Music Scene
All-star band is Bash's finale
By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer
That perfect closer.
KCCN FM 100 Birthday Bash 5:30 p.m. today and Saturday; gates open at 4 p.m. Waikiki Shell $25 pool seats, $19.50 terrace seats, $18 general admission lawn seats; two-show prices, $32 for terrace, $30 for lawn (none for pool) 296-1003, 526-4400 or http://kccnfm100.com Also: The first 5,000 entering the Shell each night will receive a free compilation of songs by the featured performers.
Baseball managers are always looking for those.
The Island Music MVPs (front, from left, Robi Kahakalau, Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom, Pati, Fiji; and back, from left, Justin Young and Kelly Boy DeLima) will perform at the end of each night's concert.
And so are concert organizers.
After 11 years of using a formula that has been successful every time, the organizers of the KCCN FM 100 Birthday Bash wanted to give the audience a going-away present, neatly wrapped up and called Island Music MVPs.
After both concerts this weekend, the MVPs will take the stage, performing — not just jamming — for about half an hour, a thank-you to fans who have supported contemporary Hawaiian music.
"It's nice to see everybody do their own sets and everything, but it's always nice for people to see their favorite musicians sharing their music," said David Tucciarone, music director for the MVPs and notable producer. "That's what music is all about. Not about making albums or doing gigs. It's about sharing music."
The roster is brimming over with talent, essentially a who's who in Hawaiian music. Pati, Fiji, Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom, Robi Kahakalau, Sean Na'auao, Kelly Boy DeLima — these are the musicians even the musicians look up to.
"All the people in the group are people I really, really respect," raved 22-year-old Justin Young, slated to perform as a singer in the MVP lineup. "Definitely grew up listening to their music."
The name MVP speaks for itself. These artists were carefully — often obviously — selected to cap off the evening in spectacular form.
"These are some of the best musicians in Hawai'i now," Tucciarone said. "They've been around for so long. They have something that others don't, and maybe others won't, in their musical careers. They've got great talent, but more than that, they've got a great attitude about their talent."
Enormous talents without the ego — what more could a music director ask?
Better schedules.
"That's the hardest part," Tucciarone said, after having to cancel a Monday night rehearsal. "The easy part is once we start playing music."
Most of the MVPs are performing as separate artists at the Bash, so they're also rehearsing with their respective bands. Finding time when everyone can be in one place has been Mission Impossible, but well worth the effort.
"We finally have time to actually be on stage and enjoy each other's company, musically, too," said veteran Basher Kahakalau. "The energy, the combination of people, is neat. I feel very honored to be part of that."
Kahakalau, who has appeared in the Bash several times as both a solo artist and part of the Hawaiian Style Band, sees this as an opportunity to jam with artists she admires but never gets a chance to see perform live.
"No matter what we sing, no matter what we do, it'll be fun," she said.
The energy on stage should be unmatched, Tucciarone said: "The whole vibe of everybody being together is going to be a really good one. People (in the audience) will see that, too, and that will enhance their own experience."
The Bash also includes, for the first time, a musician of international proportions.
Britain's Bitty McLean, of UB40 fame, will take the stage alongside Young, to perform their hit remake of "More Than Words," No. 1 on KCCN's 100 playlist.
Twenty-two and already selected as an MVP, Young has emerged on the Island music scene.
But he's still a giddy fan at heart.
"It's going to be great," Young said, with a smile you could feel over the phone. "We all know each other, we all respect each other. I think it's going to be a lot of fun. Fun to hear how we sound together on stage, how we play off each other. It's going to be a beautiful thing."
• • •
The KCCN FM 100 Birthday Bash doesn't leave many artists out, having recently expanded into a two-day concert affair. Here's the lineup for this weekend:
Today: Bitty McLean and Justin Young, Fiji, Na Leo Pilimehana, Manaëo Company, Colon, Ho'onu'a, Oshen, AZ, Ten Feet and the Island Music MVPs
Saturday: Pati, Kapena, 'Ale'a, Natural Vibrations, Three Plus, Sean Na'auao, Koa'uka and the Island Music MVPs
