Music and movies sizzle on the Valley Island

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor

Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam kicked of their 1998 tour with a show at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center. Advertiser library photo February 1998 What's happening on Maui this year Jan. 26: Natalie Merchant concert (She also plays Honolulu Jan. 23 and Jan. 25 on Kaua'i) Feb. 2: Hula Bowl Feb. 15, 16, 17: Kukahi 2002 with Keali'i Reichel Feb. 16: Whale Day Celebration June 12-16: Maui Film Festival June 30: First Annual Ka Leo Hano Awards Aug. 24-29: Maui Writers Retreat Aug. 30-Sept. 2: Maui Writers Conference. Sept. 14-15: "A Taste of Lahaina" and "Best of Island Music" Oct. 25-27: Maui International Short Film and Video Festival Oct. 31: Halloween in Lahaina

VH-1 Classic and DirecTV chose Maui last weekend to stage a concert called "Voices Rock Ka'anapali" that will showcase classic rock musicians in segments to be aired on cable TV later this year. And plans are afoot to return to Maui for a similar shoot in December.

Maui was celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck's choice to open his first Spago restaurant last month in Hawai'i, at the Four Seasons Resort in Wailea.

Surf footage for MGM's forthcoming James Bond flick, as yet untitled, has been shot at Jaws, the big-wave tow-in surfing spot, for 007's opening sequence.

With a retinue of homegrown stars such as Keali'i Reichel, Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom, Willie K and Hapa, Maui also is kicking off its own music award, Ka Leo Hano, this June, with a nomination process already under way (see related story at right).

And Conde Nast Traveler, the publication for discriminating travelers, last month named Maui the world's No. 1 island.

So why is Maui suddenly so hot, hot, hot?

Location, location, location.

"Maui is No. 1," said Barry Rivers, founder and organizer of the hugely successful Maui Film Festival, citing Conde Nast Traveler readers who voted for Maui as their favorite island destination worldwide. "It's not Manitoba, it's not Milwaukee; it's just a terrific place for a little bit of business — and a lot of pleasure."

Maui, indeed, offers pleasures to spare — grand resorts, golfing, sunny beaches, great restaurants, shopping, whale-watching — most of the stuff that you can find in Honolulu, but in a more carefree, even luxe environment, said Rivers. "Face it, you come to Maui and you feel relaxed."

The summer Maui Film Festival, and the winter First Light sister festival, have emerged as a magnet for cinemaphiles.

"What makes Wailea (one of the film fest sites) unique is Maui itself," said Rivers. "It's a combination of jet-set destination and backwater town. You can get away from the hustle by going to H?na, or relax in a resort like Wailea. There's great food and great shopping. You get the best of both worlds, a good fit for Maui and culture."

He said the synergy of Maui as a movie palace and a vacation retreat puts it on par with other larger festival sites. "Cannes is high-wire, Sundance is high-hope, Telluride is high-heart, and Maui is high-life," Rivers said.

The festival takes advantage of the tropical landscape via its "Celestial Cinema," a series of films shown outdoors in the tropical breeze, as well as the SandDance Theatre, at which viewers can dig their toes into beach sand while watching silent movies. You can't do that at Sundance.

"You can imagine how much the people love this casual aspect of the festival," said Rivers.

Next summer, the film festival will launch a Maui Digital SkyDome in Wailea, a facility for films produced digitally or not yet on 35 mm film. "It's putting sizzle on the steak, catering to industry needs," said Rivers, who was at Sundance last week, hobnobbing with movie types and promoting the June event.

Surf and songs

"Maui is a viable market to complement Honolulu," said Art Vento, general manager of the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, the island's cultural hub. Mikhail Baryshnikov played at the center last year but skipped Honolulu, and Carlos Santana was the first act to play the amphitheater when it opened nearly eight years ago. Santana gazed at the West Maui mountains and at Haleakala and quipped, "This is the Taj Mahal of amphitheaters."

The cultural center offers diverse venues, big and small, indoor and outdoor, to suit all palates.

"What we try to do is to showcase the best of the big wide world for Maui and ultimately showcase the best of Maui for the big wide world," Vento said. The cultural center manager was in New York this week, attending an Association of Performing Arts Presenters session to pitch Maui as a performance destination.

Vento said it was no accident that Pearl Jam, back in February 1998, opted to launch a world tour at the Maui center. "It was the first gig in five years for the group, and 1,200 people from around the country traveled to Maui to see them. Eddie (Vedder) saw the venue and figured he could surf, get ready for the world tour and have a good time. We made a deal where they could rehearse in one of our facilities. Every once in a while, a booking will have that panache."

Maui also has emerged as an ideal spot to mix business and pleasure for performers. The String Cheese Incident, a Colorado-based quintet eager to fuse its eclectic mix of rock, jazz and bluegrass with environmental concerns, is making its Hawai'i debut — on Maui, of course — next month. And bringing along about 1,100 fans to have a party in paradise.

"Most of us will be on vacation," said group manager Jeremy Stein, who decided to bypass more commercialized Honolulu and focus on a smaller audience in quaint Lahaina, booking shows Feb.16 and Feb. 17 at the Lahaina Civic Center Outdoor Stage. The group originally hoped to get the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, but Keali'i Reichel, a Maui native who is easily the state's No. 1 recording and concert attraction, does his annual three-day Kukahi performances Valentine's weekend at the cultural center.

"One of our band members, Michael Kang, is quite a Maui fan, so we wanted to make our debut on Maui," said Stein. "Our group is tied to environmental issues and the outdoors, and we have gone to Costa Rica with 1,000 fans and to Mexico with 500 fans. Over 10 to 12 days, our group and our fans are able to combine work with pleasure — in a destination that offers quite a range of activities."

The Maui lifestyle is no secret to Hollywood figures, either. Jim Nabors, who owns a Diamond Head home, has a H?na retreat. The late Beatle, George Harrison, had a hideaway in Nahiku; Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson have Maui homes, too. Ditto Mick Fleetwood and George Benson, who showed up at last weekend's "Voices Rock Ka'anapali" concerts.

"Pat Simmons (of the Doobie Brothers) got up and jammed with Jeff Baxter (of Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers)," said Ken Rosene, a local talent promoter involved in planning the video shoot.

"Maui's got it all, basically," said Rosene. "And that's why VH-1 plans to come back again for another show in December."

Smaller can be better

As popular as Maui is, it can't be all things to all people, however, said Vento. "We can't get the big touring Broadway shows."

Castle Theater, where a Broadway musical would be staged, only seats 1,200 — compared to 2,100 seats at the larger Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu, the prime venue for a touring company. But the Maui center has had "Stomp!" (which played the Hawai'i Theatre) as well as "Slava's Snowshow," and will play host to "The Vagina Monologues" after its Honolulu run at the Hawai'i Theatre.

O'ahu residents regularly flock to Maui to soak up the Maui experience, said Vento. "Sting fans flew to Maui and opted to spend the extra money for a more memorable night under the stars," he said of the A&B Amphitheater, which accommodates 5,000. "It's not to put down the Blaisdell Arena (where the British rocker played in Honolulu), but our venue is user friendly; a girl happened on stage during Sting's third song (and) security tried to push her away, but he gave her a kiss. He smiled the whole time; many others tried to do the same."

Reichel, who sells out three back-to-back Kukahi concerts, has called Castle Theatre "the Carnegie Hall of the Pacific." (He played Carnegie, so he knows of what he speaks.) Consequently, he now has fans who schedule a Valentine's weekend vacation to coincide with one of his performances.

Because of the volume of high-end conventions on Maui, many Mainland acts get bookings for private shows and occasionally add on public performances. Earth, Wind & Fire had such a gig in Kapalua, but the original client stood firm on a clause for exclusivity on Maui, so the soul act was forbidden to give a public show there. Hence, Honolulu-only dates emerged.

Some acts are allowed to do additional public shows; thus, Bonnie Raitt was able to combine a private gig with a public performance and made the latter a for-charity event, said Vento.

Besides movies and music, Maui capitalizes on its inherent riches, playing host to the PGA Mercedes Championships at Kapalua, whaling-related events in Lahaina and Ka'anapali, a music festival at Kapalua and a writers conference in Wailea — even Halloween in Lahaina, which is unlike any other celebration.

"For bands like ours (String Cheese Incident), Maui is a life experience. That's why we bring over our staff and crew, with our fans, to share our new music," said Stein. "If you're looking to sell tickets, it makes more sense to go to Honolulu. Instead, we'll take home memories of a unique experience."

Reach Wayne Harada at 525-8067, e-mail wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com or fax 525-8067.