnight Monday (Memorial Day) and 6 p.m.-midnight June 9.
Cost: Admission only, $3-$5 (free for children under 40 inches tall); Fun Pass credits for admission, rides, food, shows and some games are $1 per 10 credits; rides are30-60 credits (Equinox, 70 credits); check website for special discount days.
Info: ekfernandez.com
Note: Memorial Day is Pasha Hawaii Military Appreciation Day with free admission for active-duty and retired military personnel and dependents with a valid military ID.
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
Bluesman Travis Haddix has outgrown his 4-decade day job
Bluesman Travis Haddix visits the islands for gigs at Hawaiian Brian’s and Surfer, the Bar.
Haddix has lived a life that one might expect from a blues musician; that is, he had to pursue his art while doing something else to support himself. The native of Mississippi held a day job as a postal worker in Cleveland for more than 40 years while playing his B.B. King-inspired blues. Starting in the early 1960s, he played with the D.L. Rocco Band and the Little Johnnie Taylor group, appearing on five albums by Artie “Bluesboy” White and recording more than 20 on his own.
Known as “Moonchild” for his bright smile and powerful performances, Haddix’s songs blend classic blues with a bit of pop. His tunes often have a risque flair, such as “Cialis Before I See Alice,” and “Dick for Dinner,” which was nominated for best contemporary blues song by the Blues Critic Awards Readers Poll in 2007.
“Like a fine wine, Travis Haddix continues to provide great pleasure as he matures. If anything, he might be still improving,” wrote BluesBlast Magazine in an online review of his latest album, “Travis Haddix: It’s My Turn Now — The Best of.”
Where: Friday, Hawaiian Brian’s, 1680 Kapiolani Blvd.; Saturday, Surfer, the Bar, Turtle Bay Resort
When: 7:30 p.m. both nights
Cost: $20
Info: Email stoddardsl@yahoo.com or call 926-1783.
SATURDAY
Stellar lineup to perform at Hoku Awards presentation
Time to celebrate the best of Hawaii’s recording artists with the 39th Annual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards.
While the nominees will certainly be awaiting “the envelope” with bated breath, the rest of us might just as well be breathless at the lineup of entertainment, which includes Aidan James, Maunalua, Kalapana, Jake Shimabukuro, the Rough Riders and Nathan Aweau.
Hoku Awards president Pali Ka‘aihue noted the return of Kalapana, one of Hawaii’s most storied groups, and that many of the musicians will be collaborating to produce “some of the most incredible and electrifying performances ever witnessed on the Na Hoku stage,” he said in a news release. “We want visitors and locals to walk away from this spectacular night knowing that our music industry is not only growing by leaps and bounds but also being shared and enjoyed with everyone around the world.”
Thirty-three awards will be given out in categories such as best album, top male and female vocalist, best group and favorite entertainer. A sentimental favorite will be singer Jimmy Borges, pictured, whose eponymous album is up for four awards. Borges, 80, has graced Hawaii’s nightclubs and stages for decades but has never won a Hoku. He announced in December that he has terminal cancer and is forgoing treatment.
Where: Hawai‘i Convention Center
When: Saturday, 4 p.m. cocktails, show at 5:15 p.m.
Cost: $145-$225, $135 HARA members
Info: nahokuhanohano.org or 593-9424; black tie or Hawaiian couture
TICKER: Tim Rose channels Prince in “Let’s Go Crazy: A Prince Tribute,” 9 p.m. Friday, The Republik. $15. flavorus.com or 855-235-2867
