FRIDAY
>> The Jets bring synth-pop style to Hyatt dance party
Break out the puffy shirts and waist-clingy leather jackets. The Jets, the popular synth-pop band from the 1980s, returns to Honolulu for an evening of funky dance tunes.
Originally consisting of eight members of the Wolfgramm family from Minnesota, the band had a particular connection with Hawaii because of their Tongan ancestry. They filmed a Disney special here in 1987, putting their synchronizeddance steps on full display in tunes like “Private Number” and “Heart on the Line” (partially filmed outdoors on Magic Island) and their two major hits, “Crush on You,” and the ballad “You Got It All,” both of which reached No. 3 on theBillboard Hot 100 chart in 1986.
With their wholesome family image – and it wasn’t just an image, as it was a family decision to go into music rather than form a gardening business – and tight musical chemistry, the band was extremely popular during the late 1980s, goingon major tours every year between 1985 and 1989. Four other family members joined the band at various points in time, but there are only four members performing now: Natalia Wolfgramm Pikula, Edison Lavatai, Katharine WolfgrammWilson and Moana Wolfgramm Feinga.
They’ll perform today as part of “Old School Waikiki Friday,” a regular event at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa that features dance hits from the ’80s and ’90s. The event promoter, Hawaii Event Group, is planning to bring moreartists from that era back to perform live, so keep the puffy shirts and leather jackets within easy reach.
THE JETS
>> Where: Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa, 2424 Kalakaua Ave.>>
>> When: 9 p.m. Friday
>> Cost: $50 general admission; $80 VIP (includes meet & greet); tables $500-$800
>> Info: 808ne.ws/jets
SATURDAY
>> Comedian Anjelah Johnson returns for a night of laughs
Anjelah Johnson is the latest comedian who seems to have tapped into Hawaii’s aloha spirit. Her last appearance here in February 2017 was filmed and turned into a comedy special on EPIX, “Mahalo & Goodnight,” now available on Hulu. Shesaid she wanted to do it out of respect to her loyal fan base here.
And it’s no wonder audiences warm to her. She brings her own life into her humor, poking fun at her husband’s flaws – he can’t figure out how to make cough medicine for her when she’s sick – as well her own, like how her bow legs don’tlook good in heels. She is of Mexican and Native American ancestry and has a deft touch with ethnic humor. She also does a terrific Filipino accent. And it’s easy to be charmed by her spritely energy on stage – a nod perhaps to one of herearlier “show business” jobs, cheerleading for the Oakland Raiders.
That’s not to mention her famous alter ego, Bon Qui Qui, a fast-food worker with attitude that Johnson created for MadTV sketches. Over the years, she’s had Bon Qui Qui work as a nail salon worker, a flight attendant, and as saleswoman ata fancy boutique, frustrating customers and supervisors alike with her hypersensitivity and egomania. Check out the videos of Bon Qui Qui on YouTube and you’ll have a whole new perspective on customer service.
ANJELAH JOHNSON
>> Where: Blaisdell Concert Hall
>> When: 7 p.m. Saturday
>> Cost: $39.75 to $59.75 (few seats remaining)
>> Info: 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com
SATURDAY
>> Early Music, but still ahead of its time
Musical tastes, as all know, are constantly changing. So sometimes it’s interesting to go back and see what was considered “new” at certain times in history.
So it is with “Musical Mavericks,” a concert by Early Music Hawaii that features 16th century European music that, for its time, was considered revolutionary.
Ian Capps, who organized the concert, said the 16th century was especially important for music because of the advent of moveable type, which led to music publishing and the spread of compositions throughout Europe. That encouragedcomposers to write not just for the church but for artistic, intellectual and entertainment purposes.
The results included highly chromatic music by composers like Carlo Gesualdo and Orlande de Lassus, the emotional and dramatic madrigals of Monteverdi, and the songs of William Byrd, the first to suitably adapt the cadence and flow of theEnglish language to music.
Like today, much of this music ran into roadblocks and created controversy. “Monteverdi … had to answer serious criticism from the local critics at the time,” Capps said. “It’s now taken for granted as great music.”
Works by the four composers will be performed Saturday at Lutheran Church of Honolulu, performed in “authentic” style, with a small choir accompanied by organ, harp and viola de gamba.
“MUSICAL MAVERICKS”
Featuring Early Music Hawaii
>> Where: Lutheran Church of Honolulu
>> When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
>> Cost: $10 to $25
>> Info: earlymusichawaii.com
THURSDAY
>> Mannequin challenges made rap duo Rae Sremmurd famous
Up-and-coming hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd returns to The Republik next week.
Brothers Slim Jxmmi and Swae Lee started producing music while in high school in Mississippi, and became so passionate about it that they wound up getting kicked out of the house. They began throwing parties in an abandoned house thatthey had taken shelter in, gaining notice when they were selected to perform their song “Party Animal” on BET in 2010. But they had financial problems and went underground for a few years, resurfacing in 2013 as Rae Sremmurd (“EarDrummer” spelled backwards.
They’ve since received many accolades for their work, including Best Group from BET in 2016 and Billboard’s Best Rap Collaboration in 2017 for their song “Black Beatles,” with Gucci Mane. “Black Beatles” has since become their signaturework, known particularly as the background music for a viral series “mannequin challenge” videos in which people freeze in position. The duo did the mannequin challenge during several concerts in 2016 with nearly the entire audienceparticipating (check out the video at 808ne.ws/mannequin). Since then there have been dozens of copycat performances by sports teams, music stars including Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, Adele and Britney Spears, and other groups,including students at Konawaena High School on Hawaii island.
Some of their other hits include “No Flex Zone,” which reached No. 36 in 2014 and “No Type,” which reached No. 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2015.
RAE SREMMURD
>> Where: The Republik
>> When: 8 p.m. Thursday
>> Cost: $39.50 to $44.50
>> Info: 941-7469, jointherepublik.com
