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FRIDAY
>> Black Flag is still mixing it up
Headbangers can rejoice at the return of Black Flag, one of the original Southern California hardcore punk rock bands, which comes to The Republik on Friday.
The band got started in the mid-1970s in Hermosa Beach, Calif., and has experienced the ups and downs of the rock world since then, taking on and dropping numerous members, breaking up for years at a time, fighting over trademarks, then reunifying.
Founding member Greg Ginn has been the mainstay, using the music of the Ramones and the Stooges as inspiration and his knack for improvisation as his guide. That meant that for much of its existence, the band was constantly experimenting, mostly for their own amusement without concern for their fans’ interests.
“I didn’t get into playing music to please people necessarily or to give them what they want,” Ginn told staythirstymedia.com in 2010. With song titles like “Nervous Breakdown” and “Wallow in Despair,” that is obvious, but nonetheless the band is considered one of the most influential of its era, with artists like Kurt Cobain of Nirvana and Dave Lombardo of Slayer citing its music.
The band started playing together again in January, marking its fourth renunification attempt, with Ginn joined by lead singer Mike Vallely, bassist Tyler Smith and drummer Isaias Gil.
BLACK FLAG
>> Where: The Republik
>> When: 8 p.m. Friday
>> Cost: $25-$30
>> Info: 941-7469, jointherepublik.com
SATURDAY-SUNDAY
>> Symphony oboist to showcase unique instrument
Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra principal oboist J. Scott Janusch brings Hawaiian culture and the Western classical music tradition together this weekend with a performance of “Two Seasons,” a work by University of Hawaii-West Oahu music professer Jon Magnussen.
Janusch will perform on a special instrument made of old-growth kauila wood, which he obtained on Kauai and brought to an oboe maker in England. Janusch debuted the oboe and Magnussen’s work earlier this year in a chamber music arrangement, which now has been expanded for the whole symphony.
“Two Seasons” is a virtuosic piece that blends elements of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” with references to the use of kauila tools in traditional Hawaiian culture,
In comparison with a regular oboe, which would be made of black grenadilla wood from Africa, the new oboe is a beautiful reddish brown, with fine, “curly” grain, and has a more focused tonal center. Janusch had it made as his gift to the community; after a year, it will be turned over to an organization that will give other oboists a chance to play it.
The program includes two great symphonies: Schubert’s “Symphony No. 5,” a delicate, Mozartean work; and Prokofiev’s first, “Classical Symphony” in a lighter vein. Conducting will be Maestro Keitaro Harada, a highly sought-after young talent who will perform for All Nippon Airways Music Week events in the coming days.
“TWO SEASONS”
>> Where: Blaisdell Concert Hall
>> When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday
>> Cost: $35-$96
>> Info: 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com
SATURDAY
>> Pasifika Festival debut features Pacific Island artists
The Pasifika Festival, a new event promoting Pacific cultures, comes to the Honolulu Museum of Art this Saturday.
The show features visual art, dance and fashion by artists and performers of Pacific Island ancestry, said organizer Tolua Samifua, a social worker and creator of Lady Pasifika, an online platform for stories from Pacific Island women.
The event was inspired by similar events that started in Auckland, New Zealand, a few years ago and have since spread to several cities in Australia.
“Because we have such a strong Pacific Island representation, particularly here on Oahu, I wanted to put something inspired by what they’ve done in New Zealand,” Samifua said.
Among the featured artists will be Samoan artist Saumolia Puapuaga; designer Tehinamai Mataele Tafiti of Tauivi Designs, whose work is pictured at right; and the Micronesian Connection, a pan-Micronesian dance group from the University of Hawaii-Manoa.
For performers, having the event at the museum is an important first step because historically many artists of Pacific Island heritage have not been comfortable appearing there, said Samifua, who is of Samoan descent. “Having the first festival there, I hope, will inspire them to come back.”
PASIFIKA FESTIVAL 2019
>> Where: Honolulu Museum of Art
>> When: 6 p.m. Saturday
>> Cost: $15-$20
>> Info: 532-6097, honolulumuseum.org
TUESDAY
>> Summer Salt breezes into Honolulu
Seeking a new start, Summer Salt, a multigenre Texas band, comes to The Republik on Tuesday.
Even though they were based inland in Austin, Texas, the band made waves in 2014 with its debut EP “Driving to Hawaii,” with its title song a laid-back, acoustic ballad reminiscent of the Beach Boys. They followed that up with “Going Native” in 2015, a set of bossa nova songs inspired by an overseas trip by vocalist guitarist Matthew Terry.
The band hit rocky shores in 2016 when sexual misconduct charges were leveled at bassist Phil Baier. The group denounced sexual violence, but lost its recording contract and had its tour canceled. After a hiatus, the group regrouped, and began touring again in 2018 with vocalist/guitarist Anthony Barnett and new bassist Elliot Edmonds joining Terry and original drummer Eugene Chung. They’re on their way to Asia.
Note: This concert was originally scheduled for Wednesday. Ticketholders unable to attend on Tuesday can receive refunds at the point of purchase.
SUMMER SALT
>> Where: The Republik
>> When: 8 p.m. Tuesday
>> Cost: $23-$28
>> Info: 941-7469, jointherepublik.com
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