FRIDAY-TUESDAY
>> Iolani Palace celebrates the birth of Queen Kapiolani
Celebrate the birth of Queen Kapi‘olani with a special moonlight tour of Iolani Palace this weekend. Born Dec. 31, 1834, she served as queen consort to King Kalakaua between 1874 and 1891.
With Kalakaua, “The Merrie Monarch,” Kapi‘olani presided over palace of music and entertainment, which will be replicated for the two evenings of the event, the only time of the year that the palace is open for evening tours.
The palace’s grand celebration halls, including the Blue Room, the Throne Room and the Gold Room, will host singers from the Mae Z. Orvis Opera Studio of the Hawaii Opera Theatre; hula led by kumu hula Ku‘uipo Kumukahi, Lono Padilla, Keano Kaupu, Iwalani Apo with Michael Pili Pang; and the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra.
Puamana, Hoopono Wong and Kaiao Kaiao will perform music composed by Kapi‘olani and other members of royalty in the Upper Hall, and other entertainers will spread holiday cheer in the barracks and the outside grounds.
The celebration also offers visitors the chance to climb the palace’s elegantly carved staircase to the second floor. Closed the rest of the year, the stairwell is the largest free-standing koa structure in the world.
IOLANI PALACE MOONLIGHT TOURS
>> Where: Iolani Palace
>> When: 5:30-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday (last tour leaves at 8:45 p.m.)
>> Cost: $30 reserved; $10-$20 general admission, available 4:30 p.m.
>> Info: iolanipalace.org
FRIDAY
>> Hawaii show follows artist’s album debut
Russ, a controversial hip-hop artist noted for his independent streak, brings his eclectic brand of rock, R&B and melodic hip-hop to Blaisdell Arena.
The multitalented 25-year-old New Jersey native, who’s now based in Atlanta, built a reputation on Soundcloud, where he posted a new song every week for three years. This year, he released his debut full-length album, “There’s Really a Wolf,” which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard R&B charts and peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Top 200. Many of the tunes feature a blend of gentle melodies and harmonies interspersed with heavy beats, topped by Russ’ sometimes smooth, sometimes raspy voice. But there’s variety too, with songs like “Cherry Hill” having a bass-driven rock vibe.
Russ wrote, produced and performed all 20 of the songs on “Wolf,” but the fact that he constantly tells you that — it’s the closing line in “I’m Here,” the first single on “Wolf” — has drawn critics who see arrogance and self-promotion in his attitude. His recent comments about the hip-hop scene haven’t helped, especially when he compares himself to some of the biggest names in the business while putting others down. “Everybody is using the same beat and flow,” he told hiphopwired.com. “No one is trying to be the best anymore, except for a few, like Kendrick (Lamar), Drake and J. Cole. A lot of these guys just sound like they are happy to be here; I’m trying to be the best.”
Whatever the case, those lucky enough to get to hear him will get a chance to figure it out for themselves. His Blaisdell Arena performance sold out a while back, with just a few tickets made available in recent weeks.
RUSS
>> Where: Blaisdell Arena
>> When: 8 p.m. Friday
>> Cost: $39.50 (sold out)
>> Info: 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com
TUESDAY
>> Straight No Chaser keeping spirits lifted
Keep the New Year’s champagne glasses clinking for an extra day when Straight No Chaser returns to Blaisdell Concert Hall on Tuesday.
The 10-man, all-male a cappella choir is known for its innovative adaptions of pop and rock tunes presented in a cool, classy style, with the group often dressed in retro, “Mad Men”-like attire. The group got started as college students at Indiana University in 1996, recorded a few albums and toured but disbanded after graduation, then got a revival after a video of a 2006 reunion went viral. They’ve since released three full-length albums of holiday favorites and three more devoted to classic pop and rock songs, going nostalgic with remakes of tunes by Elton John and Marvin Gaye as well as remaking hits by current stars Hozier, The Weeknd and Meghan Trainor.
In keeping with the group’s name, their albums have a distinctly “spirited” touch, with names like “With a Twist” (2010) and “Under the Influence” (2013). They’ve also produced three six-song EPs, which they call “six packs.” Their most recent EP, released earlier this year, features Jon Bellion’s “All Time Low,” a medley of Beyonce tunes, the classic Eurythmics song “Sweet Dreams,” Sam Cooke’s early R&B hit “Twistin’ the Night Away,” and an impressive version of Bruno Mars’ “That’s What I Like,” in which their voices faithfully recreate the effect of bass and drum kit as well as Mars’ appealing tenor.
STRAIGHT NO CHASER
>> Where: Blaisdell Concert Hall
>> When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday
>> Cost: $38-$64
>> Info: 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com
THURSDAY-JAN. 6
>> Blues Traveler’s harmonica player to play solo shows
John Popper, lead singer and virtuoso harmonica player for the blues jam band Blues Traveler, visits the Blue Note as a solo act next week.
Popper’s mastery over the mouth organ and soulful singing made Blues Traveler one of the more popular jam bands of the ’90s, but he didn’t start out to be a musician. He originally wanted to be a comedian and was inspired by Dan Akyroyd’s performance as Elwood Blues in “The Blues Brothers.” He went from there to playing harmonica in his high school band, then in the jazz program at the innovative New School in New York. Popper’s gone on to play with groups like Dave Matthews Band, the Allman Brothers Band, guitarists Eric Clapton and B.B. King, and even the heavy-metal band Metallica.
Popper formed Blues Traveler with some high school buddies and went on tour with Phish, Widespread Panic and the Spin Doctors, building fans along the way. The group’s fourth album, “Four” (1994), took them to next level with the hit singles “Run-Around” and the machine-gun-paced “Hook” – which brought them fresh cred when actress Emma Stone lip-synched it on “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon” in 2015. “Four” went multiplatinum, but Popper, in a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, called it “a fluke.”
“The idea is that we’re always going to have a good live show, and we love to play our music and write well,” he said.
JOHN POPPER
Presented by Blue Note Hawaii
>> Where: Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, 2335 Kalakaua Ave.
>> When: 6:30 and 9 p.m. Thursday-Jan. 6
>> Cost: $25-$45
>> Info: 777-4890, bluenotehawaii.com
